The Quest: Are you my Cannoli? Amici Caffe (The Drive, Vancouver, BC)

I was walking down Commercial Drive one day when a sandwich board sign stopped me in my tracks:



Fresh canoli? From where? The sign was right at the border of the small sidewalk seating area of Caffe Amici.



Quite naturally, as I have been on a quest that began with an innocent lunchtime canoli at La Dario Piazza Ristorante, I had to check it out.

Cannoli!

When I reached the interior of the small cafe, I was kind of glad that the cashier / clerk was no where in sight. It gave me a little time to peruse the offerings in the display cooler. To my delight, I found these little gems:



I was pretty stoked since they looked identical to the one I had enjoyed at La Dario. (La Dario on the left, Caffe Amici on the right.)



See? Identical!!

I was so happy that I pretty much glowed all the way back to the car. I even gleefully attempted to take some photos of a cannoli *in* the car while stopped at a stoplight (you know, because I thought *my lap* would keep it from rolling around. It didn't. I got a sweater nicely dusted with suspect-looking white powder to prove it!). One cannoli didn't make it home. Another didn't make it to the fridge...and then there was one. :)

How was it, you ask?

And I have to ask in turn, Are you my canoli?

The truth is, perhaps I have built up the original cannoli too much! For in fact, if this *were* the bakery supplying to La Dario, they *must* be doing something different with the filling in their own premises.

While the cannoli shell was the same - crisp, thin, and light, and the roasted nuts which the filling was dredged in also the same, the filling seemed a hollow relation to what I remembered of that "fabled cannoli" a couple months ago.

That cannoli filling was creamy, light, and sweetened slightly. This cannoli filling was grainy, slightly heavier, and almost cloying in sweetness. In addition, it seemed to leave a slight chalkiness on the tongue.

What went wrong? How could the quest be so seemingly unfair??

The answer probably lies in the timing. I had La Dario's cannoli in March, when the weather was mild. It is May now, and slightly warmer. I'm guessing the warmer weather made the sugar in the filling crystalized, or some other kind of food chemistry that is beyond my realm. Perhaps that was the answer?

Or perhaps the answer is that I have to revamp the quest itself - so far my *favourite* cannoli, by far, has been the ones at Italia Bakery. *All of them*.

So, while I have probably found the makers of the Dario cannoli, I now want to find the *best* cannoli in Vancouver. Have any suggestions?

Caffé Amici

1344 Commercial Drive [map]

Vancouver BC

Phone: 604-255-7879

The Quest: Are you my Cannoli? Italia Bakery (Hastings, Vancouver, BC)

This is a fun little project!

I continue my quest for the perfect cannoli, or a cannoli that compares to the light, crisp, slightly sweet concoction I had a couple weeks ago at La Piazza Dario Ristorante.

My search directed me towards Italia Bakery, located on East Hastings street, between Renfrew and Kaslo streets (half a block away from the PNE grounds).



I was delighted to find that Italia Bakery had three offerings in the cannoli category, by way of a Ricotta Cannoli, one that seemed to be a combination of light and dark custard fillings, and a Hazelnut Chocolate Cannoli (I was so excited when I read the label that I nearly jumped up and down and started clapping.)

But. I restrained myself.




I will not lie. I *loved* these cannoli. I will definately go back for more. My favourite? The Hazelnut Chocolate Cannoli (no contest).

But, was this the cannoli I had at Dario's? Are you my canoli?

The verdict: It was close! The cannoli shell was fresher than the one from Fratelli Bakery and closer to the one at Darios in terms of texture and size. Mind you, I visited both Italia and Fratelli bakeries close to their closing times, so I can't complain.

I actually ate Italia Bakerys' Ricotta Cannoli first, thinking that since there was only one left on display at the store, it was the least fresh - I was wrong! It was the most crisp out of the three that I bought. This was a more traditional cannoli, with mini chocolate chips folded into the smooth ricotta filling.

I could have easily had the three cannoli for dinner last night, but I paced myself. (I saved one for breakfast! haha!)



These were deliciously creamy and the hazelnut chocolate one made me sigh in content. (Yes, that is a bite missing out it in the smaller photos above! I couldn't help myself!)

If you're a cannoli fan, please do visit Italia Bakery for a gorge-worthy treat!

Italia Bakery

2828 East Hastings Street [map]
Vancouver BC
Phone: 604-251-6800

The Quest: Are You My Cannoli? (Fratelli Bakery, Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC)

I'm on my quest to find a cannoli that compares to, or IS the one from La Piazza Dario Ristorante! I am really really jonesing for that sweet treat again - crisp shell, lightly sweetened, creamy ricotta and the whole thing lightly dusted with sugar. It seems that I am *not* the only one looking for good canoli in Vancouver, a yahoo user posted this question a couple months ago.

After some google-ing and some perusing, I stopped by Fratelli Bakery on the way home from work and picked up Italian pastries. Since I am the only one with a serious sweet tooth in the house, I only picked up five pastries: Sicilian cannoli and pistachio squares.



I was actually so hopeful (and anxious!) that the bulk of these photos were taken in the car. Thats right, only a portion of what I ordered at the store made it home! ...Proof that I was not delivered to the wrong parents as an infant.

The Question: Are you my canoli?



The Verdict: Sadly, no. Although the canoli were more traditional in flavour (than Dario, actually!) with slight citrus overtones and chocolate pieces in the ricotta filling, the shell was noticeably thicker and not as crisp as the one I had at Dario's. I'm sure that many people love the canolis at Fratelli (the place had a line up close to closing time!), but it wasn't what I was looking for. Fratelli also had a regular canoli, but it appeared to have a puff pastry shell with a more custard-like filling.

*sigh* I guess the quest goes on...

Fratelli Bakery

1795 Commercial Drive [map]

Vancouver, BC

Phone: (604)255-8926