EAT: T CAVALLARO & SONS, FOOTSCRAY
Much like Jerry Seinfeld’s reaction to Kenny Bania’s frequent "It's the best, Jerry! The best!” exclamations, most people including myself tend to receive such comments with skepticism.
Having said that, I have on rare occasions pulled out the phrase, and definitely use it when describing T Cavallaro & Son’s cannoli. They're the best in Melbourne and better than the few I tried during my time in Italy. I shall refrain from calling them the best in the whole world until I taste some more from Italy...
The family-run business has been serving their cannoli alongside other Italian biscuits and cakes in the same Footscray location for over 55 years, using traditional family recipes that date back to the 19th century. I’ve only ever tried their cannoli as they’re all I ever want (and crave!) but should probably try some of their other goodies. The cannoli come in two flavours: chocolate+vanilla patisserie cream (with each flavour taking up one half of a cannolo) and ricotta. While the creamy and silky cream is delicious, the ricotta is phenomenal. Sporting an incredibly balanced ratio of sweetness to fragrant cinnamon to creamy indulgence in the form of the ricotta filling, every bite of the ricotta cannolo is memorable. The shell itself has a gorgeous and delicate crunch that rivals the tastiness of the ricotta filling. Even my cheese-hating sister (blasphemous, I know!) could’t help but enjoy and finish what was left of my last loot.
My words don’t do the actual taste and deliciousness of T Cavallaro & Son’s cannoli justice, so a visit is an absolute must! Whew, that tasty stroll down memory lane seems to have set off those cannoli cravings again…
T Cavallaro & Sons
98 Hopkins St,
Footscray, Victoria, 3011.
(03) 9687 4638