What does a great cannoli consist of?
 

I hadn't had cannoli before moving to the BWI area and having had them now, I get them everywhere I can. :)

What makes a great cannoli? I have no idea what to look for, other than a bit crispy outside, smooth and creamy inside and I happen to prefer the ones studded with little tiny chocolate chips.

Any suggestions on places I should check out in the area?

I prefer candied citrus to chocolate chips and they must have pistachios. There is nothing worse than peanuts which are dyed green. I prefer ricotta as it has a bit more texture.

Peanuts died green? Mon dieux!

Crispy shell, crispy because it's fresh, not because it's full of preservatives or coated.

A filling you like that's firm an not runny. What flavor that is - totally personal taste. I prefer ones that are not chocolate, though if they want to dip it into some melted chocolate before they hand it over, that's perfectly OK.

I agree. Also, the shells should be empty until it's time to serve it to the customer. There's nothing worse than a soggy cannoli because the filling sat in the shell all day.

Or just go to a place where they can't keep them on the shelves, like Mike's Pastry in Boston's North End. :)

can be common practice.

crispy shell, firm filling and trust make a great cannoli

At dinner on our 2nd date (eons ago), my future wife says to me, "want to share a cannoli for dessert?", me "sure", future wife orders from waiter, me to future wife "what's a cannoli?" ahhh I was so full of love back then:)

Absolutely!

What makes a great cannoli?

http://www.mikespastry.com/cannoli_info_10CT.html

Mike's talks about "green mixed nuts" on that page. I assume that doesn't mean fresh pistachios. Are their cannoli still the best ones in Boston?

Where can one be assured of finding ones that have real pistachios in New York City?

Meh, I prefer Maria's.

I eat a cannoli about once a year, but the last one I had was at Mike's and it was delicious. I can't remember the pistachios all that well. Maybe they fooled me with peanuts.

Never been there, but I would only buy cannolis from an Italian bakery in an Italian neighborhood. And not a touristy "Italian" neighborhood either. I stay away from Little Italy in Manhattan :td: but love going to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx for cannoli, breads, pasta, etc! ^

Real Italians live in the North End. :)

Exactly! And that's the only nabe in Boston where I would ever get a cannoli. :D

Do they ever!!!! The little shop under my apartment had staffers that didn't speak English at all!

JP