Romolo's Cannoli — Restaurant in San Mateo

Having grown up in NJ, so close to NYC I am a snob when it comes to Italian desserts. Could not believe finding this cannoli treasure on the West Coast tucked away on 37th St, off El Camino Real. I remember a few years ago passing it a few times but it was never open when I wanted to go in. So on Good Friday, when my co-workers and I had a Mexican lunch next door, we walked in to find it open and ready for our taking! I was in heaven. The aroma of freshly baked shells just tickled my nose. There was a crowd ahead of us which gave me time to check things out. I picked up an ice-cream cannoli (coffee ice-cream with toffee toppings - tasted so divine). I tasted their berry and vanilla ice-cream which if I wasn't so full from lunch, would've picked up a cup. Then when it was my turn, the lady behind the counter talked me into getting the DIY cannoli of 6 for $36. I had 3 chocolate filled shells, 3 regular, a small bag of mini chocolate chip toppings, and a HUGE baker's bag of cannoli cream. She said to keep the bag of cream refrigerated and leave the shells in the box (which I placed the whole box in a big ziploc bag to keep fresh). I wanted to serve the cannolis to my family 2 days later. Fast forward to 2 days later, I bit into my DIY cannoli and just about died with delight! The shells were still crispy and the ricotta cheese filling was creamy, not too sweet with a slight hint of vanilla. My family loved their treat; my family...

I grew up in a Sicilian family, where my grandfather did all the cooking, and his cannoli were a treat made once a year for Christmas, and with his passing years ago- so went the fondest memories of my childhood. I found Romolo's in the search for true, Sicilian cannoli- the shell made with red wine and fried in shortening rather than oil, the dough cold and not overmixed, but blended and allowed to rest chilled resulting in a solid yet flaky shell. I bought the kit- half plain and half chocolate lined- and the vanilla ricotta filling, and brought them home with expectations of at best, a pretty good cannoli. At first bite- I admit it. I choked up, with goosebumps flowing accross my arms- I was taken back 40+ years and experienced that most wonderful of things: my childhood memories of the cannoli my grampa'd make, the anticiption of Christmas, the joy of our family united together for one brief second to share a rare delicacy (the in-fighting always preceded and followed as we were sicilian, after all) my grampa made for us. Thank you, Romolo- you made me feel what I've not...

I went here today (5.10.25) after having lunch at Sole Ristorante. I was excited to try their cannolis because my son and his fiancé rave about this place. My son's fiancé ordered 2 regular cannolis with regular fillings and pistachio on one side and cherry on the other side. The boy that serving my son's fiancé wasn't wearing gloves he touched the cannoli and the cherry with his bare hands. And touched the cash register to ring up the amount of cannolis my son had purchased. Seeing this, I had to pass on cannoli. The girl that was there was grabbing cannolis with bare hands also, and filling the cannolis. Afterwards, she grabbed a rag to erase something on the board and went at the back to continue what she was doing. No matter how good the product with no proper handling of food, is a big NO NO for me. Not going...