Avondale Heights The Cannoli Bar could be Melbourne’s best
IF THE thought of fried pastry filled with sweet ricotta and candied orange, and finished with pistachios or chocolate has your mouth watering, then it’s worth a visit to what could arguably be Melbourne’s best cannoli shop.
North West
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BURIED within the backstreets of Avondale Heights, almost 4000 cannoli are sold to hungry Melburnians who line up rain, hail or shine every weekend.
Customers arrive from Dandenong, Wollongong and as far as Hobart to try the traditional Sicilian sweet treat at The Cannoli Bar.
For the uninitiated foodie, cannoli is a Sicilian treat made from fried pastry shaped into a hollow cylinder and traditionally filled with sweet ricotta filling and candied orange, and finished with pistachios or chocolate.
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Carlo Mellini, 28, and close friend Anthony Calenda, 31, opened the cafe in July after repurposing an old milk bar to serve homemade cannoli to Avondale Heights’ strong Italian community.
The recipe has travelled down through generations of Mellini family pastry chefs, and naturally, there’s a secret ingredient Mr Mellini will take to the grave.
He does reveal the recipe originates from Catania — arguably the best place to eat cannoli in the world.
Stepping into The Cannoli Bar is a true Sicilian affair.
Customers loudly order and chat to the staff in Italian, and tying to get a word in with Mr Mellini is difficult as he greets and serves the never-ending stream of people coming through the door.
Even at 11am on a Wednesday, the cafe fills within minutes.
People sit, stand, huddle, and eventually wait outside in the winter’s cold waiting for their box of cannoli to be served.
By the weekend, Mr Mellini’s family will work through the night to make enough cannoli shells to serve the 200-odd people who line up around the block on Saturdays and Sundays.
The shop regularly closes early because there’s nothing left to sell.
All traditional cannoli are made fresh on the spot to mimic how it’s made by Sicilian street vendors. But modern flavours like oreo and nutella sit ready to eat in the refrigerated front cabinet.
When asked if his cannoli is the best in Melbourne, Mr Mellini says customers have compared his pastry to the institutions around Melbourne such as Cavalloro in Footscray, but he’s not worried about being the greatest.
“I am proud to celebrate our grandparents’ tradition. The older generation are telling us we’re doing it right,” he says.
The Cannoli Bar, 23 Riviera Rd, Avondale Heights, is open Wednesday to Friday 8am-3pm
and Saturday and Sunday 8am-4pm.
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