Romolo’s, San Mateo
Sicily contributes many delicious dishes to the Italian heritage, but I don’t think I crave any of them as much as cannoli. That’s why when I hear about a new place that makes them, I usually run and try it out!! Romolo’s in San Mateo is one of such places: in a very unassuming strip mall you can find this family-run shop with cannoli filled to order and all sort of Sicilian delicacies!
The Italian family that runs this place, the Cappello’s, engages different generations to make sure your cannoli are fresh and delicious! I loved the generous ricotta-based filling, and the fact that it was made to order under my eyes. Real cannoli are supposed to be light, despite their fried shells. That’s exactly how I found the cannoli at Romolo’s- one was not enough! I like the fact that, if you want to take some home, they will sell you the shells and the filling on the side, so you can fill them right before serving them and avoid the sogginess. They also make tartufo and spumone, and have a wide selection of gelato.
With a few tables for you to enjoy your treats, Romolo’s makes the perfect merenda (a mid-afternoon snack, usually made of sweets) stop for me, in truly Italian style!
A delicious tartufo, vanilla ice cream with a heart of coffee!
Romolo’s Factory
81 37th Ave
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 574-0625
Filed under: Bakeries and Pasticcerie, Gelaterie, Peninsula
I tried their cannoli and didn’t think they were good at all!
In fact, they tasted fake and were too sweet. I don’t think they use real ricotta cheese for their filling; it was too glossy!
The shell was overly fried and on the rancid side. Hmmm?
Disappointment, why YES, indeed!
I’ve used Romolo’s for the past 10 years for many events. Never in that time have I had bad cannoli. Further, their gelato and spumone are a real treat– creamy and flavorful. The filling for cannoli changes from area to area in Italy. For example, I have tasted cannoli with only ricotta, cannoli with only whipped cream, cannoli with whipped cream mixed with powdered sugar and cannoli with combinations of all three. I know that the Cappello’s use only fresh cheese and cream. They take a great deal of pride in their products…
I moved to Los Gatos 35 years ago from the East Coast and have never found a decent cannoli which could compare to those which I have bought in New York or Philadelphia. Every two months I travel back East and while I am there I get my cannoli fix. Just a few weeks ago I read a review in the Santa Cruz Sentinal about Romolo’s which made my mouth water. My husband and I immediately drove up to San Mateo to find these Italian pastries. They were absolutely wonderful…just the right balance of ricotta to sugar. We each savored a cannoli right away and then bought a kit to take home. For several days we enjoyed the our freshly filled cannoli. These cannoli are delicious and I highly recommend them.