Manda C.
Yelp
I drove by last month and saw a business in the old Legends location. An Italian Market??? We quickly pulled in, just to see they are closed on Sundays. The hours of operation (Monday-Saturday 11am to 6pm) and look of the outside screamed small business, so I filed it away as a must visit for later.
Unfortunately it took me another 6 weeks to make it by during business hours. I came by early Friday afternoon, on a rare weekday off, to check out the grocery store and was surprised to also see a meat counter and tables with people eating.
Within 30 seconds of entering, the first aisle I saw was full of ingredients and brands I recognized from my nana's pantry. I believe it was about this time I started involuntarily doing a little skip, trying to keep a happy dance contained.
While there are only 4 or 5 aisles with a freezer section along the back, the selection was great! From a nostalgic point of view, I saw several breadsticks and cookies I remember from my childhood in NY. I bought one of the breadsticks and the 7 layer cookies, which did not disappoint! I intend to purchase their homemade raviolis and gelato pops from the freezer section on a future visit. We also got some sauce and I was impressed to see a huge selection of pasta, including 2 I didn't even recognize! They also have wine and olive oil!
The staff was sooooo friendly! There were multiple people working and they were so nice and engaging and I really felt welcomed- another bit of nostalgia! While everyone I saw was too young to be one of the owners, the owners clearly know how to hire and inspire their staff. I learned that they were just about to go into their 3rd month of business. Multiple people said goodbye to my husband and I when we left. I KNEW I would be back. In the parking lot, the happy dance could no longer be contained!
On our first visit, I wasn't hungry because we were stuffed from lunch. Although I was intrigued by their deli counter, including house made meatballs, pasta salad and a selection of sausages. I kept walking by 3 people at different tables that were eating hoagies, looking happy, and eating in that content silence when the food is so good it requires all your attention.
So I ordered a cannoli to go. A plain cannoli, as this is how I judge a place, not drizzled in chocolate to hide imperfections, but a plain old cannoli.
We didn't even make it out of the parking lot before I tried it and oh my Gooooodddddd. It's amazing! I then remembered they also sell their cannoli filling in the freezer section as well, and I could buy that alone to eat straight out of the piping bag! The pastry was good too, it was clearly made fresh to order and not made early and stored in a fridge to slowly die.
I was immediately analyzing it, trying to figure out the ingredients- is that coffee infused? Is that a hint of cinnamon? It was both familiar and clearly a unique recipe. I am terrible at figuring out recipes, which is why I enjoy food instead of make food, but this was legitimately the best cannoli I've had in the entire state of Texas. After a few bites and thinking hard, I'm pretty sure this is the best cannoli I've had *ever*, including in NY! There is no way that building doesn't contain at least 1 person originally from the east coast.
We came back the next day, Saturday just before noon, with the intention of splitting a meatball hoagie and a pistachio cannoli, but there wasn't a single parking spot available!
My husband dropped me off in front so I could just get a cannoli and we could go elsewhere for lunch, and I immediately saw most of those cars were people in the store, despite the other businesses in that shopping center. I am thrilled they are so popular, I definitely want them to stay in business, but it was a bit chaotic with people everywhere, every seat taken and barely anywhere to stand in line.
The pistachios were a garnish, instead of mixed in, which is more authentic. The cannoli cream was consistent and the pistachios tasted freshly added, very nice. I am definitely going back to purchase some freezer items and have lunch there, I just have to be smarter with my arrival time. Oh, and a cannoli per visit will definitely be mandated!
Even if you don't find yourself needing top tier ingredients for cooking, you MUST stop in so you can try out their food and get a cannoli- just leave some for me!