I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, so while I love Graeter’s ice cream and Skyline Chili, I will always miss Cleveland cuisine while I’m at school in Cincinnati. Cincinnati does have some great eats, but I’ve yet to find the right place to get a fresh loaf of bread or the perfect cannoli. That’s why while I’m home for the summer I will be hitting up Presti’s Bakery every chance I get.
A Little History
Presti’s is an Italian bakery in the heart of Little Italy and serves pretty much any Italian pastry you can imagine. The bakery opened in 1903, and at the time they were just serving fresh baked bread. Over the years, they have expanded and now serve bread, pastries, pizza, pasta, and much more. Four generations later, the bakery and now cafe is still thriving and can be visited for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Why Presti’s Has My Heart
When I was little, my mom loved going to the art museum (she still does), and in order to get my sister and I to behave while we were there she would bribe us with cannoli from Presti’s (can you tell I grew up in an Italian household?). For those of you who don’t know, a cannoli is a tube of fried pastry dough filled with a sweet, creamy filling (it’s basically heaven in a pastry).
After the art museum, we would go somewhere in Little Italy and eat lunch and then go to Presti’s. My mom let us get anything we wanted from the pastry case and of course I would always get cannoli. Let me tell you, it was worth it. The shell was always crunchy, and the filling was as sweet as can be. I always left with a huge smile on my face along with tons of powdered sugar.
My Go-To Menu Items
To this day I go to Presti’s after the art museum, and any other time I get the chance. I’ve yet to try everything on the menu but I’m working towards it. If you need suggestions for what to get when you go there here are a few of my go-tos: Margarita Pizza, Cavatelli, Pepperoni Bread, Split Top Bread, Cannoli (of course), Cassata Cake, and Chocolate Mousse.
As you can tell, I have quite a few favorites because honestly everything there is amazing. I’m pretty sure that regardless of where I live in the world Presti’s will always be my favorite bakery. It will also be a Cleveland classic for life. If you’re ever in Cleveland, make sure you check out Presti’s. Who knows, maybe it will hold a special place in your heart too.