Eat Cannoli

UPDATE: APRIL 24, 2020 — Preston's Coeliac Australia-accredited bakery has pipe-your-own cannoli packs available for pickup every day.

Eat Cannoli founders Kate and Dom Marzano really love their Sicilian pastries — just without gluten. The duo's Preston cafe is serving up 100 percent gluten-free fare to the masses — and it's got a Coeliac Australia accreditation to prove it, too.

All cannoli are made from scratch and filled to order, going for $4.5 a pop. The menu changes often, with the original ricotta regularly featured — the deep-fried pastry shell is filled with ricotta, chocolate chips, candied orange and honey from the shop's beehive. Other fillings include Aperol spritz, lemon cheesecake, amaretto, creme brûlée and passionfruit. Shells come infused with the likes of charcoal and raspberry, too, and vegan cannoli are also available for order.

But the Preston shop isn't just limited to cannoli. It also serves up other desserts like tiramisu ($6) and semi freddo sandwiches ($4.5), along with coffees by Hallelujah ($4–5) and a daily granita ($4.5). For savoury options, the duo is baking piadini in-house — an Italian-style flatbread made from a 48-hour sourdough starter. The toasted bread is used for sandwiches, including the slow-cooked beef brisket with pickles, sauerkraut and peppers; and the pumpkin and ricotta with mozzarella and rocket ($10.5 each). Add vegan cheese for two bucks.

Apart from the physical cafe, Eat Cannoli is still making the festival and market rounds, too, so keep an eye out for Ivana — the team's vintage caravan — the next time you're out and about.

Images: Parker Blain.