My wife Sandy and I go out to dinner most Friday and Saturday nights. We’ve been doing this for years, and know that we’re fortunate as hell to be able to indulge ourselves in this way. The majority of those meals take place in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, which isn’t surprising, since we reside in those burbs. And once or twice each month we head into Philadelphia, a city with many fine aspects, including a pulsating restaurant scene that, like the universe, keeps expanding. Each of our Philly visits includes dining in a restaurant or pub. The abundance of good eateries is one of the reasons why I’m a major fan of The City Of Brotherly Love.
Sandy and I consider dining out to be a form of entertainment. It’s fun. Two Fridays ago (November 7th), in the burbs, we chowed down at a restaurant we’ve been to a lot: Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza. The Italian salad we ordered was A-OK, and the pizza that followed it earned, on my scale, a 6.8 out of 10. That’s pretty high praise from me, because I’m a pizza snob.
The salad and pizza filled us up quite nicely. There was no room for dessert, certainly not for cannoli, a not-on-the-light-side Italian pastry, which Sandy, almost in passing, mentioned was on the dessert menu. Cannoli — crispy, tubular shells of dough stuffed with one variation or another of a ricotta cheese filling — can be scrumptious. When the word cannoli left Sandy’s mouth, my mind lit up, and I found myself reliving a sublime gastronomic experience. Namely, the cannoli I’d swooned over a year or so previously, for they were perfection, at Little Nonna’s, an Italian restaurant in downtown Philly that’s hard to get into unless you’ve reserved a table at least several days in advance. I hadn’t eaten any cannoli since then. But the signs were clear. It was imperative that I interact with Little Nonna’s cannoli again. And soon. Damn soon. The next night, in fact, would be ideal.
Thus, as we were preparing to pay the bill, I said to Sandy that, when we got home, I was going to see if Little Nonna’s, by some miracle, had a table available for the following evening. The odds were low, but miracles, I hear, have been known to occur. The cannoli gods were with me. Back at the house, I couldn’t believe my eyes when Litte Nonna’s online reservation service offered a table for 7:00 PM on Saturday. I nabbed it. Cannoli, here I come!
We arrived at Little Nonna’s from a Philadelphia movie theater, where we’d seen Blue Moon, a literate and really good drama about Lorenz Hart, the brilliant but troubled lyricist whose songwriting partner was the composer Richard Rodgers. Little Nonna’s is a cool place. Dimly lit, casual and full of life. Sandy and I enjoyed the heck out of the salad we shared. Ditto for our entrees. The chefs there know what they’re doing.
One hour into the meal, the long-anticipated moment was at hand, as a plate holding two cannoli was placed before us. They were a vision and also deelish. The hazelnut bits, chocolate sauce and powdered sugar saw to that. But were the cannoli fully as good as those on the previous occasion? You better believe it! My idea to revisit Little Nonna’s was one of the best I’d had in a long while.
As we all know all too well, our lives zoom by. That’s why it’s important to have fun on at least a fairly regular basis. Anything less than that means we’re not in the best of shape. If I hadn’t followed through on my goofy cannoli-related impulse, I’d have missed out on a fun-filled mini adventure. Which would have been a shame. For most of my adult life, I’ve been a frequent fun-pursuer and a usually successful fun-attainer. I have no plans to change.
Yeah, Another Blogger 
One thing I’ve never tried… but you’re right on trend! Cannoli seem to be having a moment, certainly round these parts!
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Try one!
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Life is short-eat the cannoli! My cannoli are delicious. Thanks for the reminder, I am going to make some soon
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I could go for a cannolo right now!
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I love Cannoli, but sadly, I didn’t try any in Philly. The best ones I’ve tried were freshly made in-house in a tiny Italian cafe in Toronto. They left the shells empty and filled them with sweet goodness when you placed your order…divine!
Your meal sounds wonderful.
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I need to do some research into which bakeries/cafes/restaurants in Philadelphia have top-notch cannoli. That’s a worthy project!
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You and your wife obviously know how to have fun (and yes to the canoli!!!). 🧡 Have a great Thanksgiving.
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Happy Thanksgiving to you too. It’s hard to believe that 2025 is almost over.
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Is this the same place that was Nonna’s in South Philly, Neil? I remember going there a hundred years ago and they had a guy dressed up like Madonna doing covers. It was hilarious, and the food was amazing. Wonder if it’s the same owners?
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Hi. I don’t think I knew about Nonna’s. In any case, Little Nonna’s isn’t in South Philly. It’s on Locust, near 12th. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!
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Thanks, Neil. Hope you did, too!
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Your closing comment to live it up because life zooms by is an important one. We are assuredly mortal, and making the effort to enjoy that glorious cannoli is an effort well spent! I hope you continue to enjoy a meal out and that there are more cannolis in your near future! A fun post, Neil. Happy Thanksgiving!
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I’m going to make it a point to have cannoli again sooner rather than later. And an espresso would be the perfect accompaniment. A very happy Thanksgiving to you too. Take care.
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That sounds like the best combo. Enjoy.
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I’ve never had cannoli but you make me want to try it, but our last Italian restaurant closed during the pandemic, leaving only pizza joints, where the emphasis is on the meal not the dessert.
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Hi. I hope you will cross paths with cannoli one day!
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Maybe when I go to Italy…
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Look forward to many things in your takes. Walks, Music, Movies and food. This was a good one Neil. One of the advantages of living in or near a city. Great restaurants. I’m a sucker for good Italian food. We dont have the choice you have because of our location but we do have an Italian Restaurant (Tried by various Italian friends of ours. Hard critics) that is second to none. The name is Cuckoo’s In Coombs Perfect name for a CB eatery
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Hi CB. Italian food can be hard to beat. And I tip my hat to the ancient Italians, because, among other things, they invented pizza. I’d be lost without pizza!
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I recently was out to dinner with a couple of male friends, who both ordered dessert. Now I usually skip dessert, but they would be eating theirs in front of me and didn’t want to share if I ordered one. So, what the hey, I went for warm berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream, nicely melting over it. No regrets!
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Hi Ruth. berry cobblers are superb. I good go right now for a nice big portion.
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😋
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I feel I’ve been an extremely fortunate fun-attainer myself. My husband and I live in the center of a college town so we can walk to countless events and eateries. Our local independent theater has a great movie deal. For $160 per year, you can see movies on Tuesdays for free and there are 6 screens to choose from. So, Tuesday is a regularly scheduled date night. Last Tuesday, there was nothing showing that piqued our interest, However, a Black Sabbath cover band was in town. We decided to go. I can’t say the music was good (luckily we brought earplugs) but the evening wasn’t a total flop. The venue was filled with members of another tribe—80% male, dressed in black, beefy, bearded, tattooed, over 50, and taking full advantage of the two extra bars that were serving the crowd. The show lasted 4 hours!! Three different bands, none good IMO. But it was an anthropological foray. The spectators were largely the kinds of people I’d likely not feel comfortable with in a parking garage elevator. Vince Gillian, were he there, might feel like he’d walked into a candy store of extras. Yet, in the context we were in, the people seemed amicable, maybe even protective. In the end, I enjoyed the night. Going with the flow definitely augments the fun.
Regarding cannoli, I’d love to try the rendition you’ve described. Most of the time, I’m disappointed with it. You’ve motivated me to search out a local equivalent (within walking distance of home).
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Hi. You described that concert perfectly. It was an eye-opening, unexpectedly enjoyable experience, shared with folks you ordinarily wouldn’t be hanging out with. The cliche is true: Life is full of surprises.
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So glad you got your cannoli, Neil–and that Little Nonna was still up to the task. You reminded me of a dessert we had not long ago in a local restaurant: a feather-light pistachio cheesecake with tiny dabs of apricot and raspberry jam surrounding it. It was ethereal.
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The cheesecake sounds fantastic. You were in the right place at the right time.
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Fer sure, Neil.
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That’s a great story! Thanks!
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A delightful story about life’s little joys 🍕🍰. It reminds us to follow our small passions and savor them, because it’s these little moments that make each day special 🌟.
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Hi. You have said it perfectly! Thanks very much for adding your thoughts.
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I share your love of cannoli, Neil, and Ed WORSHIPS it–he’s part Italian! One of the pleasures we most enjoy on our jaunts abroad is “choosing tonight’s restaurant.” If we’re not familiar with a city, we go cruising the restaurant hub, evaluating menus, ambiance, and occasionally price. Nothing too ridiculous when there are so many affordable options to choose from. As for being a fun-pursuer, why would you ever change? Merry, merry and happy, happy to you and Sandy!
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I agree, Neil. you have to fill your life with fun and even joyous times. It’s the little things that make me happy. Sounds like you and Sandy had a great time. Those cannolis look so good!
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When it comes to cannoli, Little Nonna’s knows what they’re doing!
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Sounds like a wonderful experience all the way around, Neil!
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A lot of fun, for sure.
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I am not having as much fun as you and your wife, and I better get moving! Going out to dinner was never something we did a lot. When the kids were young, we couldn’t’ afford it. Then once they were out of the house, we’d go to a restaurant but invariably I’d decide everything I made tasted better (no, I’m not a fabulous cook, but I like using fresh ‘organic’ ingredients that haven’t been frozen ahead of time or been sitting too long). I’m a food snob, I guess. Now we are more ‘cafe’ goers, particularly on weekend mornings, when we order cappuccinos (better be perfect) and croissants or muffins or a raspberry Danish. Once in a while after one bite I can tell that the bakery good was baked, frozen, and then served after defrosting. BIG no no for me. See? a snob! But you’re encouraging me to try again. We have a favorite old bar in Concord MA we used to frequent every Friday night. Then it got too popular and crowded and noisy. Hmm, I guess I’m a bar snob too! 🙂 Here’s to fun. Oh, and you should try the cannolis at Boston’s North End. Heaven.
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Hi. I’d like to spend a few days in Boston. Haven’t been there in ages and don’t remember the layout of the city very well at all.
I know what you mean about restaurant meals: They often seem very ordinary. But I like the atmosphere in many restaurants, so that kind of makes up for that. Take care, and have a good rest of the week!
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Atmosphere is a lot. There is a LOT of atmosphere in Boston restaurants (the older the better) and it’s a very walkable city, so hope you can re-visit sometime soon.
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I read another recent blog post about Little Nonna’s……..must be a very good restaurant! Sounds like we need a Little Nonna’s in Australia!
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Hi. I’ve been to LN’s twice. It’s a sweet place. And their cannoli are out of this world. I hope to be there again in 2026.
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Awwwe … geez … I’m so jealous! One of the things I miss most about that area is the Italian food! Everything is Mexican here. We have one good place that makes Chicken Parm the right way.
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Hi. Philadelphia has developed a really amazing food scene. It’s better than ever, and extends into many sections of the city. The wide choice of eateries is one of the things I like best about Philly.
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Love this! And I couldn’t agree more; the time is now. ❤️
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Hi. Right, each of us has a finite number of journeys around the Sun.
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