by Caitlin Saniga
Presti’s Bakery has three triple-decker display cases just for baked sweets and other desserts. And that’s not including the gelato bar.
My cute family from left: Sam (the birthday girl!), Mom, me, Holly and Aunt Julie
For my cousin Sam’s birthday, some of my family and I met her in Cleveland’s Little Italy at one of our favorite bakeries, Presti’s. Poor Sam is probably so sick of Presti’s because, every time we visit her, we make at least a quick stop at the bakery. Even if she is, she always plays along enthusiastically. (Either that or she loves it as much as we do.)
Pepperoni roll
The mandatory Presti’s purchase is, without a doubt, the baked pepperoni roll — a 6-inch-long bread swirled with pepperoni. It’s soft on the inside, and crispy and buttery on the outside. At $2 a roll, I usually snag about four, and freeze the extras for later lunches. On this particular Presti’s outing,
From left: raspberry linzers, chocolate ganache sandwiches and a chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon
I got one roll, which meant I still had $4 left from $6 Snack budget.
So, I hit up the dessert display cases. One chocolate-dipped macaroon ($1.50), five chocolate ganache sandwich cookies ($12.50 per pound**) and four raspberry linzers ($12.50 per pound) later, I’d rounded off my budget.
The salads display case: Pesto tortellini (which I tried and loved) is the second from the left in the middle row
In the meantime, my family ordered gelato, pesto tortellini and several other desserts and savory dishes. Presti’s also serves a variety of coffees and teas and sells breads by the loaf. There’s a decent amount of tables to sit at, and the atmosphere is very much like a cafe’s. In warmer weather, outdoor seating is available, too. I always spot students from Case Western University who stop in for snacks and to use the wireless Internet.
The Presti’s sign at night
Visit Presti’s in Cleveland’s Little Italy: 12101 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44106; prestisbakery.com
Photos: Sam Janis, Holly Saniga and a random stranger (who snapped the shot of my family)
*$6 Snacks is a recurring feature that reviews an area eatery’s snack — for $6 or less. Look at a map of the places we’ve tried.
** The woman I talked to said a pound is about 30 of the small cookies — linzers and ganache sandwiches included.
I used to work there the summer after freshman year. I still dream of the raspberry linzors. You definitely need to get a veggie stromboli next time you go. DELICIOUS.