Italian-born Giorgio Linguanti has been hand-making burrata, mozzarella, ricotta and more since founding Thomastown cheese factory and shop That’s Amore in 2008. After a number of years churning milk, his Sicilian heritage inspired him to develop Cannoleria by That’s Amore – a sister business devoted to the iconic Sicilian dessert.
Until now, Melburnians could only purchase these delicate golden tubes at the original spot, and at occasional pop-ups inside South Melbourne Market, Highpoint Shopping Centre and Chadstone. So together with chef Dario Di Clerico, Linguanti turned the South Melbourne pop-up into permanent digs.
The fit-out, with touches of the That’s Amore’s signature lemon-yellow, deep-sea-blue and white, is the work of local company Mr Cabinets. The store is small but mighty, with a wooden L-shaped counter, one arm of which holds cannoli – stacked in little towers in a glass cabinet – the other with just enough room for a cash register. On the back wall, a Scrabble-style menu lists the flavours of the day.
Ricotta is produced in the Thomastown cheese factory each morning and is then mixed with different ingredients until smooth and piped into cannoli.
“Being in Thomastown, there are a lot of Italians around us,” says Di Clerico. “If someone brings some lemons [into the factory], we’ll make the lemon flavour called Limoncello. Or [if] someone brings persimmon, we do a persimmon flavour.”
Here you’ll find traditional flavours – ricotta, pistachio and chocolate, lemon, or chocolate – and the more adventurous – peanut butter and jelly, berry and white chocolate, and Bacio with hazelnut and crushed Baci chocolate. Prices are $5 for one large cannoli or three for $12. There are mini cannoli, too, for $2.50 each (or five for $10).
The team has also experimented with salted-caramel popcorn, Vegemite and truffle-infused ricotta.
“That’s our next chapter,” says Di Clerico. “We want to start to introduce more savoury flavours where we can play a little bit between the sweetness of the [shell and the] savoury.”
Cannoli is the only hero of this store – there’s no coffee, no tea – (“We don’t want to step on anyone’s toes,” says Di Clerico). For your caffeine hit, visit nearby Padre Coffee or Tea Drop.
Cannoleria by That’s Amore
Stall 72, South Melbourne Market, Coventry Street, South Melbourne
Hours:
Wed 8am–4pm
Fri 8am–5pm
Sat 8am–4pm
Sun 8am–4pm
Stephanie Vigilante 
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