La Guli
29-15 Ditmars Boulevard Astoria + 718.728.5612
F or seventy years, La Guli Pasticceria has been a family affair,

located on Ditmars Blvd., just off 31st

Street. Paolo Notaro immigrated to New York from Palermo, Italy in 1920 and opened two Italian bakeries in Manhattan with his brothers. In 1937, they came to Astoria, then considered "the wilderness" of Queens, and opened La Guli, exactly where it stands today. In fact, the storefront and interior woodwork, shelves and tile floors are original, and so are the delectable pastries, cookies and cakes, all made from scratch on the premises.

Today La Guli is run by Paolo's son, Rosario, his wife Concetta and their daughter Maria. Rosario actually grew up in the apartment just above the bakery and many happy family memories were made there. Black and white family photos grace the walls while sparkling glass cases display tantalizing sweet treats. Few New York establishments today maintain strong family bonds and a commitment to excellence. One taste of La Guli's fine bakery products will tell you that this tradition lives on.

Some of La Guli's specialties include their famous cannolis. These crisp, tender tubes of pastry are hand-filled with their own blend of ricotta cream. There are also chocolate cream and chocolate dipped cannolis, available in mini size or large size. There is even something called a "pregnant cannoli," which is an overgrown, one-foot cannoli

that opens up to

reveal two

dozen mini

cannolis. This crowd-pleasing treat is perfect for parties and must be ordered in advance. A larger version can hold 40 cannolis.

La Guli prepares traditional cookies and pastries from all regions of Italy, such as cannolis, pignoli nut cookies and sweet cream Cassata cake, all from Sicily. Flaky layers of pastry surround sweet cream in sfogliatelli, which originated in Naples, along with rum baba. Flaky lobster tails, oozing with cream are displayed next to mouth-watering Napoleons, chocolate mousse tarts and fresh berry tarts. At Easter time, a plethora of regional delicacies are prepared each day, including sweet grain pie, pizza rustica with bits of salami, ham and cheese and an eye dazzling array of handmade marzipan. Though marzipan is widely made in Sicily, its origins are Arabic and each piece is artfully crafted in the shapes of fruit and nuts.

Ask the helpful staff to brew up a steaming cappuccino or espresso and dip a light, crunchy biscotto into it. Biscotti (the plural form) are long, crunchy biscuits flavored with anisette, amaretto or almonds. La Guli goes a step further and dips some into chocolate, or mixes crunchy nuts into

the batter. Italian cookies include Regina,

which are covered in sesame seeds, flaky

bow ties, chewy pignoli, chocolate

sprinkles and Savoiardi, also known

as lady fingers. Elegant tri-colored

cookies and

American

style chocolate chip cookies are also made fresh each day.

For your next birthday or anniversary, La Guli will make your custom-made cake. You choose the size, the type of cake inside, the filling you want and the kind of icing, to make your party extra special. Children's birthday cakes can be custom decorated with their favorite cartoon characters or heroes, including Spiderman, Blue's Clues, the Little Mermaid and more. Even your favorite sports team logo can be the icing on your cake. When it comes to wedding cakes, La Guli creates custom cakes for every budget that will inspire plenty of "oohs and aahs" from guests. Cakes can be made from the simple to the extravagant, and Maria will make sure each cake is perfect for your wedding, paying close attention to every detail. See their upcoming web site for photos.

Enjoy house made Italian ices, such as their spumoni, loaded with almonds and traditional lemon and cherry flavors, all served in a paper cup. Creamy gelato comes in over a dozen flavors and ice cream treats such as tortoni, tartufo and spumoni are perfect after dinner delights.

When you show up at someone's house with a box from La Guli, your hosts will know you brought the best. Visit La Guli, open seven days a week until 9pm for the finest pastries, biscotti, cookies and cakes anywhere. Happy 70th Anniversary La Guli!