Chicago influences can be found in many locations around the Valley with a variety of Chicago-style gyros and Italian-style groceries and one of the stars is Guido's Chicago Meat and Deli. Walking into that N. Scottsdale and Shea location, is like being teleported to a grocery in the heart of Chicago. It's real and authentic and the cannolis are the stuff dessert dreams are made of.

A variety of Italian groceries can be found at Guido's in Scottsdale.

Jenny Zink

The appeal of the cannoli at Guido's is the simplicity of the dish. It's good. No frills. You know what you are going to get when you bite into it, no surprises. Comfort food? Yes. Quintessential comfort food. That feeling of familiarity is what takes us back to places like Chicago. The crisp of the fried pastry shell meets the creamy texture of the sweet ricotta filling. The cinnamon is strong in the Guido's version, but not overwhelmingly so that you feel like you are doing a cinnamon challenge. It's perfect. Guido's offers the cannoli with pistachio or chocolate chips. We should have asked for both but the chocolate chip is a wonderful complement to the cinnamon creamy filling.

See also: Empanadas for Dessert at Republica Empanada in Mesa

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Guido's also has a terrific homemade ricotta cheesecake. The $4.99 price for this giant slice of cheesecake is an incredible deal.

Maybe someday we'll venture there for lunch or dinner. Guido's has a nice set up for anyone needing sustenance, quick run in to grab a bite to go, sit down for a full restaurant service, or delivery. That's right, delivery. Who doesn't want Italian food delivered? Another nice advantage to stopping by Guido's is the shopping. There is an entire freezer full of dessert options -- that is if you can resist the fresh cannoli and make it to the freezer.

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