Sam's Queenston Bakery

Bakery: Sam's Queenston Bakery
Address: 341 Queenston Rd, Hamilton, ON
Style: Italian
Price: $$

In addition to the one zeppola from Markham for the latest zeppole challenge, I managed to get two more places in Hamilton that had not yet been reviewed. The first was this well-established bakery that looks and feels - and without a doubt is - like an institution. Just check out that sign, not to mention those rows upon rows of golden brown, bubbly cannoli! 
But of course I wasn't there for cannoli (this time around), but the zeppole. Sam's set itself apart in that it had offered two types of zeppole: the classic custard with Amarena cherries and a sort of zeppole/cannoli hybrid with ricotta cream. The ricotta cream version had, in my opinion, this round's best shell. The dough really was fantastic, though it could do without those gross candied fruit bit on top. ;) The cream was also very good, but it felt a little wrong to have a zeppola with ricotta cream. Turns out, I do have a huge soft spot for those Amarena cherries; however, having taken both versions from Sam's, I thought this bakery's ricotta version was better than the cherry.
 
Rating: ***