Dec 14, 2016 2 min read Food & Drink

Better Than Cannoli? Aunt Butchies’ Cheese Cones Are Heaven On Earth

At Aunt Butchies, the menu is straightforward. (Photo by Hannah Frishberg / Bensonhurst Bean)

The cannoli has a virtually spotless reputation in Brooklyn — indeed, you’d be hard-pressed to find a food type, even pizza or coffee, with more hype and reliable deliciousness. The cheese cone, less so, but this is only because people don’t often know what it is. Yet.

Similar to a cannoli in appearance and texture with a hard cone shell encasing a sweet, creamy filling, the cheese cone is different in that, inside its wafery surrounding is not cannoli cream, but incredibly rich, sweet cheese.

Behold: cheese cones. (Photo by Hannah Frishberg / Bensonhurst Bean)

The cheese cone is ill-advised for the faint of blood sugar. This is the heart-attack special of Italian pastries, but boy is it worth it.

While we at the Bean would be happy to spread the cheese cone love, it’s going to be tough going, because as far as we know the only place to get them is in Dyker Heights and on Arthur Kill Road in Staten Island, at Aunt Butchies.

Most of Aunt Butchies sweets are kept in a refrigerator by the counter. (Photo by Hannah Frishberg / Bensonhurst Bean)

While the Staten Island location is a full blown restaurant, half cafe half dining room, the Brooklyn spot is little more than a “state of the art baking facility”, as the website describes it. Aunt Butchies expanded here to “satisfy overwhelming demand” and bring some of their sweet treats to Brooklyn.

The space is quaint, with a window bench and a refrigerator full of pre-packaged desserts. The kitchen, with its vats of sugary goodness and pastry-making machinery, is easily visible over a low-counter where you can order anything not already in the fridge. You can expect your trip to Aunt Butchies in Brooklyn to be short and sweet, assuming you know what you want off the menu beforehand. (For those sans car who aren’t in the area, be prepared for a hell of a public transit experience, as Aunt Butchies is located in quite the subway-desert.)

The Aunt Butchies is visible from the counter. It extends to the building next door. (Photo by Hannah Frishberg / Bensonhurst Bean)

According to Aunt Butchies’ website, the Staten Island location opened in 1992. Their proudest menu items are their chocolate mousse cake and their New York style cheesecakes, although their menu offers almost three dozen offerings.

Aunt Butchies
Where: 6901 13th Avenue
Hours: Open weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays
Phone: (718) 256-2933 and antonella@auntbutchies.com
Reservations: No
Kid friendly? Yes