There are bakeries, and then there are Italian bakeries. Jersey has plenty of super sweet and legendary spots, but one bakery, in particular, is getting national attention. What makes an Italian bakery the real deal? Cannolis are number one in my book. If you walk into an Italian bakery and there aren't plenty of fresh cannolis, turn around and leave.

I usually don't like my cannolis too fancy, but over the holidays, I tried one with the shell completely covered in chocolate. What a game-changer. Rainbow cookies are a favorite at Jersey Italian bakeries. The rainbow layers must be almond-flavored, not regular cake, to be authentic. A little bit of jelly is between the layers, and chocolate is on the top and bottom. Perfection.