The sound test matters. A proper cannoli shell should crack when you bite it, and good bread should answer back when you squeeze the crust.
New York still has bakeries where those little details are treated like serious business. Recipes stay close to their roots, dough gets the time it needs, and nobody seems interested in fixing what generations already got right.
That patience shows up before you even taste anything. You notice it in the careful shaping, the steady oven work, and the familiar sweets that have survived every food trend thrown their way…