A trip to Ballarat has been long overdue – ever since Jonah first reported a brilliant local gelateria, Il Piccolo Gelato. And now we have a great reason to motor up to Ballarat: to treat ourselves with some outstanding gelati.
Il Piccolo’s proprietor, Anthony, is from Sydney and loves the more relaxed lifestyle of Ballarat. With a restaurant background, he wanted to try something a bit different. And so Il Piccolo was born. Continue Reading
Of course the world’s most liveable town needs to have its own artisan ice cream. Victoria’s Port Fairy was awarded that accolade in 2012 – heritage seaside location, lively arts scene, great restaurants and cafés. And the town’s Poco Artisan Ice Cream produces its signature frozen treats in-house from quality ingredients. Continue Reading
Established in 1965, Cosi Duci has been keeping the population of Ivanhoe happy for many years. Melbourne has a few quiet neighbourhood achievers like Cosi Duci that have been churning small-scale gelati for ages. They may not be big on social media, but that sort of longevity indicates that they know their market well. Continue Reading
It was a hot day in Sydney. After two gruelling days at a conference talk-fest, definitely time for a gelato treat. And my closest option – Gelato Messina at The Star.
The growing empire of Gelato Messina now has 11 stores in Sydney, three in Melbourne, two in Queensland and one in Canberra. Plus there is a dairy farm at Numurkah that produces all the milk used in Messina’s dairy-based gelati, a strawberry farm at Dural and a hazelnut farm at Seymour, which is expected to supply all of Messina’s hazelnut needs within five years. Continue Reading
Lygon Street, Carlton. Melbourne’s gelato central. And on a warm Sunday afternoon, business was brisk everywhere, with crowds in every gelateria. Our objective – Il Dolce Freddo, and its Asian-inspired gelati.
Justly famous for its durian gelato – not something that appeals to everyone, but it is just like eating (and smelling!) the fresh fruit. But for the less adventurous, Il Dolce Freddo’s menu also includes more traditional flavours, like chocolate and pistachio. Continue Reading
Our trip to Billy van Creamy was long overdue. We’ve run across its ice cream van at various events and festivals – obviously a more thorough investigation was needed.
With large communal tables, the Fitzroy North store is a lively and popular place. Even just after opening for the day (a weekday!), there was a queue of people super keen for their ice cream. The light filled space is decorated with cheery murals of ice cream cones, from artist Billie Justice Thomson. Continue Reading