The word was out on social media: mandarin sorbet was back on the menu at Davey Mac’s! One of the best gelatos we have ever tasted, we wasted no time in scooting down to Black Rock, picking up another mandarin fan along the way.
It was a glorious day, reminding us that summer is not far away. And Black Rock is a great spot for an artisan gelateria. Life can’t get much better than strolling down to the beach on a sunny day, enjoying a gelato along the way. It’s the simple pleasures…
A modest shop in Black Rock village, with a scattering of retro gelato posters on its pale pistachio green walls, Davey Mac’s tends towards the functional. All the action is at the gelato counter. There isn’t much space for lingering inside, just a couple of bench seats. But with the beach so close, far better to eat your gelato outdoors.
Need another excuse to visit Black Rock? From the clocktower at Black Rock it’s an easy and scenic walk to Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary. Around 3km along the path at the top of the bluffs, then do the return trip on the path alongside the bluestone sea wall. Or if you are on a bicycle, have a gelato break while riding the Bayside Cycling Trail.
Davey Mac’s makes all its gelati in-house each day from fresh seasonal ingredients. At any time around 20 flavours are available, from a large repertoire of both dairy and non-dairy (sorbetti) options.
Servings are one, two or three scoops, in a cup or a waffle cone. Takeaway tubs are also available.
Davey Mac’s is often busy, but the friendly servers are efficient and we have never waited long.
All three of us opted for summery flavours. It was Benny’s first taste of the famous mandarin – he said that it was even better than he anticipated. So what makes Davey Mac’s mandarin so special? Gorgeous texture and fresh fruity taste. Benny described it as being more like a mandarin than the actual fruit.
Between the three of us, we covered a small sample of Davey Mac’s other fruity flavours. All were excellent, being intense hits of the fresh produce, with beautiful creamy textures. In a huge call, Jonah rated the pineapple as nearly as good as the mandarin, with a perfect balance between acid and sweet. I thought the mango was good, but the watermelon was better. Benny also loved the coconut.
Down at the beach people and dogs were swimming. And only the first weekend in October – roll on summer!
A week later the three of us were back at Davey Mac’s. The weather was even better and Davey Mac’s was absolutely packed with customers. But unfortunately for us mandarin was off the menu this time.
When ordering two gelato flavours it is always important to aim for a good balance – get it wrong and the experience will not be as happy. Jonah decided to go for a very different pairing (for him) – salted caramel and banana. He was very pleased with the result – the banana was very intense, like extra smooth mashed fruit and the salted caramel proved to be an excellent counterpoint.
Mint chip was Benny’s choice – based on fresh mint, he described it as very creamy, with shards of dark chocolate bringing a great contrast.
I selected dark chocolate sorbet paired with cherry yoghurt gelato. The fruity sourness of the yoghurt was a fantastic complement for the decadently rich chocolate. Outstanding.
We have visited Davey Mac’s often and have never been disappointed, even if our favourite mandarin sorbet is not always on the menu.
Davey Mac’s
602 Balcombe Road
Black Rock Vic 3193
T: (03) 9589 0636
W: www.daveymacs.com.au
