Dining Review – Gelato Messina Gelateria Melbourne

I think it’s fair to say Melbourne’s excitement for gelato has just increased at least 3 fold. I feel I can justify this because as a city we’ve recently been introduced to nitrogen gelato, we hosted the Gelato World Tour last month and this past week we finally reached the anticipated opening of Sydney gelateria, Gelato Messina which opened its doors on Thursday, 14th November.

The shop façade on Smith Street, Collingwood features a very modern, sleek and minimalistic design, with dark tinted windows and its name gilded in thin gold lines above the door, it would be easy to not notice this place if there weren’t such a long line of people stretching out from its front doors. I visited on Friday night, the day after it opened and the line wrapped down the outside of the store to the next door front, so were quick to snap up a spot in line before actually deliberating whether or not we were willing to wait in such a long line. However, it didn’t take long for us to notice the helpful implementation of crowd control that Gelato Messina had in place. That’s right, this gelato bar needed crowd control. Gelato Messina would be no stranger to long lines and eager crowds, I have heard that the enthusiastic masses that flock to their Sydney stores can almost be compared to the level of hysteria that would normally be saved for tween girls at a One Direction concert. However, their highly organised method of handling the line was great. There was one gentlemen who had the task of who working his way down the line, handing out menus and pointing out the flavour ‘specials’ of the day as well as guide the flow of traffic into the store at a reasonable time.

Gelato Messina Store Exterior

Gelato Messina Store Exterior

I applaud Gelato Messina for their well organised crowd control outside their store, but once I made it to the front of the line (I am going to say it took about 10 minutes maximum) I was shocked at how quickly the atmosphere turned to a manic free-for-all where waiting to be served became an entirely different story. I was directly in front of the window encasing the high pillowed mountains of gelato where behind it stood a dozen employees in cute Breton striped tops. I was patiently waiting to be served but ended up being numerously ignored as ice-cream servers gravitated towards the most pushy, forceful, demanding customers first, despite order of arrival or length of time spent patiently waiting. So, after my experience, take this lesson from me; once it’s your turn to order, speak up, smile and be quick to lock eyes with the next available server to rein in their attention like a lasso wielding cowboy before you get trampled on or pushed back by overly brazen folk.

Gelato Messina Interior

Gelato Messina Interior

You are certainly spoiled for choice when it comes to flavours at Gelato Messina which gets another favourable tick for the number of variety and level of creativity when it comes to their flavour assortment. A full listing on the regular flavours on offer can be viewed online, as well as their top 10 flavour combinations. They also Gelato Messina won first prize in the Gelato World Tour with their ‘Cremino’ flavour – salted caramel gelato with Italian meringue, gianduia fudge, fresh meringue and crushed amaretti biscuits. Once I spotted this the Specials menu, I was sold. I also tried the ‘Pannacotta with Fig Jam and Amaretti Biscuit’ and what I learnt to be another extremely popular flavour, their ‘Gianduia Bianca’ – white chocolate & hazelnut gelato with hazelnut praline, pictured below.

3 scoop gelato cup at Gelato Messina

3 scoop gelato cup at Gelato Messina

Gelato Messina were thoughtful in their approach to cater to a variety of customers and specific dietary requirements. The menu’s helpful addition of the allergy checklist ensures to state which flavours contains nuts, gluten, egg, or alcohol and in addition to their indulgent ice cream selections, the menu also feature a large selection of refreshing, dairy free sorbets. They are not shy to promote their use of high-quality, fresh ingredients and this was further promoted though the design of a glass window through to their kitchen where you can watch the gelato masters churn their confectionary creations. Also look out for their cabinet of gelato cakes. I did not get to try one but they look incredible! You can see their full range of cakes online.

Gelato Messina Cake Cabinet

Gelato Messina Cake Cabinet

I found the prices were reasonable, but for the length of effort it took to order my gelato I was not settling for one measly scoop or limiting myself to sampling only one flavour (by that I also mean I apologise I do not remember the price of 1 scoop!) but at $6 for 2 scoops and only one cheeky dollar extra at $7 for 3 scoops, you can easily be persuaded for going all out and you won’t regret it later. What really makes the gelato so special is not only the unique and hyperventilating level of exciting flavour combinations. Although the flavours sound decadent and rich to the possible point of being overpowering, the gelato has such a surprisingly delicate texture and incredibly soft, smooth, buttery consistency, juxtaposed to the luscious explosion of taste bud frenzy it produces. They could have been a little more generous with their servings and the ultra-soft consistency caused it to melt in rapid time, resulting in all the gelato combining into one soupy flavour surprise. That being said, it was one amazing treat, Gelato Messina really does serve a superior level of quality gelato and I dare say that if you decide to make the trip here, I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Gelato Messina 

237 Smith Street, Fitzroy.

Sunday to Thursday 12pm-11pm
Friday to Saturday 12pm-11.30pm

Gelato Messina Fitzroy on Urbanspoon

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Dining Review – Hammer and Tong 412

I had been particularly looking forward to dining at Hammer and Tong 412 after reading and hearing about the multitude of glowing reviews it has received from many happy diners. Some even claimed it was the best brunch they had ever had! The result of a partnership between two prominent chefs who created a partnership after working at Vue de Monde together, Hammer and Tong is located just off Brunswick Street, at the rear of 412 Brunswick Street to be precise, which is across the road from Brother Burger and the Marvellous Brew and just behind Karton, the cardboard furniture store. The main entrance and seating areas overlook Westgarth Street, so unless you know specifically where Hammer and Tong is, you would most likely miss it as if you were just strolling down Brunswick street.

Hammer and Tong 412 is open from 7am til late Tuesday to Saturday and 8am til 5pm Sunday, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. When I arrived the café was already bustling for an early morning. You may recognise the bright, white interior which previously housed the restaurant ‘The Brix’ in a bright, very long and narrow setting where each square centimetre was used to fit in as many tables and chairs as possible (probably more of an issue for staff having to walk through the tight walkways all day than for patrons). We were seated quickly on a share table, luckily we didn’t have to move but I did feel sorry for the other party next to us that were made to do a couple of reshuffles each time the staff tried to fit a few more diners onto our share table. If I were to eat here again, I would recommend sitting by the windows if you don’t mind sitting adjacent to your fellow diners, as the bar seating that ran across on one side of the café was directly under open windows, which was lovely on a sunny day.

Our waiter provided us with menus and proceeded by immediately asking us if we would like to order coffees. Now, is it just me or do other people also get annoyed when they are asked for their coffee order as your backside barely hits the chair, let alone having been able to possibly even sneak a quick glance at the menu? I like to take a look at the beverage menu first and see what coffee blends they have on offer in addition to other drinks. Yes, I may be a caffenatic, but I can still function for two whole minutes to read the menu before I crash without a morning coffee. I was happy to find out that Hammer and Tong use Duke’s Coffee, but found it odd that they charge a small but never the less, additional charge of 50 cents to choose the single origin blend as usually there is no additional charge for this option.

Hammer and Tong feature two menus, a daytime menu and dinner menu. We were offered the daytime menu which featured some really interesting items including the ‘yabbie tail omelette’, ‘duck egg’, ‘pork belly’, ‘lamb ribs’ and their take on the ‘french toast’ all sounded like interesting choices but we couldn’t go past the Soft shell crab burger and corn & zucchini fritters, both which had a been majorly talked up by diners before me. I don’t think I have ever eaten a burger pre-noon before, but having heard the praise for this soft shell crab burger, I had to give it a go.

The food was served extremely fast, especially considering how busy the café was. I will admit that plated up, the soft shell crab burger appeared a little underwhelming, small and sloppy. I know it’s a burger, but in comparison to the delightfully presented fritters, maybe the presentation of the burger could’ve been helped with a small side or at least a skewer to help hold it upright and look a little more appealing. Luckily however, all hope was not lost as the taste test considerably saved the appeal of the coveted Soft Shell Crab burger. The crab meat was delicious and substantial and the brioche buns were extremely soft and buttery. In all, the burger featured a fantastic combination of flavours that tasted succulent and juicy. I’ve had beef and pork burgers but this is definitely the best seafood burger I have ever had (and actually a worthy competitor to my favourite beef and pork burgers also).

Soft Shell Crab Burger at Hammer and Tong 412

Soft Shell Crab Burger at Hammer and Tong 412

On the other hand, the fritters ended up having the opposite effect to the burger. While they was presented very well, the fritters themselves were a little bland and dry. They possibly could have done with a more corn, less zucchini ratio, as I felt the zucchini didn’t translate too well in the fritter. It just ended up tasting like a dense, bland and dry stuffing. The fried coating was also a little too thick, oily and hard for my liking. However, that being said, the dish did taste good, but I believe this all came down to the winning accompaniments of the manchego cheese, avocado and chilli tomato relish that really created that delicious pop of flavours.

Zucchini and Corn Fritters at Hammer and Tong 412

Zucchini and Corn Fritters  (without egg) at Hammer and Tong 412

Prices were average for what you’d expect for the increasingly popular breed of oxymoron dining variety, what I like to refer to as the ‘fancy casual ‘ eateries, or hipster eateries if you will. Service was quick and to the point (although maybe some better planning would have prevented the case of musical chairs I spoke about earlier). The coffee was good, although not as good as Story in Docklands who also use the same, Dukes coffee. The Soft Shell Crab burger was definitely the highlight for me, but I also enjoyed the interesting ingredients that starred on the menu, the bright sun room and the buzzing atmosphere.

Coffee at Hammer and Tong 412

Coffee at Hammer and Tong 412

Hammer and Tong 412

03 9041 6033

Tuesday – Saturday 7am – late

Sunday 8am – 5pm

Rear 412 Brunswick St.
Fitzroy, Vic 3065

View menu online

Hammer and Tong on Urbanspoon

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Frolic Yoghurt Fitzroy – Dining Review

When the trip to Yo-Chi was too far and the line at N2 was too long, I headed to Frolic Yoghurt Fitzroy for a fro-yo fix on a hot night. Self serve frozen yoghurt bars have recently been popping up across Melbourne like the rising popularity of those brightly coloured clay bead necklaces everyone is suddenly wearing.

Gossip Girl Fro-yo on the Met steps. Image Via.

Gossip Girl Fro-yo on the Met steps. Image Via.

I first came across self serve fro-yo spots in New York and if anyone watched Gossip Girl you’d certainly be familiar with Queen B ordering her mignions to fetch her favourite fro-yo treat. The stores generally follow the same set up, yoghurt is self serve, followed by the opportunity to add your choice of toppings. The price is determined by the weight of your yoghurt creation, where possibilities are only limited by your creativity and your budget. That being said, don’t forget about that last factor before you go crazy with flavours and toppings only to have the cashier hit you with a double digit price, because its not fro-yo etiquette to ask if you can take some yoghurt out! My advice is that if you’re not sure what the price is coming too, you can always start off with less rather than more yoghurt and ask an employee to weigh your cup before returning to add more if you wish.

Frolic Yoghurt Fitzroy is the second Frolic location in Melbourne (the first store is located in Camberwell) and it follows the same traditional setup. The aspect I most liked about Frolic was that while the toppings table included your usual chocolate and nut varietys including chocolate chips, lollies, M&M’s, Reece’s Pieces, almonds, and hot chocolate sauce, (where adding the element of heat makes all the difference) they also added a good dose of fresh fruit amongst their selection.On my visit they had caramelised bananas, rhubarb sauce, strawberries and lychees added in the mix and they didn’t overdose on Popping Boba / Tapioca Pearls / Caviar on steroids / artificial flavour balls I’ve seen at many other fro-yo locations that try to mimic the flavours of a burst of fresh fruit. Frolic had a good flavour selection of yoghurt to choose from, including coconut, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate and vanilla chai, which tasted exactly like a hot cross bun to me, so if you love a punch of cinnamon then you’d enjoy this flavour. I do want to go back and try their salted caramel with figs flavour which sounds delicious! Although at $2.20 per 100 grams, I thought the price was a little steep, considering this selection came to over $10.

My Frolic Creation - Strawberry, Chai and Coconut yoghurt with caramelised bananas , strawberries and hot chocolate sauce

My Frolic Creation – Strawberry, Chai and Coconut yoghurt with caramelised bananas , strawberries and hot chocolate sauce

The interior was bright and youthful and the late night opening hours will be handy for summer, so if you like your frozen yoghurt bars and don’t want to head out too far (or wait too long) than Frolic isn’t a bad choice.

Frolic Interior

Frolic Interior

Toppings Bar at Frolic

Toppings Bar at Frolic

Yoghurt Self Serve at Frolic

Yoghurt Self Serve at Frolic

Frolic Yoghurt Fitzroy on Urbanspoon

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Trippy Taco – Dining Review

I’ll admit, ever since a first (and hopefully last) visit to Taco Bill a long time ago, I approach ‘cheap Mexican’ food with caution; however Trippy Taco has restored my faith.

Trippy Taco is a popular Vegetarian eatery in Gertrude Street Fitzroy offering Mexican style street food that is cheap and delicious. It’s a small, busy and casual spot that welcomes patrons dining-in as well as takeaway orders. If you are dining in, you order at the counter then help yourself to water, cutlery and the range of hot sauces available for the more daring at the self service area. Staff sometimes don’t seem too focused on going out of their way to provide a high  customer service experience but food arrives very quickly and considering it’s a Vegetarian restaurant, the menu is extensive and the meals are fresh and filling. They also have a variety of Mexican beers available, in addition to Sangrias and Margaritas.

I really enjoyed the Tofu Asada Burrito (flour tortilla wrap filled with spicy chargilled tofu, mozzarella, goat’s cheese, salad, salsa, avacado and fresh lime) and the Special Quesadilla (flour tortilla with melted goat’s cheese, black beans, tasty cheese, salsa and avacado), finding them both to be flavoursome mixtures of tasty ingredients.

Special Quesadilla at Trippy Taco

Special Quesadilla at Trippy Taco

Trippy Taco is not to be compared with the dining experience or ambience you would find at Mexican restaurants like Fonda, Newmarket Hotel, Mamasita or Touche Hombre, however Trippy Taco is an easy choice if you are after a quick, cheap and hearty meal, especially if you are nearby on Smith Street or Brunswick Street.

Trippy Taco Interior

Trippy Taco Interior

Trippy Taco

t234 Gertrude St

Fitzroy, VIC 3065

View Menu online

Trippy Taco on Urbanspoon

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Lark Fitzroy Store Opening

Image via lark.com.au

Image via lark.com.au

 

The delightful label Lark has been making kitsch cool with their well-known Daylesford store and retail website, stocking cute, quirky and crafty home wares, party goods and accessories.  Lark owner, Allison Jones certainly has a good eye for design, handpicking all of her merchandise from prominent local and international designers, stocking everyone from Love Mae to Orla Kiely. It therefore shouldn’t come as much of the surprise that the location Allison selected for a new Lark Pop-Up store is situated in the urban artistic hub of Gertrude Street, Fitzroy.

The much anticipated opening of the Lark Pop-Up store has finally arrived, with the store opening its doors for the first time today, Friday 27th September. The store is only planned to occupy its Gertrude street location for a six month period, so if you are not yet familiar with Lark’s lively collection of vintage inspired goods, now is your chance to become quickly acquainted. The Fitzroy store will stock an extensive selection of the goodies from their online store, as well as a few exciting new additions, including in-store pick up for online purchases, in-store craft events and a ‘confetti bar’ where you can customise and create your own confetti.

From the sneak peeks that Lark’s social media pages has provided it’s eager followers over the past few months, this bright, gelato coloured wonderland will have you feel like you’ve stepped into Cindy Brady’s dream birthday party and this is one pretty party you definitely don’t want to miss!

Lark Confetti Pops Image via. lark.com.au

Lark Confetti Pops
Image via. lark.com.au

Lark Fitzroy Store,

94 Gertrude St
Fitzroy

Open Monday – Saturday, 11am – 4pm

 

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N2 Extreme Gelato

At first, this fun little spot may seem like just a front of smoke and mirrors, which when liquid nitrogen comes in to play when used to churn the ice-cream, is quite literally, but one taste of their incredibly smooth gelato will tell you that is not the case here. I love a good theme, and N2 Extreme Gelato has hit the mark on kooky science lab perfectly. To put the look and feel of this place into perspective for you Melbournians, N2 Extreme Gelato looks like the love child of the Croft Institute and Trampoline. They are genuinely serious about their gelato and it is damn delicious. Don’t be disheartened by their small menu, which changes weekly, although if you’re after your regular order of lemon sorbet and chocolate or Neapolitan, you’ve come to the wrong place. Entering into this gelato laboratory may mean stepping out of your flavour comfort zone, but I believe in doing so you will not be disappointed. The selection of flavours vary from the fresh and fruity offerings such as pomegranate and mango  to the richer more decadent, and sometimes unexpected flavours such as Earl Grey Caramel, Strawberries and Cream, and my personal favourite – Crème brûlée! You’ll find that whatever flavour you choose, the end result is smooth and sumptuously soft without being too heavy or icy, due to the way they create their ice cream by churning their fresh ingredients with liquid nitrogen until frozen.

The fit out can be a little awkward for patrons in larger groups looking for seats as their seated areas simply consist of communal wooden pallets and a bed covered in AstroTurf. Not exactly the most comfortable or inviting seating areas, but I can imagine in the coming months this will be one awesome hangout on summer nights, situated right in the hipster heart of Brunswick street, Fitzroy. That said, it will be interesting to see how this compares to fellow Sydney based gelataria Messina which will also be opening its doors in Fitzroy this Spring. The venue features blackboard walls surfaced with all the information you need, written in their cheeky commentary:

1 scoop – $6

2 scoops – you don’t need it

Happiness – included (just like GST)

Sadness – go elsewhere

Opening Hours – 1pm – 11pm every effing day

The wait for your ice cream is most likely going to be a little longer than your usual ice creamery, but keep in mind this is all a part of the experience of visiting N2, as you get the opportunity to watch the gelato wizards in action, mixing and churning your gelato right in front of you, as each gelato is made to order and the result is fantastically fresh. Their experimental and creative flavour offering will keep you on your toes, so my only word of warning is not to get too emotionally attached to one flavour, as chances are it may not be on offer the next time you visit! However that being said, I say bring on the crazy new flavour experiments!

N2 Extreme Gelato – Creme Brulee

N2 Extreme Gelato on Urbanspoon

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