Bellissimo Gelateria

It’s that wonderful time again, #icecreamthurs! Cairns has a wonderful night market, which we managed to visit after a day-long bus tour of the Atherton tablelands (such beautiful countryside). We were pretty tired, but it was a lovely warm evening, and we couldn’t help but notice Bellissimo. There was a  buzz around the gelateria, and when we approached the display it was clear why – there’s a huge range to choose from, and the flavours range from the traditional lemon to red bull! The ferrero rocher option quickly caught my eye and the friendly lady piled up an architectural miracle in the small cup I ordered. I couldn’t believe the amount of gelato I got! I was also really impressed with the service – the staff were attentive to each customer and were very welcoming. The gelato itself had a lovely flavour to begin with – like biting into a cold ferrero – but it did fade the more I ate, which was a bit disappointing. The texture was lovely and creamy, and we enjoyed eating our icecreams while having foot massages at the markets. I couldn’t quite finish mine, but it added to the lively atmosphere of a night at the market.

Bellissimo Gelateria, 54-60 Abbott Street, Cairns QLD, no website

N2 Extreme Gelato

I’m in denial that summer is over, so over the next few weeks I’m going to share icecream reviews every Thursday (#icecreamthurs). Mmm, icecream. I’ve been super excited about Good Food Month’s Night Noodle Market coming to Canberra and so a few foodie friends and I went for opening night. N2 have come from Melbourne to be part of the market and they brought two options to share with us on the menu – the Ferrero Reveal and the Brokeback Moment. I chose the former, with Nutella gelato, crushed hazelnuts, a rice bubble choc top and a warm chocolate ganache syringe. The choc top was quite solid and there was plenty of chocolate – with the rice bubbles it actually tasted like coco pops (yum) and I tried to save it to mix through the gelato underneath. The ganache in the syringe had gone a bit cold, so was tough to extract, but it added a rich decadence that wasn’t over the top. The gelato itself was creamy and had a strong Nutella flavour, which didn’t fade, and there was plenty of it in the small cup. Only a few more nights left to go back and have it again!

N2 Extreme Gelato, Enlighten Night Noodle Market until 8 March, http://n2extremegelato.com.au/

 

Movenpick

Brisbane is a pretty warm city, especially in summer, so inevitably you end up wanting something of the icecream variety to cool you down. Luckily, there are quite a few options – I was excited to see that Movenpick is one of them. I first tried Movenpick in 2009 in Auckland and was very impressed with the quality of their icecream and the variety of flavours on offer. Luckily the Brisbane store is equally impressive. I will always choose a sorbet over icecream when possible, and I was pleased to see that Movenpick has a raspberry sorbet – one of my favourite flavours. I ordered a small cup and was amazed by how true the raspberry flavour was – the intensity of it was incredible. The sorbet is perfectly balanced between being tart and sweet, and even has little crunches of raspberry mixed throughout.  The serving size was just enough for an after-dinner treat, the service was quick and the staff were friendly. Perfectly sweet and refreshing on a warm Brisbane night.

Movenpick, Shop 6A, Little Stanley Street, South Bank QLD http://www.moevenpick-icecream.com/au/en/

Spring St Grocer

I tend to need snacks to keep my energy levels up, and mid-afternoon is peak snack-time. In Melbourne, I was pretty spoilt for choice, and wandering down Spring Street, my friend and I came across this providore/corner store complete with gorgeous flowers for sale out the front, it’s own cheese room and a cornucopia of delicious, imported goods. But what drew my eye was the gelato/sorbets for sale out the front. The sign advertised it as from Gelato Primavera, with a menu that changes daily. I was excited to see that some of the best flavours were sorbets – mandarin, chocolate/orange and raspberry/coconut. Adhering to the best ’til last policy, I started with the raspberry/coconut, which tasted a bit dull compared to the other two. It was a tough choice between the chocolate/orange and the mandarin, but in the end chocolate/orange won out – it was so luxurious and it was the better taste to finish with, rather than the slightly bitter mandarin (which was probably the truest of all the flavours). We sat inside, although plenty of people were sitting on a cute bench out the front, and were able to relax for a good half hour recharging the batteries.

Spring St Grocer, 157 Spring Street Melbourne             http://www.springstreetgrocer.com.au/