Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Bellissimo Gelateria

Update, 31/12/2014: Bellissimo Gelateria is no longer trading, but there are still loads of similar offerings on Lygon St (Casa Del Gelato is our favourite!)

Icecream has been a great remedy for my tender gums and under-stimulated palate and when my chocolate litre ran out on day five, it was time for an important mission. After days moping around the house, I would dress with some modicum of self-respect, venture out of the house and procure some gelato from one of the Lygon St vendors. I didn't care which one and entered Bellissimo, the first open gelateria I encountered, not hesitating for a second before ordering an extravagant $18.50 1-litre pack to take away. Enthusiasm got the better of my still-numb and muddled mouth and I had to self-consciously repeat my order to the girl at the counter: one third watermelon & orange, one third lime, and one third hazelnut.

This investment yielded returns even higher than my previous fix from Sara Lee. Gelato has a unique texture - smooth and silky, more elastic and less flabby than ice-cream, with a hint of sherbet on the tongue when it's fruity. In every way that it's different from ice-cream, it's that little bit more enjoyable for the post-op mouth. Even better, these flavours were incredible: the watermelon was very intense, with only a hint of orange to sharpen it; the lime was mouth-pursingly acidic; the hazelnut more real than a spoonful of nutella. It was slightly confusing to taste such vivid flavours without experiencing the textures of the source ingredients!

Such a concentrated treat can be enjoyed in smallish servings, so my $20 actually stretched to about 8 cups. I haven't sampled much of the competition so I can't guarantee that Bellissimo is the best of the Lygon St bunch, but it made this invalid's week.

2 comments:

  1. That looks soo good!

    I made your vanilla cashew ice and it was awesome, I loved it! I changed the method a little based on the comments on yours and it worked out really well. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're very welcome, Brilynn! I'm really chuffed that you gave it a go.

    ReplyDelete