With Summer looming around the corner in one week’s time, it seems opportune to do a write up on the two gelato joints which have made the trendy Melburnian suburb of Fitzroy even more notable in recent months.
Both gelato establishments laid their foundations in Sydney but have since spread south along the eastern coastline to distract us from the fro-yo phase that had everyone, including ourselves, addicted to the bounty of different flavours of frozen yoghurt, topped with novel fruit, candy & chocolate based accompaniments. Gelato, however, strips things back to basic, pure flavours – done exceedingly well.
So the question remains – are Gelato Messina and N2 Gelato comparable? We think not – because in this day and age and especially in the city of Melbourne, there is room for the two of them. We know what we prefer – so I’ll show you what each dished up to us and will let you make your own verdict…
GELATO MESSINA
Apparently they are known for their enormously extravagant cakes.
But short of an occasion to purchase a solitary masterpiece, we were limited to their impressive selection of fairly priced gelato (think a selection of 3 scoops for $7).
We tried their strawberry sorbet, salted caramel & white chocolate, and passionfruit sorbet, as well as their pandan & coconut sorbet, mango sorbet, and blood orange sorbet.
These were all quite flavoursome though being a huge fan of pandan I would have preferred a greater pandan to coconut ratio and felt as though the blood orange sorbet was way too icy.
Don’t be daunted by the huge line that wraps past the bank next door; the line moves fast and on the weekends, you can see happy customers chowing down on their gelato and sorbet selections further down the street and across the road.. It’s where it’s at right now – but my heart is still at N2 Gelato which runs parallel to Messina on Brunswick Street..
Addit (24 November 2013)
We ended up trying out one of Gelato Messina’s amazing cakes yesterday. I had prepared a 4-layered red velvet masterpiece for my father’s ang moh birthday party but much to my dismay, had perched it on top of our 4WD whilst buckling my son into his safety harness, and left it there – only for us to reverse down the driveway and the inevitable disaster to unfold..
But anyway.. everyone seemed to enjoy the replacement which my husband kindly drove to pick up – Dr Evil’s Magic Mushroom!!
It was $85 but money well spent. This is Gelato Messina’s diagram of what it actually contains..
Eric was given strict instructions when he picked it up to defrost for 15-20 minutes before serving. And then to cut it in half, and make sure everyone gets a bit of everything – especially the super special popping candy which was incredible…
Without question the best ice cream cake I’ve ever had. All 16 guests partook and demolished their serving of this masterpiece.
Please note that Gelato Messina’s Melbourne phone number is hard to find. You can either order your cake online at their website or decide what cake you’re after and then phone ahead on 03 9017 5470.
N2 EXTREME GELATO
I’m completely and utterly embarrassed to say that we’ve been there countless times – more times than we cared to capture on film.. Gone are the days where I saw liquid nitrogen as an easy and cost-effective means to freeze away skin cancers and verrucae… Because it just so happens to help produce the creamiest and most decadent gelato I’ve ever beheld!!
N2 gelato is all about creative, unique flavours..
and a little bit of theatre!
You order, watch it being made, and then can perch along their unique seating to enjoy immediately.
Here are some of the amazing assortment of flavours (& repeat flavours) that we have ordered in the past..
Green tea cheesecake and deconstructed chocolate lava.
Black lava salted caramel and honey, where’s the lime cheesecake?
Pretzella queen of the dessert (nutella with pretzels) and black lava salted caramel.
And yes.. We’ve devoured N2 Gelato on the way home whilst driving and my husband has even brought home N2 Gelato’s green tea cheesecake and peanut butter & jelly in an esky for Lil’E and myself..
They change their rotation of flavours on a weekly basis and it really, truly is brilliant – go see for yourself.. xx
de-brief me 