MEL DIN BLOG : GELATO WORLD TOUR 2013-2014

25-27 October 2013
Argyle Square, South Carlton

Melbourne hosted to the Gelato World Tour Oceania stage. It was held at Argyle Square off Lygon Street during the Carlton Italian Festa last weekend.

The best gelati, not just in Australia, but the region...this was a not-to-be-missed event in my eyes.

The Oceania gelati chefs a part of the Gelato World Tour include:

Anna Temellini - Gelatissimo, Rydalmere NSW Australia (Gelato Flavour: The Italian Immigrant)
Vincenzo Pratico' & Dario D'Agostino - Za'-za's Cucina Italiana, Melbourne VIC Australia (Gelato Flavour: Za'-Za's Revolution)
Constantino Limoncella - Il Gelato, Leederville, Perth WA Australia (Gelato Flavour: Mascarpone and fig)
Diana Kontoprias - Frangipani Gelato, Cronulla, Sydney NSW Australia (Gelato Flavour: Pavlova Gelato)
Gino Maniaci & Josephine Colombo - Vulcano Gelato, Rye/Moonee Ponds VIC Australia (Gelato Flavour: Vulcano)
John Crowl - Cow and the Moon, Enmore NSW Sydney (Gelato Flavour: Mandorla Affogato)
Mark Mariotti - 7 Apples Gelato, St Kilda VIC Australia (Gelato Flavour: Banana with Dulce de Leche)
Martino Piccolo - Art of Gelato Gelateria, Carramar NSW Australia (Gelato Flavour: Rusty Chocolate)
Min Chai - N2 Extreme Gelato, Fitzroy VIC Australia (Gelato Flavour: Deconstructed Kaya Toast)
Plamen Milanov, Caffe e Gelato Milany, Hamilton Brisbane (QLD), Australia (Gelato Flavour: Dark Chocolate)
Tino Tonon - Gelato Amico, Stirling WA 6021 (Gelato Flavour: Pistacchio - Pure Sicilian)
Voula Makrygiannakis - Cones Ice Cream, Hawthorn VIC Australia (Gelato Flavour: Pistacchio Crunch)
Donato Toce & Simone Panetta - Messina, Fitzroy, Melbourne VIC Australia (Gelato Flavour: Cremino)
Andrea Scinardo Ratto - Brunetti Gelateria Artigianale, Carlton VIC Australia (Gelato Flavour: Gusto Italiano)
George Pompei - Pompei's, Bondi Beach NSW Australia (Gelato Flavour: White Peach)
Gianpaolo Grazioli - Giapo, Auckland, New Zealand (Gelato Flavour: Tiramisu)

I planned to meet some friends at 5pm on Sunday as the event closes at 7pm. The place was packed with people. There were queues which went back about 50 people long, all waiting to get their gelati. I was the first of my friends to arrive, as you can imagine, traffic and parking made it a bit of a nightmare. I couldn't find where to purchase the gelati tasting tickets, so I asked some random people in a queue. They informed me that all the tickets had sold out as the event had a record number of people. Devastated - we just got there a little too late. However, one of the strangers which I had just asked generously got me a cone of Mascarpone and Fig Gelato from Il Gelato with one of his tickets. What an amazing person?! Also, bizarrely, fig is my absolutely favourite ice-cream flavour! If fig gelato is available at any ice-creamery, I will without fail get it.

Il Gelato's Mascarpone and Fig Gelato was delicious. The ice-cream was smooth with chewy pieces of dried fig. Beautiful! I'm so grateful a random stranger allowed me to taste it.