Dessert for breakfast is real! Sicilians have been waking up with granita and brioche for generations. Not to mention brioche buns stuffed with gelato. Seriously. And as Sydney heats up for the summer months, it becomes harder to deny our Italian cousins are onto a winner.
Let’s start with the granita. Sicilian granita is like a finely crafted slushie, smooth with ice crystals that melt on the tongue. At Pari Pasticceria, in Concord, granita flavours run from fruity (mango, strawberry and lemon) to rich and nutty (chocolate, hazelnut, almond and pistachio). Pistachio and coffee are Sicilian classics, and here, they’re piled into a parfait glass with optional whipped cream on top.
On the side, you’ll score a shiny glazed brioche bun called brioscia cu’ tuppu, so named because it resembles hair tied into a bun. You can eat the granita and brioche – a steal at $8 – however you please: dunk the brioche into the granita like a biscuit, spoon granita onto torn brioche like a scone, or eat them separately and alternate mouthfuls. And while the combo sounds weird at first, trust us, it’s strangely addictive. The brioche is made in-house daily, and it’s softer and fluffier than you’d expect. As a result, every spoonful of granita provides both clarity of flavour and icy refreshment.
Level up with the gelato burger (also $8) if you dare. That’s a brioche bun cut in half and crammed with up to two scoops of gelato. Get the amarena gelato if it’s available, syrupy wild Italian cherries swirled through creamy vanilla.
Go to town on Nutella-stuffed bombolone donuts, zuccherati sugared donut twists and the iris, a filled brioche bun rolled in sponge cake crumbs and deep-fried. Too much? Order a crunchy cannoli or two, piped to order with vanilla, ricotta, pistachio or chocolate cream filling.
Take a seat inside at marble tables with seats in powder blue or dine alfresco beneath the outdoor canopy. It’s not all sweet either. The four-page savoury menu has everything from arancini to spaghetti boscaiola to bite-sized pizzette. Whatever you decide, start with dessert.