Pep’s Italian Ice and Panini

When PierLuca Di Genua-Angrisano – or Pep – was growing up in Earlwood, his mother thought she’d lost him while they were out grocery shopping one day. She eventually found him at the local Italian deli, with a pouch full of five- and 10-cent coins he’d won from playing scopa with his grandfather. Young Pep was at the counter, asking for some “mortadella, please”.

It’s that very same store, most recently a seafood market, that’s been transformed into dessert shop, Pep’s Italian Ice. As the name suggests, the shop specialises in Italian ice, a smoother, creamier variation of granita that originated in New York.

To make it, fruit, sugar and water are blended together in a Carpigiani gelato machine, which churns out flavours like watermelon, orange, lemon, mango and banana chip. There’s pineapple, passionfruit and coconut too, plus a rich chocolate. And they’ve all got a refreshing texture that’s equal parts granita and sorbet.

Beyond the ice, there are panini aplenty. Each one nods to a different Italian region and its most recognisable ingredients. For example, the Bologna features mortadella, ricotta and the green trio of pesto, pistachio and rocket. Each panino is warmed in a pizza oven for a minute before it’s served, so there’s a consistent just-baked feel.