Once, 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. 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 the already-heaving dessert shop, Pep’s Italian Ice. It specialises in, as the moniker suggests, Italian ice. And the crowds love it.
“It’s an American term that stems from granita,” Pep tells Broadsheet. “Someone in New York tried to make granita in a gelato machine and it came out a lot smoother and creamier.”
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SIGN UPThe inner west local’s family owned an Italian wholesale and import business – Napoli Food and Wine – until last October, and his dad always wanted to open a gelato store. So the new shop is ticking off a family dream – and catering to Pep’s own lactose intolerance.
Fruit, sugar and water blend 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.
“For the watermelon, I blend whole watermelons,” Pep says. “And for orange, I blend the whole orange, including the skin, to add a bit of bitterness.”
Beyond the ice, there are panini aplenty. Pep’s focus here is keeping them simple. Each panino is named after a different Italian region, nodding to the origin of one of its star ingredients. The Bologna features mortadella, ricotta and the green trio of pesto, pistachio and rocket. Napoli brings Italian sausage and Friarielli provolone, and the eggplant-stuffed Sicilia is for the vegetarians.
“It’s about using good quality bread, good cheese and good quality meats, instead of shoving a shit-tonne of sauces and fillings – making it Americanised,” Pep says, pointing out his Neapolitan heritage. “I didn’t grow up eating that stuff.”
Each panino is warmed in a pizza oven for a minute before it’s served, so there’s a consistent just-baked feel. At the moment, panini service stops at 5pm, but Pep is considering extending the hours. “I’ve got people coming people wanting a panino at 9.30pm.”
A liquor licence is also on the way. Pep is hopeful the store will receive approval in the next month, ready for Pina Colada and Margarita ices as the weather warms up. For now, there’s oat milk-based granita in coffee, matcha, or lemon flavours. You can also get coffee made with Caffe Moreno beans from Italy, or a selection of Italian soft drinks.
Pep’s Italian Ice
Shop 3, 8–10 Clarke Street, Earlwood
Hours:
Tue to Sun 11am–11pm