Melbourne: This & That

On our way to and from the National Gallery of Victoria … a few things that caught our eye … and also our late lunch at Brunetti Oro, recommended by our friends Kadi & Brad, who are also in Australia and were in Melbourne just a few days ago.

Brunetti is a renowned Italian Pasticceria … with a history that goes back to 1943 when Giorgio Angele began training as a pastry chef in Rome. He came to Melbourne in 1956 as the pastry chef for the Italian Olympic team. After the games, he stayed on in Melbourne and opened his first cake shop. He purchased Brunneti’s in 1991.

Oro — on Flinders Lane — is the flagship location that was opened in 2017. Walking inside, one is in “dessert heaven” … that’s the only way to describe the colorful variety of sweets on display!

To say that the place was hopping would be an understatement. Our only disappointment was that we had left coming here a bit late and the kitchen was closed. So, no “real” food. But the arancinis we got were delicious … fried to a golden, crunchy crisp on the outside … served with a side salad. And the desserts we wrapped up with were all delicious. Yes … all. Mui not only got me the gelato I asked for, but picked up a cannolo for himself and a sfogliatella to share. Hey, we’ve been good these past few days! That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

Returning to the apartment around 5:00p, Mui donned his “virtual apron” and got down to cooking up a storm in the kitchen. At last count there were three different pots on the stove … and a pan of something in the oven! Next step … portioning them into freezer bags. Having home-cooked meals on the road will be a nice change of pace.Read more