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Paesanella Caffe Emporium

Megan Johnston
Megan Johnston

New venture: Paesanella's cafe opens to the street.
New venture: Paesanella's cafe opens to the street.Fiona Morris

Modern Australian$$

Follow any Sydney cheese devotee with a serious hankering for ricotta or bocconcini and chances are you'll end up in the back streets of Marrickville before long.

Here, family-run Paesanella Cheese Manufacturers (the name is slang for "country valley girl") has churned out fresh Italian cheeses for more than half a century.

After arriving in Sydney in 1956, immigrant Umberto Somma bought a small factory a few years later where he continued his family's cheese-making traditions. It's still in use today. 

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French toast with berries and ricotta.
French toast with berries and ricotta.Fiona Morris

Fifty-odd years later, Umberto's sons Max and Joseph have stepped up operations to open a cafe-deli around the corner. 

We are greeted with a hearty "Buongiorno!" as we find a sunny spot under the front area open to the street. It's a pleasant space with an uncluttered contemporary look scattered with simple wooden tables and black bistro chairs. Folding doors open to the front area covered by an awning and dramatic foliage livens up the space, which is filled with family groups of all ages, a couple of business men and couples strolling in from the street.  

The front counter is filled with European biscuits and house-made sweets including Italian doughnuts of every description, a lush-looking ricotta cake and rich serves of tiramisu. Unfortunately it's a tad early for such luxuries so we start with a round of coffees instead.

Polenta parmigiano with poached eggs.
Polenta parmigiano with poached eggs.Fiona Morris
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We order an espresso that arrives strong and dark with chocolatey crema and a cappuccino, which is rounded and milky but wanting depth.  

Given Paesanella's speciality, I find myself scouring the menu for rich cheesy toasties and cheese plates with a breakfast twist but I'm disappointed to find none. Instead, most of the options are standard cafe fare such as eggs benedict, toast and big breakfasts, some including house-made cheeses.

We opt for the brioche French toast, which arrives as a golden mound of sweet eggy bread topped with stewed berries and maple syrup. It is topped off with a generous dollop of house-made ricotta. It is smooth, creamy and mild, a world away from the crumbly supermarket varieties.  

The small girl at our table launches herself at the bowl of crunchy toasted Byron Bay muesli, studded with macadamias, rice puffs and pepitas. Served with rich Meredith yoghurt from Victoria, milk and berries, it's a healthy and delicious pick for any age. 

The grilled parmesan and herb polenta is a more substantial option, served with a couple of poached eggs, grilled tomato, rocket and pesto. Each mouthful of polenta is smooth and creamy while the parmesan delivers just enough bite. 

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A quick scan of the tables around us reveals the popularity of the bacon and egg panino. With provolone cheese and house-made tomato relish, it certainly sounds (and looks) delicious but we'll have to wait until our next visit to find out for ourselves.

At the end of the meal, we head upstairs to scout around the deli – and find where all the cheese is. Fridges and counters stocked with all manner of the stuff, including Paesanella's signature ricotta tubs, and walnut-studded gorgonzola and mascarpone (if you manage to have any leftovers, it's divine mixed into spaghetti, I've heard). 

There are also acres of quality pastas, preserves, oils, olives, vinegars and all sorts of odds and ends perfect for gifts or treating yourself. We'll be back to stock up for Christmas, I'm sure.

On the way out we stop for a closer inspection of the front counter – the ricotta cake calls strongly but a couple of Italian doughnuts win in the end, one filled with creamy chocolate custard, the other with ricotta. 

The toasties may have eluded us but with these treats we won't be going home disappointed. 

THE LOW-DOWN
THE PICKS
Brioche French toast with fresh Paesanella ricotta
THE COFFEE
An organic fair-trade house blend
THE LOOK
Contemporary, open and uncluttered
THE SERVICE
Genial, swift and inviting

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Megan JohnstonMegan Johnston is a producer and writer for Good Food.

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