Gelato Messina and Porteno Announce Sydney Festival Menu

Just in case you needed another reason to head down to the Sydney Festival when it kicks into gear tomorrow, the gourmands at Gelato Messina, in partnership with their friends at Porteno, have put together a mouthwatering menu that needs to be seen to be believed.

Operating out of the Festival Village in Hyde Park North, The Double Down Diner will be serving a rotating selection of decadent American style delicacies, absolutely none of which will be approved by your dietician. Consider it your reward for supporting the arts. After all, with close to 200 events across music, live performance and public art, you've got to get your energy from somewhere.

Savoury options will come courtesy of Porteno, who are forgoing their usual Argentinean flavour for the cuisine of the good ol' U.S. of A. Chow down on cheesesteaks, gorge yourself on chilli fries and mop everything up with a plate of fried chicken and waffles. Say what you will about the American obesity epidemic, but any country that combines chicken and syrup is obviously doing something right.

But it’s on the sweet side of the menu that things get really out of hand. Turns out Messina will also be serving chicken and waffles, albeit with a slightly different recipe. Their deep-fried drumstick is actually made of maple and pecan gelato, while their gravy is of the whiskey and caramel variety.

Messina's take on the Royale with Cheese, meanwhile, consists of a chocolate ice-cream patty, white chocolate cheese, raspberry ketchup and passionfruit mustard, all served in a warm Brioche bun. You can also try a selection of pies, from cherry with custard ice cream and chocolate biscuit, to peanut crunch with vanilla gelato topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

And in case you're in need of a tasty beverage to wash it all down, the diner has got you covered there as well. Messina spiders are made with homemade creamy soda and Tahitian vanilla bean gelato. Or you can try one of their thickshakes: banana, peanut and bacon, or pretzel and salted malt. That's right, a pretzelshake.

The Double Down Dinner is open every day of the festival except for Monday, from as early as 10am until late.

Now, enjoy this delicious GIF: