Overview
As if we needed another reason to visit Flinders. The town is blessed with galleries, stunning homewares stores and a few food spots that make the hour and a half drive from Melbourne more than worthwhile. Sorellina is one of those places. It's the cafe compartment of Cook & Norman Trattoria, and is everything you'd seek in a country establishment — quaint with good vibes and food to match.
Upon entry, visitors are greeted with fresh house-made pastries, including danishes and their already famous bomboloni (Italian doughnuts). The cafe has a strong Italian influence, honouring ingredients such as provolone cheese and prosciutto. What does not resemble Italian dining, however, are the meal sizes — at Sorellina they are perfect. Without bulging over the edges of the plate, they are just enough to be full.
The options for breakfast and lunch are limited, but they cover most bases. You can choose between dishes such as Italian-style baked beans with provolone and a poached egg on toast ($15) or some smoked ocean trout bruschetta with Main Ridge goats' curd and capers ($18). For those who crave something extra hearty (but perhaps not so good for the heart), there's The Godfather: two poached eggs on toast with bacon, wagyu Bolognese, buffalo mozzarella and rocket ($22).
Lunch options include Italian classics such as the rigatoni puttanesca ($22) and the calamari fritti ($27) — this one goes great with a glass of Pinot Grigio. Otherwise, there's a selection of paninis to choose from, our favourite being the chargrilled eggplant with smoked mozzarella, tomato, spinach and aioli ($13).
Sorellina is licensed, with a wine list strictly made up of Italian and Australian bottles. But you'll be forgiven for skipping the booze for one of their milkshakes — the chocolate ganache and Sunny Ridge strawberry are available ($7.50).
Image: Peninsula Pursuit via Instagram.