ITALY has not qualified for the World Cup since 2014.
The tournament is not the same without them and I have great childhood memories of watching the 1990 Italian World Cup—an elated and sweaty Roberto Baggio running towards the camera after scoring, Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma, and me nibbling a Peperami in my Y-fronts.
In tribute to Italy’s footballing Gods, I decide to visit Dolce Venezia in Fremantle.
The Italian-run cafe is situated in one of those little shopfronts on South Terrace at the edge of Fremantle Markets.
It deserves brownie points for being open seven days a week as most of the adjacent eateries are only Thursday to Sunday. It also deserves kudos for having a lovely ambience.
The walls are dotted with ornate and slightly menacing Venetian masks and there are decorative tiles with lemons and flowery swishes.
Completing the Mediterranean picture are some mini fruit trees and bunches of chillies.
And if that wasn’t enough, Italian soft rock was playing in the background—imagine Zucchero singing about his ex-wife and his favourite salami.
Dolce Venezia sells coffee, Italian-style croissants and other sundries, but is best known for its signature focaccia.
There’s a large range on offer with everything from the humble Venezia (prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto) to the indulgent Ducale (prosciutto, burrata, rocket and truffle cream).
The authentic fillings include mortadella, stracciatella, basil pesto, spicy salami and sun-dried tomatoes.
There were also some vegetarian options, including one with artichokes and pumpkin cream.
The cafe has a nice range of San Pellegrino ($6 cans) and my kids and I sipped the slightly tart beverage while discussing how Scotland, my homeland, had bombed in the World Cup (we drank Boston dry though—at least we are good for a party).
It wasn’t long before the friendly and smiley Italian lady behind the counter was handing over our giant Italian sangers.
The focaccia was a rustic in-your-face affair—like Rino Gattuso doing a two-footed, waist-high tackle on your taste buds.
Thick slices of Italian bread bulging with fresh authentic fare.
My Doge ($23) had a lovely mix of mortadella and burrata cheese, with the rocket and sun-dried tomatoes providing a nice Mediterranean twist. The secret weapon was the lemon zest, which had a nice citrus burst.
The freshly made bread was thick but was incredibly light and airy (you can see the air bubbles in there) so it was never dense or heavy.
My son was hoeing into his Gondola ($17) a kid-friendly mix of ham, provolone cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cream.
His biggest challenge was getting his mouth around the thing, but he enjoyed the mild and creamy mix of flavours.
My daughter, who is a bit more adventurous, went for the San Marco with prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, rocket and balsamic glaze.
Another happy camper.
The focaccia are huge and we struggled to finish them, so it could easily do you for dinner, or lunch and a Scooby snack later on.
If you’re getting the cream ones—prepare for a generous dollop and not a sliver.
Dolce Venezia’s focaccia are a bit like the legendary Italian defender Franco Baresi—robust and no-nonsense but elegant and graceful at the same time.
And once you take a bite—there’s no going back with VAR.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK
Dolce Venezia
Shop 1/74 South Terrace,
Fremantle
dolceveneziafremantle.com