Australia’s first ever gnoccheria, the Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, is now part of Paddington’s claim to fame. Located on Given Terrace, this authentic pasta place is owned by close friends Ben Cleary-Corradini & Theo Roduner, both very passionate about making fresh Italian gnocchi.
In fact, the place even has its own Italian mascot, Puncherella, a puppet from La Commedia Italian puppet theater. Puncherella was commissioned and made in an artist village near Rome.
The idea behind Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers began as a series of pop-up stores at markets, events and festivals in Australia. Seeing the warm reception that their gnocchi received made them finally take the plunge, set up shop and establish permanent residence in west Brisbane.
Ben and Theo both take pride in producing fresh gnocchi and sauces to provide customers with an authentic Italian food experience. Paying homage to their market roots, you can also still find them at the Mt Gravatt Marketta every Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00p.m. They also have a stall at the Milton Markets, every Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and a take-away shop in New Farm.
On top of these, their food truck is still alive and rollin’. You can view the food truck schedules or their market updates through their Facebook page.
In Paddington, their dine in and take away shop here is bright and airy, with tables both inside and outside the store, and a counter filled with everything Italian. The walls are lined with black and photos of the gnocchi-making process.
The menu offers different types of (what else?) gnocchi, served with a variety of sauces such as the wild mushroom and truffle sauce, or the Genovese-style pesto and many more rich, flavourful options that will have guests coming back for more.
Their dessert is a scrumptious mix of Italian favourites such as their tiramisu or vanilla bean panacotta.
Ben and Theo are also all set to share their love for pasta by starting a gnocchi master class. The class aims to teach people how to make their own gnocchi at home. The partners are also aiming to have permanent stores across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in five years’ time. They aim to do this by launching their own line of branded gnocchi and sauces. With such clear vision, a great product and an awesome store, Ben and Theo seem well on their way to making their gnocchi empire a reality.
