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This is a bit of an interim thing. The equivalent to those four songs in the middle of a teen pop album from the late nineties. We've officially moved into our new stomping ground on Cuba Street and I've started cooking again, with a gas-top stove and an expel-air, oh untold joys abounding. But, if my free time were a pizza, right now unpacking boxes and arranging the objects that represent our lives to fit in this new space is eating nearly every slice of my time-pizza, not to mention my side order of headspace-fries with aioli.
To tide you all over - because I will start posting with soothing regularity asap to assuage the palpitations of the heart that surely start in my prolonged absense - I thought I might do a round-up of all the restaurants and cafes that I've reviewed since starting this blog in 2007 so that they're in one nifty post. This idea may fall flat, especially considering my international readership, but whatever. This is my blog, I'll openly pad it out with recycled filler material if I so wish. And if you should ever find yourself in Wellington - and why not? It's easily the best city New Zealand has to offer the world - consider this a starting point for where to eat.
Auckland
Read about what we thought of Auckland's Wagamama - back in the dark days before a branch opened in Wellington - and the Wendy's burger joint: click HERE
Read about Alleluya Cafe on K'Road, home to an excellent Jewish Ginger Cake: click HERE
Wellington
Read about Monsoon Poon, home of a cheeky cocktail and excellent service, and where David Beckham chose to have dinner while in town: click HERE and also for a second outing HERE
Read very briefly about Satay India, which deserved more of a review than I gave it because it was delicious: click HERE
Read about the faint-makingly fantastic chocolates on Featherston Street's Melting Perfection chocolaterie: click HERE
Read about the Black Harp Irish pub, where wonderfully hearty meals are served daily and where we have dined several times with family and friends: click HERE
Read about Kelburn's as-seen-on-TV Red Tomatoes cafe, where the pizza is flipping brilliant even if the service is a schmeer patchy: click HERE
Read about the Maranui Surf Cafe which doesn't even need my endorsement because it's always packed, rain or shine, and with good reason: click HERE and also HERE (this one has pictures)
Read about Deluxe cafe, which is so cool that I felt as though it was my fault when I didn't enjoy it that much, Roxy Cafe on Cuba Street which has the BEST hash browns, and Casablanca, a cheap and cheerful BYO: click HERE
Read about Rise Cafe on the Terrace, where a good coffee and excellent service can be found: click HERE
Read about the gorgeous La Bella Italia on The Terrace, which has utterly marvelous food and is infuriatingly not open on weekends: click HERE
And there it is, friends. A rough guide to eating hither and yon across Wellington and a competely understocked guide to eating out in Auckland. A little something to let you know I still am very much in existence.
On Shuffle whilst I type:
Horehound, the debut album by The Dead Weather, ie how much more wine can Jack White squeeze from his mind-grapes? The man is relentless! As is the seriously brilliant album. Jack White, you genius, you've done it again.
Next time: for one thing, an actual post with pictures and recipes. I've got a whole mess of baking planned for this weekend, and our espresso machine has finally entered the world so I also predict affogatos every which way to Sunday. On top of that there is something quite bewitching about living on Cuba Street. I'm noticing things I've never seen before. Like the Babylon Kebab shop - why didn't they just call themselves Kebabylon? Or, for maximum flair, Babylon Kebabylon? There is a quilting supplies shop just down the road from me that I never knew existed. At Moore Wilson's the other day (now divinely close to our house) Tim didn't even twitch when I bought tofu and actually actively suggested that I buy Israeli couscous. This from the fellow who once thought there was no discernable difference between canola oil and extra virgin olive oil. There may have been salty language employed to let him know the difference. You know what I'm saying.
Congrats on finally making the big move. I know how hectic and time consuming it can be. Especially when you compare it to a time pizza :)
ReplyDeleteMy vote goes to the Black Harp, because I like what you ate there, and it reminds me of a beer I enjoy :)
Aaah Wendy's on Q Street. Used to love their baked potatoes and salad. Have been to the Black Harp twice on your recommendation, Red tomatoes and Bella Italia once - can heartily recommend all. Fun reading your old blogs again - especially the ones when it was so hot and dry. Ha! Juxtaposition indeed!
ReplyDeleteMay I just add that in the olive vs canola debacle of 2007 it was in fact the issue that you could use canola oil in some cases as a cheap substitute resulting in a fatty tasting dish more so than a "cooked in olive oil" tasting dish, there is a difference!!
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