Matakana Markets

Last weekend Hannah and I ventured north to Matakana, where every Saturday the entire town turns into a bustling marketplace.

We moseyed around, eating, snacking, and nibbling our way through breakfast and lunch.

You can drop your dogs off while you shop (aren't they adorable). If you've taken a dog to a busy market before you'll appreciate what a lifesaver this little service is.

We loved the Vietnamese stall with the delicious pork and prawn rice paper rolls.

Live music is the perfect accompaniment to the food and drink and offer. 

My favourite dish was the Tarakihi ceviche (no surprises there). It was incredibly fresh, and with parsley, capers, and a bed of lettuce, it was completely different to any other versions I have tried.

We then wandered over to the vintage and craft markets where we found a gorgeous little cafe, a whole lot of amazing antiques and an awesome chair (that I may have accidentally purchased...).

The Matakana markets run every Saturday from about 8am 'till midday. While you do have to battle a bit of traffic, a few prams, and some nasty ATM lines (take cash!), the markets are so much fun, such good value, and definitely worth a visit.

Luke's Kitchen

Nestled away in a small town on the Coromandel Peninsula is one of my absolute favourite restaurants. It may not have tablecloths and silverware (in fact I think they would laugh at the idea), but it never fails to disappoint me.  With tables made from surfboards, and bench seats made of drift wood, Luke's Kitchen embodies everything good about a New Zealand summer.

Luke's Kitchen started out as a small pizza shack by the beach and has turned into a heaving Coromandel hotspot packed full of hungry, sunburned beach goers. Pizza is still the crown glory of Luke's- and an enormous wood fired oven stands proudly in the middle of the restaurant where a team of surfer boys are rolling the dough and cooking to order.

On this balmy summer night, Mum and I made our way to Kuaotunu to visit Luke's Kitchen. We started off with kumara fries- the best I have ever had (and I've had a LOT), washed down with some Corona beer in the spirit of summer.

The pizza menu has a focus on NZ and seafood ingredients, atop a thin and crispy base. I'm a huge fan of greasy pizza (mmm Sal's), but Luke's Kitchen pizza is incredibly light and fresh, and all the more tasty.

We chose the Pacific Chix (coconut chicken, courgette, onion, preserved lime and coriander) and the very similar looking Never Fail (fresh fish, mushroom, courgette, onion, garlic aioli). Both were amazing, but the Pacific Chix was a winner for me, and is my go-to order whenever I am there.

LK is everything a beach restaurant should be, and is a true celebration of summer food. If you ever find yourself in the East Coast of the Coromandel, make your way to Kuaotunu, and pop into Luke's for a pizza before we run out of these glorious long summer nights.

Depot

Before Al Brown conquered the world (well, at least Auckland) with his fabulous bagels, he captured the Auckland food scene with his flagship restaurant and oyster bar Depot. Suddenly, cheap cuts of steak, wine in tumbler glasses, and fish sliders became the height of fashion.

Depot has been around for a few years, but you'll still find lines out the door on any busy night. But on this Tuesday night James and I lucked in and were granted a seat right away- boo yah!

We started with the complimentary flatbread and a jug of Moa beer to share. We had some tough decisions with the menu, but the one thing we can always agree on are the snapper sliders. These are remarkable delicious, and set off perfectly with a pickled lemon mayo and watercress.

The other dishes that made the cut were the lamb ribs with skordalia (thick puree) and cumin paprika oil, along with the skirt steak with tabacco onions, iceberg wedge and habanero mustard. The rib meat literally falls off the bone as you pick up each piece, and the skirt steak- a notoriously tough cut of meat is beautifully tender and tasty. Although they're delicious, both of the meat dishes we tried were quite rich, so I would recommend grabbing a salad on the side, or mixing it up with some more of the seafood dishes on offer.

The food at Depot is consistently good, and showcases the best of NZ produce and seafood. The service is great, the setting casual and the prices are very reasonable. Unfortunately you can't book at Depot so it's not ideal for large groups, but it's my favourite easy date night haunt and impresses me every single time (I'm sure the sliders are brainwashing me).

Waiheke: Cable Bay and Mudbrick Vineyard

I've been a slack blogger lately. I'd like to pretend I've had no internet access or that my laptop exploded, but the truth is that I've been too busy sleeping in, enjoying lazy afternoon BBQs, and beach hopping throughout my summer holiday to fire up my laptop.

But now I'm back in town (for one day!), and better make use of this Wi-Fi to start showing you all the places I have been to, and eaten at over the last few weeks.

I'll begin with Waiheke. For those of you who don't know about it, Waiheke Island is just a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland, but it feels like a completely different world. Gone are the skyscrapers- this place is all about dreamy white sand beaches, lush farmland, and most importantly, a whole lot of vineyards.

A group of us decided to stay at Waiheke over New Years, and we had an amazing time enjoying the small villages, the beach and the sun. But, as with all trips to Waiheke, it wouldn't be complete without a trip to one or two of the famous wineries.

We started at Mudbrick, where we entered the tasting room to try a selection of six Mudbrick wines. I won't pretend to be an expert on wines, because I certainly am not, but, from the selection we tried, most of the group preferred the red wines over the whites, and in particular I enjoyed the Mudbrick 2011 Shepherds Point Syrah.

Mudbrick is a beautiful vineyard, with stunning views over the Italian style grounds. And while we didn't stay for lunch at Mudbrick, if you have the time and the sun is shining I would recommend grabbing an outdoor table and enjoying a glass of Mudbrick wine while your muse over their delicious menu.

Our next stop was a 5 minute wander down a winding road to Cable Bay Vineyard. From the traditional grounds and buildings at Mudbrick, Cable Bay seems almost futuristic with its sleek modern courtyard and metal art sculptures occupying the lawn. The two couldn't be more different.

By the time we arrived we were all a teeny bit tipsy and getting hungry, so settled down straight away to eat. I ordered a lovely glass of Cable Bay Rose from the Wine Bar, along with some beef sliders; delicious lime, avocado and jalapeno ceviche; and herb salt and parmesan fries. Almost everyone at the table ordered sliders, and we all agreed that the perfectly medium rare, juicy mouthfuls were some of the best sliders we had tried (watch out Al Brown!).

Cable Bay has long been a favorite Auckland restaurant, and although I only tried a bite from the wine bar I can agree that it certainly lived up to it's expectations, and judging from the 30 or so sliders that were eaten at our table the rest of the group thought the same.

If you make it to Waiheke do try and visit a few of the vineyards- the island is full of them! Apart from Cable Bay and Mudbrick, some of the local favourites are Stonyridge, Poderi Crisci (make sure you try their famous long lunch), and Man O'War Vineyards.