Honeytrap

Last week I said goodbye to some of my very best friends as they left for their OEs. The three girls; Alice, Jamie, and Allie had seen to a never ending stream of goodbye lunches and dinners in the week before they left, but as far as the rest of us girls were concerned this lunch was the most important.

Being located just around the corner from the area that Sarah and I work, we chose Honeytrap on   K'Road for our meal. I had been following the Honeytrap Facebook page for what felt like forever but had never made it here, so I was thrilled to finally check it out.

Honeytrap is hidden away in St Kevin's Arcade, and we burrowed ourselves into the place even further taking the little tables in the loft above the kitchen.

Like the place itself, the menu at Honeytrap is small and eclectic, but fabulous in every way.

I chose the Vietnamese chicken sandwich, while the others chose beef brisket and caesar sandwiches. They look like fairly ordinary burgers, but I assure you that they are packed full of flavour, and feel like they aren't too bad for you either.

They also do shakes, and change these up week on week to some new fabulous flavour. When we visited it was delicious banoffee pie on offer (although, I probably would prefer a slice of banoffee pie instead.... drool drool drool)

As our plates were cleared and our lunch breaks dwindled to an end we said our final goodbyes, a few tears started flowing, and it was suddenly time to part ways. 

Luckily my tears were spared as I am off in a few weeks myself, and will be just behind them (but more on that later).

Girls, if you are reading this from wherever in Europe you may be I hope you're having an amazing time so far (and see you soon!)

Dear Jervois

It was a cold and rainy Sunday morning. Suzie and I, being the weirdos we are, went out for a very wet early morning walk with Humphrey the dog. 

After a couple of laps of Cox's Bay, poor Humphrey was soaked to the core, and I was about ready to call it a day and hop back into bed. But driving down Jervois road we spotted Dear Jervois, a fairly new addition to the band of Herne Bay cafes, and make a quick dive for some of the only spare seats left.

We snuggled in under the heaters with a jug of filter coffee in hand, Humphrey wrapped up in a towel, and eyed up the menu.

Neither of us could make it past the Best Ugly bagels, so Suzie went for the bacon and eggs on a bagel. They were cooked to golden, runny perfection - just look at the oozing goodness! 

I went vege for the delicious fried haloumi with tomato, basil, pesto and avocado bagel. If you haven't tried fried haloumi you haven't lived- it has to be one of my favourite types of cheese, and Dear Jervois have it perfected. 

Being the hip new cafe in town it tends to pack out quickly, so head in early or make sure you're prepared for a little wait. We sat outside, but the interior was beautiful and buzzing with weekend chatter and the smell of coffee.

From what seemed like an unsalvagable Sunday, Dear Jervois rescued our day with their amazing food and service. So after drying up under the heaters and refuelling we were ready to take on the rest of the weekend. Thank you Dear Jervois!

The Cav

There is a pub on College Hill that has been around for 150 years. It has seen generations of rugby teams, pool competitions and Friday nights pass by. It has changed names a few times, and even seen the suburb change from Dedwood to Ponsonby.

It's fair to say that The Cav, at it is now know, is an institution.

My flatmates (rugby playing, beer drinking, sports mad boys - you know the type), were horrified to hear that their beloved Cavalier Tavern was having a re-vamp, their biggest concern being whether they would keep the TVs or not (they did). I, on the other hand, was very excited, with the promise of new decor, a new menu, and a whole new re-brand at hand.

When it finally re-opened, the boys put their fears aside and set out to see it. They ordered a beer and a burger, and with a nod of approval settled right in.

After getting the go ahead from the real critics, I've now visited a few times and have been very impressed.  The pub has been completely transformed into a light, airy and modern space, with a trendy menu to match.

Embarrassingly, every time I've eaten there I've chosen the Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. I have an insatiable craving for Buffalo chicken about 95% of the time, so my chances of ordering anything else were slim to none. But why would I need to try anything else? Just look at this beauty! Juicy fried chicken smothered in a delicious sauce, with blue cheese slaw to top it all off. Sadly, the hand cut fries are a bit underwhelming, so I would recommend giving the waiter your best smile and asking to swap for the curly fries.

The new and improved Cav has transformed from a quiet pub to the new trendy place to be. The food is great, the beer selection is vast (though admittedly now more expensive) and the interior is beautiful. Already Friday nights see the pub packed to the brim, and I'm sure the enormous deck will be the spot to be come Summer.