Burger & Lobster

Ahh, what a place. A place where the only choice you need to make is between burger and lobster. Indecisive, frantic, panic stricken menu readers like myself thrive in this environment, completely at ease, and smug with a sub 5 minute decision. 

I'll admit, there was a wave of food envy when the burger appeared, only to be heightened by the thought of missing out on a lobster roll too. But then, out comes an impressive grilled lobster - all for me. 

I was out with my team at work - but this was no place for workplace niceties. There was cracking, sucking, and all round messiness (note the bibs...).

The lobster was delicious, and accompanied with a rich boat of garlic butter, which I am ashamed (but also a little bit proud) to say that I completely polished off. The lobster portions aren't huge though- so if you're hungry I would opt for a burger.

Burger and Lobster is a classic London joint - somewhere I had been looking forward to visiting before I had even left New Zealand, and somewhere I will definitely be visiting again!

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).

Golden Dawn

Golden Dawn is a place I have been to on many a night, where I have been mesmerised by artful hipster types and the blaring music. At night time it's easy to spot on the corner of Richmond and Ponsonby Roads, where outside you'll find a steady line of hopeful hipsters, waiting their turn to enter the hidden bar.

Despite only ever sampling the liquid menu at Golden Dawn, I had been told that the food there was incredibly good. So, doing the good samaritan thing we do by testing out food for you hungry readers, Alice and I strolled to Golden Dawn on Sunday afternoon to see if the food lived up to it's reputation.

We walked past heaving Chapel Bar, Mexico, and the ever busy Blue Breeze Inn to arrive at the corner of Richmond Road outside Golden Dawn, where on so many nights we had stood. But all that appeared in front of us was a derelict brick facade and a bit of graffiti. The only thing giving it away being a dark, tucked away entrance and and a tiny sign. It was quite a novelty having more trouble finding something when you're sober!

Once we had made our way through the dark interior we emerged into the gorgeous sun drenched courtyard. It might have been the calming music playing, or maybe the few quiet groups of patrons, but whatever it was, Alice and I felt like we were at some kind of fantastic eating and drinking relaxation retreat.

We started with cocktails, of course, with Alice choosing the 'Fleeting Glimpse' (gin, elderflower, lime, raspberries and cucumber) while I went for a simple Mint Julep. The beers on tap at Golden Dawn are a selection from Hallertau (remember my trip to the Hallertau Brewery?).

Not particularly hungry, but feeling we couldn't bypass the opportunity to ruin any chance of a summer diet, we ordered a couple of plates to share. First was the Casaro Burratta mozzarella, Heirloom tomatoes, chilli and fresh herbs with crusty sourdough. This doesn't sound particularly exciting- nothing more than a caprese salad on paper, but it was outstanding. The mozzarella was the best I have ever had, and I have never known tomatoes to be so good. A very, very good start.

Next up were the prawn buns with preserved lemon, Japanese mayo and chilli. The bread was hot and fluffy, and the taste of the filling was somewhere between the freshness of ceviche, and the creaminess of a prawn cocktail. This dish blew my socks off.

I think it's fairly safe to say we were impressed with the food. I had never thought of Golden Dawn as a daytime destination, let alone a food destination, but it is one of Ponsonby's rare spots that catches the sun, and is the perfect place for a relaxing afternoon drink and a delicious bite to eat. I can't wait to go back to try the rest of the menu!

Keep an eye on their website here as they often have gigs and events on- like this Sunday coming where they're having a Gypsy Fair from 1pm and Jazz from 5pm. Phwoar!

Baduzzi

Last Sunday we took Mumma down to Wynyard Quarter for her birthday lunch. Being a big fan of Italian food (well, a fan of most types of food actually), and a HUGE fan of meatballs I was pretty excited to head to the snazzy new Italian meatball restaurant Baduzzi.

The decor is fantastic and subtly retro, however, the outside seating feels a bit slapped together, so if I were you I'd head there for dinner, when you can sit inside and enjoy the atmosphere.

The menu is a fascinating blend of New Zealand and Italy, which we made the most of by starting off the Coromandel crayfish meatballs. Both these, and the wagyu meatballs that followed were incredible. And while I ever so slightly favoured the crayfish, the wagyu was amazing and cooked perfectly pink.

We followed the meatballs with the veal melanzane, the beetroot and paua tagiatelle, and the pulled milk fed goat. The melanzane was from the smaller 'picollo' menu (although all dishes seemed to be the same size), and it was one of my favourites. The beetroot tagiatelle definitely got the prize for being the prettiest, but after the intensity of the other dishes seemed somewhat underwhelming. Last of all was the goat, which was beautifully tender - yes goat can be tender, and sitting on a bed of creamy polenta.

To be honest, the food wasn't quite what I expected- I was imagining rustic, hearty, Italian food; slabs of bread and tables laid with checkered tablecloths, when instead, out comes dish after dish of beautifully refined and intricate dishes.

With a stomach full of meatballs, and a few wines deep, we weren't so keen on walking home. So, in true Auckland style, we put Sammy in Mum's bag and snuck into a taxi, just hoping he wouldn't bark and give himself away.

Baduzzi completely exceeded my expectations; the food is of an incredibly high standard, and the prices are very affordable. If you haven't been already, put Baduzzi at the top of your hit list, and head down there for dinner.

And remember to order the crayfish meatballs!

Bread and Butter

My dear friend Hannah goes to Bread and Butter Bakery and Cafe about three times every weekend, so I figured it must be worth a visit. I've been to the smaller version in Ponsonby Central a few times before, but on this occasion we visited the mothership; the bigger version, just around the corner on Richmond Road.

We were all in a bit of a state: Jamie had just finished the half marathon (woohoo!), Hannah was sick, and Allie and Alice, well, let's just say they had good Saturday night. As for me, I was shattered from moving house over the weekend and was feeling a bit lost with everything I owned still in boxes. Turns out, a visit to Bread and Butter was just what the doctor ordered.

I started with an iced mocha which was perfectly made, with a slight bite from the bitter chocolate. The girls went for smoothies and iced chocolates which all got the thumbs up too.

Food wise we were spoiled for choice. I had already eaten breakfast, so went straight into lunch with a pulled pork baguette which was delicious. I'm a bit hit and miss with pulled pork, but this one was spot on, and the baguette itself was fantastic.

Jamie chose a well deserved french toast, Allie chose the mixed mushrooms, Alice had good ol' poached eggs, and Hannah went for one of the delicious sandwiches from the cabinet. On that note, the cabinet food is amazing; there are so many delicious treats to choose from, not to mention the freshly baked loaves of bread available to take home. Plus, all of their bread is organic, sustainable, and tastes absolutely delicious.

The big Bread and Butter is in Grey Lynn, right next to Farro and Citta, so you can basically spend a few good hours around there. Although the menu is a bit unimaginative, the quality of the food is pretty good, and the cabinet food is great, so if you're on the hunt for a new cafe give Bread and Butter a go- and let me know what you think!