GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Bye bye fan trail. You were brilliant.

Old Mout Cider

My favourite drink from last summer is gearing up for a bigger and better return with old favourites Feijoa and Boysencider being joined by the cheeky little upstart of a Pear Scrumpy. For some bizarre reason, it’s a little hard to find in supermarkets (New World Vic Park is the best, though apparently it's getting back into Countdowns soon after a hiatus), but it’s worth the effort. Best on ice with friends on a deck in the sun.


www.oldmoutcider.com

Auckland Art Gallery Cafe cups

The cafe is somewhat average considering its surroundings (you can read my review HERE), but I really like the red  and white coffee cups and saucers which tie in nicely with the gallery's colour scheme. It makes a nice change from brown and black. Now if only the cafe was as good as their crockery...

Auckland Art Gallery Cafe
Kitchener St, CBD

Retro Company Vehicles: Supreme Coffee

Not quite as souped-up as the Stolen Rum Chevy, the Coffee Supreme Land Rover is still a looker, parked up most days outside Good One on Douglas St. Old things just look that little bit cooler with the Supreme logo plastered on them (the wooden blackboard at Charlie Boys being another).


www.coffeesupreme.com

THE FACEBOOK & THE TWITTER

Auckland Daily is now on the Facebook and the Twittle so if you like your daily plaudit in newsfeed or 140 character format, please click one or both of the links below and like/follow. We will create a Bebo page if there is the demand. 

www.facebook.com/AkldDaily

www.twitter.com/AucklandDaily

Old Signage

There are a few old signs still floating around Auckland and this one on Galatos Street is my favourite. Akai's not really the major player that it once was, and this aged and rusting sign is testament to that. But it's still there for all to see when coming off the Symonds St off-ramp and long may it stay. Another more subtle sign of a bygone era is the old Midcity sign at the top of the stairs (now walled up) to the old Midcity Cinema. 


Galatos St, Newton

Breakfast at Depot

I interviewed Al Brown last week, and his philosophy is that you don't need to have every single breakfast option on your menu - if you're good enough, you can have three and people will still be happy. That's the case with Depot's off-menu breakfast options: choose from made-to-order muesli, bacon and egg 'doonas', or beignets. Get in early, as it starts to ramp up around 10:30am, and if solo grab one of the chairs at the bar.

From 7am every day
86 Federal St, CBD
www.eatatdepot.co.nz

Retro Company Vehicles: Stolen Rum

Parked up in Grey Lynn, the Stolen Rum '68 Chevrolet truck is unmissable, with its bright red paint job and cheeky 'Stolen' addition on the back bumper. It's nicknamed Capone and it's a beauty. If you're walking past it, take a look in the window as the insides have had a red and beige makeover as well. And if you want to know a bit of the history behind it, there's a great story on the Stolen Rum website.  


www.stolenrum.com

Baby Loves Disco

My friend Corinna started this up late last year and since then it's gone from strength to strength. It's the best of both worlds - kids are entertained for the afternoon with music, face painting and competitions, whilst parents can relax with friends and a drink or two. The next BLD is at Sale St with Thane Kirby DJing.

Baby Loves Disco Spooktacular
29th October at Sale St
$12 per walking human
www.babylovesdisco.co.nz

Cornwall Park Bench

There's a bench in Cornwall Park from which you can enjoy some of the best views of Auckland. It sits on the ridge to the side of the crater and overlooks the back end of the city. Good during the day, it's even better at dusk especially if the sky is clear and you've got good company.

www.cornwallpark.co.nz

The Pork Belly @ Coco's Cantina

I'm a big fan of the meatballs at Coco's but friends swear by the Pork Belly and it's not hard to see why. Huge and covered in pesto goodness, this is the menu item that (accordingly to Coco's owner Renee)  men order after their wives have made their selection so they can get away with ordering it. Worth waiting for a table for (which, given the popularity you probably will have to - don't worry, they'll look after you). 


Coco's Cantina
376 K Rd, Newton
09 300 7582

Flowers in the Atrium

The wonderful thing about Choi Jeong Hwa's amazing inflatable flowers hanging above the atrium in the newly reopened Auckland Art Gallery is that you don't see them immediately. It's not until you walk up the stairs at the back of the reception area that you can marvel in their overblown beauty. An even better route to their discovery is when you walk from the elevators to the cafe and they're at eye level. And as if they were not impressive just by themselves, they regularly 'bloom' thanks to some beautifully timed compressed air. Essential viewing from every angle. 


Choi Jeong Hwa, Flower Chandelier, 2011
fabric, fibre reinforced plastic, metal, motors, LED
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Kitchener St, CBD

The Good One refurbishment

It's been closed for the last week or so for a spruce up and rejig, but this morning at 7am Good One opened its doors with a great new look that keeps all the best of the old but adds in some great new features. The smaller door has now been blocked off and a beautiful tiled bench has been placed in front. I love the styling here, especially details like the moveable lamps hanging from above, and an old Apple Mac perched on a shelf. There are loads more areas for coffee enthusiasts to check out the latest blends, and the National Geographics still have pride of place. Check out the brand new espresso machine as well. Nice work team... it's great to have you back. 


Recommended: Breakfast Pie & Flat White (double shot is standard)
Douglas St, Ponsonby

Little & Friday

It's been a best-kept secret for so long that it's unlikely you won't have heard of this already, especially with a smaller branch opening recently in Newmarket. But it's the original that always requires a return visit. It's not just the amazing food (of which there is always too much to choose from), it's the small details that make this very very special. Like the cinnamon infused tap water that comes in old milk bottles. Or the random selection of old plates, cups and cutlery. Or the platter of fantastic home-made condiments. Or the stunning Supreme coffee. If you haven't been yet, go. If you have, go again. 


Recommendations: Feta and Caramalised Onion Tart & Cinnamon Brioche
43c Eversleigh Rd, Takapuna
(09) 489 8527

Ben Bayly of The Grove

I interviewed Ben earlier in the year and a quick 10 minute chat ended up being almost an hour - the Head chef of the award-winning The Grove restaurant is incredibly passionate and fiercely inventive. Corn brulee with battered chicken oysters, anyone? I love his dedication to local ingredients and constantly tweaking the menu to accommodate seasonal changes. The Grove already has been the platform for Sid Sahrawat and Michael Meredith's solo ventures. Could we soon be dining at 'Ben's'?


Catch Ben at this weekend's Taste of New Zealand festival or at The Grove, St Patrick's Square, Auckland CBD

The Sweetest Hangover

The perfect start to Saturdays - whoever programmes this show gets it absolutely bang-on with great tunes that aren't taxing on the head. 

George FM 96.6

Saturdays 7am - 10am

Miss T Pinups

I stumbled across Miss T Pinups when looking for a photographer online, and was amazed at their retro portraits. It's definitely a girl thing (or girls thing as they do group portraits) so if you're wanting to get your Betty Page, you should definitely check this out. You'll never be able to find the location on K Rd, so instead head to their website, and if you're keen, get in touch with Talia.


www.misstpinups.co.nz

Sidart's Tasting Menu

Art on a plate - that's the only way to describe what leaves the kitchen of Sid Sahrawat's Three Lamps establishment. The tasting menu changes often but currently you'll experience amongst other things Trevally w langoustine, Yellowfin tuna, Easterbrook quail, Roquefort cheesecake, and liquorice and apple. Take a moment or two before eating to marvel at the beauty of what is presented to you, and also to remember that you're sitting where Alhambra's dance floor used to be.


Tasting menu: $150 (or $245 with matching wine)
Three Lamps Plaza, Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby
09 360 2122

The Denizen - Print Edition

The print version of the popular online site continues to champion the finer things in life and does it cleanly and beautifully. What I love about this magazine is that it could / should come across as supremely snobbish but instead has an intelligent but unassuming tone. I loved the eclectic mix of features – this kid has finally learnt his chuck from his brisket. You had to get in early to get a free subscription but maybe you can still try your luck at www.thedenizen.co.nz

HP Wintergarden

A cute pop-up space at the bottom of Wynyard Quarter, which has a Kokako café inbuilt. Pop along for a coffee and a slice of Il Buco pizza and you can enjoy free Wi-Fi and photo printing on HP printers. Be quick though as post-RWC, the whole thing is coming down.

Free
Wynyard Quarter (playground end)

Mister Morning

Already buzzing, immediately funky and absolutely a new favourite. Right next door to its older sister Coco's Cantina, Mister Morning continues the march of the Coulter sisters along K Rd. From moustaches on takeaway paper cups to the coffee machine that looks like the love child of a steam engine and a BBC Micro, it's highly recommended. A deli and grocery shop are being added slowly, so you can pick up your milk and bread after perching at the counter with a ham and cheese toastie.


Flat White: $3.70
374 K Rd, Newton

Sunrise in Grey Lynn

I'm sure sunrise looks great in every Auckland suburb, but early one morning on Crummer Rd it looked just like this. Indulgent I know... but it's my birthday and I think it is beautiful. 

Room 104 Grooming Lounge

Located in... well... Room 104 of the beautifully renovated Achilles House, this is the place for men to go for a fantastic haircut in uber-cool surroundings. I've been going to Jay for 6 years and we're still breaking new ground. More services are being added over the next few months including wet shaves. Pick up some American Crew product whilst you're there. 


Wet cut: $55
www.room104.co.nz
09 309 4104

Twice Baked Goats' Cheese Souffle

The Engine Room's signature dish that's been on the menu since Day One. Baked twice to perfection, it's rich but as light as a feather. Great as an entree, it's even better on its own with a glass of Viognier at the bar, before heading across the road to the Bridgeway. Resist the urge to share. This is definitely a dish that you'll want all to yourself.


$23
The Engine Room, 115 Queen St, Northcote Point
09 480 9502