Viva has a few suggestions when it comes to choosing a place to eat for either breakfast, lunch or dinner on Father's Day.
When I sent an email to male friends and colleagues seeking suggestions for places to eat at that dads would like, I got some interesting responses and it got me thinking - are there cafes and restaurants that are more oriented towards men?
From my informal survey themes began to emerge.
There was a general preference for places that were large and spacious, where service was prompt and portion size was mentioned more than once. A remarkable number of respondents commented that the music played was important too. So I set out to find places for breakfast, lunch and dinner that fitted with these requirements for good Father's Day dining.
One place that has undoubtedly become a winner with the blokes is Deus. Situated in an old warehouse space it doubles as a motorcycle shop. The interior is fabulous, with its shed-like feel, blazing fireplace, sofas and of course there are the motorcycles to ogle at. At the back of the room is a glassed-in workshop where you can watch the gleaming Deus bikes being built. Very cool.
When Deus opened a little over a year ago, they had a clear philosophy around the food. The menu, though limited, would only feature food that deserved to be there through its sheer quality. It's a philosophy that continues one year in.
The counter food includes some of the best croissants, plain and almond, we'd ever tasted, as well as some impressive cakes. Cooked breakfast options include tomato on toast (slow-roasted tomatoes on specialty bread), french toast, bangers and mash and scrambled free-range eggs on toast.
Though the portions aren't huge here, they're more than sufficient. It might not qualify for the "prompt service" requirement but if you find yourself still there at lunch, the pea and ham soup is exceptional - deep and sweet and with plenty of hunks of smoky ham hock.
Next we visited Westhaven, where there's a cafe in one of the best locations in town. Bill Fish Cafe is situated right on the marina with a view of the floating gin palaces, the sparkling water and out to the tank farm. It's expanded in the last 12 months and though it's lost some of its "old sea dog" charm, it still qualifies as casual dining. From previous experience, we decided to stick with the simplest seafood offerings, as this is where Bill Fish's strengths lie.
The fish and chips were great - an ample serving of crispy, fresh gurnard fillets and chunky chips. Dad's favourite, the seafood chowder, was outstanding served in a big bowl stacked full of white fish, cockles, prawns and mussels bound in a creamy fish stock sauce that was rich but just the right consistency. Little sister decided to go for three entrees instead of a main - a good strategy if you don't want to overeat but want to try a few dishes.
The squid rings looked alarmingly yellow but it turned out to be a hint of curry powder making an appearance in the batter mix. Though unusual, it was a pleasant change from the usual salt and pepper taste. The prawn and crab risotto cakes were tasty little treats, as were the fish bites - small gurnard pieces in beer batter. A side of excellent kumara chips and we were on our way.
For dinner, though a bit cliched as a "man's place" with its focus on beer and all, you can't go past one of the Belgian Beer cafes. We dined at the Mission Bay location, De Fontein, and with its twinkling lights and views out to Rangitoto, it really was a treat.
The menu seems to have relaxed over the years to include non-Belgian themes - no doubt to appease the varied customer base - but my advice is to stick to what they're famous for - mussels. You can order moules frites - 1kg of mussels served in an enamel pot with a side of fries and mayonnaise - or moules gratinee, a platter of grilled mussels with a topping of your choice. They're unbeatable value at $19 and $16.50 respectively and it's what De Fontein does best in my opinion.
We skipped dessert and instead took Dad for an icecream at the Movenpick downstairs. Man-sized icecreams. Marvellous.
Man-friendly
Deus Ex Machina
Address: Shed 5, Upper deck, 90 Wellesley St West
Ph: (09) 304 1044
Open: 7 days, 7.30am-3pm
Bill Fish
Address: 3/31 Westhaven Drive, (Unit 3, Z Pier Building)
Ph: (09) 379 9875
Open: 7 days for lunch from 10am, weekends from 9am, dinner Thu-Sun
De Fontein
Address: 77 Tamaki Drive, Mission Bay
Ph: (09) 578 3337
Open: 7 days, weekdays from 11am, weekends from 8am
