WHERE: 26 Normanby Rd, Mt Eden. (09) 630 5790
OUR MEAL: $85.50 for olives, three hearty plates, two wines and a beer.
WINE LIST: Comprehensive coverage of local and exotic, and, with one exception, all available by the glass.
VERDICT: Small plates with big flavours. So many more to try, so we'll be back.
OUT OF 10
FOOD: 8
SERVICE: 7
VALUE: 8
AMBIENCE: 7
KEY POINTS:
Conversations about India prevail in our house. Yes, the children and the dog are still important, but the forthcoming trip to the subcontinent is all-consuming. So when we were looking for somewhere to eat on a recent Sunday evening, it seemed like a smart move to find a quiet place where we could spread out maps and travel guides.
C.A.C. in Normanby Rd didn't immediately spring to mind, as on my last visit, admittedly for lunch, it was pumping. But on a Sunday night it was peacefulness itself. We found a table by the window, within sight of the young woman singing smooth jazz classics and her accompanist.
C.A.C. occupies an old bluestone building, formerly the home of the Colonial Ammunition Company (hence the name). Similar venerable buildings are nearby - the shot tower, Mt Eden Prison and Auckland Grammar School. But while the outside of C.A.C. looks authentic, the interior has been tarted up, stripped back and picked out with touches of bright red.
One side of the main divide houses the kitchen, the other side has the bar. The mezzanine floor offers extra space for dining or just drinking. All very sophisticated.
For starters, we order olives ($9) and a country terrine of pork, duck and pistachios ($15). But before they arrive, a little shot glass of sagrita is presented to us. This is a new taste, and the cleansing effect of the mixture of tomato and orange juices with lime and seasonings is fresh and delicious.
The olives are warm, marinated with herbs and pickled garlic, but present their own difficulty - no forks, little scoops or even a toothpick. Ah well, we battle on using our fingers and, yes, we could have asked for utensils. The terrine is excellent.
Rough and chunky with great, nutty lumps and plenty of bread to plaster it on. Again, no utensils are apparent, but, as it's pointed out, they're neatly wrapped and tucked away in the bread basket.
The wine list is long, much longer than the menu, and takes some close attention. Bill plumps for a Guinness, and I have The Ned sauvignon blanc, produced by Brent Marris, previous owner and still winemaker for Wither Hills.
The menu comprises a range of tapas-like plates, with offerings including risotto balls, squid, prawns, grilled sardines, gnocchi, charcuterie and a range of salads.
C.A.C. advertises itself as providing small plates of big flavours, and the duck sausage ($17) certainly delivers. Great tasty rounds of it come with mushrooms, brussels sprouts and, oddly, a soft egg, but it's a mix that works well together. And the sprouts are cooked properly but not overly.
I am of the opinion that if I wanted to eat little green cannonballs, I'd order them. Bill chose veal and pork meatballs ($16), accompanied by laban, lemon and parmesan. The laban had us confused, but it's a type of Lebanese yogurt and, with the lemon and parmesan, makes a very satisfying sauce to soak up with the extra bread. So far, so very good indeed.
We are not in a hurry and decide to relax with more wine and beer, which is just as well.
The service, although friendly and polite, is best described as languid. But so's the jazz and the whole feeling of the place.
