Salsa, Ponsonby

By GRAHAM REID for viva


While gourmets and glossy magazines rightly hail the growth of fine dining in Auckland these past two decades, two other factors have affected eating habits more.

These are the proliferation of good, consistent restaurants around the suburbs and the growing Asian population.

A decade or so ago you were largely down to sandwich or a steak restaurant if you wanted to escape the office briefly for a modestly priced lunch. Now, you can have Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and many other Asian styles, for somewhere around $12.

That has had an impact in the suburbs also. Within 10 minutes' walk from my place are at least two dozen restaurants ranging through Russian, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, and many other others. Take the same amount of time in a car and I couldn't begin to count.

As an Aucklander, I do tend to take the car. In three years I have been to the pizza place on the corner only twice. I know more about restaurants in Pt Chevalier and Mt Eden than in Kingsland just across the railway tracks.

So on a blustery Wednesday we arrived at Salsa in suburban Ponsonby. My wife hadn't been before but I had, and I remembered that it was popular. So we booked. Wise decision. By 8pm the place was humming and, unfortunately for us, braying in that middle-aged, blonde, pre-lubricated way.

No matter, we had spotted the wine list and my favourite pinot gris, Spy Valley, was there. That established - Megan chose the Spy Valley merlot which she said was also excellent - we settled in for the evening, although the slat bench wall seating isn't the most comfortable.

Salsa is a local institution and does lots of things right: a smoking room out the back; tight but comfortable bar seating where you can watch the pizza oven and kitchen staff; and a menu that seems to suit its clientele, including our shrill companions at the next table.

Salsa is small and often noisy, and the gaps between the tables are narrow - too constricted for one of the larger guests, whose decision to move every now and again threatened our drinks. But the food and service are its chief attractions.

We liked the description of the enormous antipasto ($25.90), which included pepperoni, smoked chicken, black forest ham, cheeses, steamed mussels, and much else. It wasn't the most attractive presentation, but that much food was always going to crowd a plate. We loved it.

Megan had ordered the vedura pizza ($18.90) which came with spinach, artichokes, olives and blue cheese, and I was taken with the chicken breast wrapped in ham on a bed of mashed potatoes ($25.90). But our waitress was smart and, after that king-sized entree, asked if we still wished for the mains. I was still game, and pizza the next day can make a useful brunch, so we felt up to the challenge.

My chicken was superb, and came atop the largest pile of mashed potatoes I have seen since Scout camp. Megan's pizza was equally enjoyable, although half of it found its way back home for the following day.

I had another wine and Megan a coffee and that was about it. The neighbours had become a bit much and, anyway, we hadn't intended a long night out. Two hours, half a dozen wines and a fulfilling meal in the suburbs. Plus something for tomorrow. All up $120. Terrific way to spend a Wednesday night.

Salsa is as good as I remember it. Megan said that any time I want to take her again, she could fit it into her busy schedule. But we'll look for lubricated middle-aged blondes first.

OPEN: Tuesday to Sundays, 5pm-11.30pm

OWNERS: Mark Donaldson, Amanda Curle

CHEF: Jesse Stevens

WINE: Small, but interesting selection. Good options by the glass.

ON THE MENU: Plenty of thin-base oven-fired pizza possibilities from pork to vegetarian, but also promising-sounding smoked chicken and seafood pastas. Specials on blackboard menu.

BOTTOM LINE: Two hours, half a dozen wines between us, and a fulfilling meal in the suburbs. All up $120. Terrific way to spend a Wednesday night.

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