The dish: Garden festival

The Stoneleigh garden bar. Photo / Supplied

The Auckland Arts Festival 2011 kicks off next week with a whole host of fantastic events and shows running around the city until March 20. During this time, not only will Stoneleigh be hosting the festival's first ever Garden Bar in Aotea Square, they have also organised the special Stoneleigh Festival Fare deal. This sees 14 leading restaurants - including the likes of Toto, Iguacu and Kermadec - putting on a special before or after show offer, where you can enjoy a main meal and a glass of Stoneleigh wine for just $30. So you really can make it a real night out on the town.

Viva is delighted, along with Stoneleigh and the Auckland Arts Festival, to have an exclusive prize pack to give away, valued at $850.

One lucky winner will receive a Festival Fare meal for two people (to the value of $60) at a participating restaurant of the winner's choice, two GA tickets to the highly anticipated festival show Smoke & Mirrors on Friday 18th March, a limited edition Penny Stotter Stoneleigh print and a trio of award-winning Stoneleigh wines. (All entrants must be over 18 years of age and conditions apply.) To go in the draw to win, simply email your name, address, contact phone number and date of birth, to vipviva@nzherald.co.nz with "Stoneleigh Festival Fare" in the subject line. Entries close 28 February. Winners announced March 2.

Garnet grows

Garnet Station have had a makeover and expanded with a new lounge, and the team are having a week of celebration until Sunday, with a bar, platters and entertainment each night until 11pm. They also have a new chef, Louise Kelleher, who has previously worked at Ripe and Verona. Visit the new Garnet Station at 85 Garnet Rd, Westmere, ph (09) 360 3397.

Watch this space

Federal St in the central city is undergoing a major renovation with SkyCity starting work on three new restaurants and bars. There's already a Viva favourite, Peter Gordon's Bellota tapas bar, so we have high hopes for what's planned as they are cleverly bringing onboard three other culinary stars. First up there will be Depot by Al Brown, chef, TV star and co-owner of Wellington's Logan Brown restaurant. Brown plans to serve "fast, unpretentious, delicious food". His neighbour will be the award-winning Australian chef and restaurateur, Sean Connolly, with The Grill, which will have a "luxuriously dark, rich and edgy ambience" with the best of local food. And the third venue on the strip will be The Red Hummingbird, which will be run by star Auckland restaurateur Luke Dallow who owns Sale Street and Chapel. The plan is to have all these venues up-and-running in time for the Rugby World Cup in September.

Top cheese

If you're partial to a little bit - or a lot - of cheese, you may want to consider buying tickets to the annual Cheese Fest. Held at The Langham's Great Room, it is an evening where you get to taste and buy the best cheeses from around the country. There is also Monteith's beer and cheese-matching and the global pizza challenge. 5-9pm, 2 March. Tickets $30 from eventfinder.co.nz.

Put it on the list

Alfieri egg pasta from northern Italy
Cook for three minutes, and serve with extra virgin olive oil and shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano. $16.90 from Sabato.

Pottles of Gu naughties
We love the Millionaire's Flapjacks, but Gu have a whole range of sweet treats. Available from supermarkets.

Queen natural extracts
At last, a way to colour food that isn't synthetic. $9.99 from supermarkets.

Euro-Dell artichoke tapenade
Try on crackers, spoon on top of pan-fried snapper, or tuck some into a chicken breast before cooking. Delish. $4.99 from Nosh Food Market.

Sticky figs
The Old Fashion Preserves Company makes these little treats. $10.99 from Farro Fresh.