What’s new in food? Read on for the latest serving of local food news, events and new openings.
Restaurateurs Sarah and Jordan MacDonald expand their Birkenhead dining empire with French wine bar Bon Pinard, opening Saturday
First came cafe Duo, then restaurant Osteria Uno and now
Bon Pinard is French (slang) for “good wine” and has been designed in the style of a French wine bar, with a focus on small share plates that pair nicely with French-inspired cocktails and French, European and New Zealand wines. Expect to dine on French saucisson and Cazador’s cured meats, pickled mussels with preserved lemon aioli and Oritz anchovies with Jatz crackers and soubise.
As well as wine, there’s Sawmill on tap and a refined selection of cocktails and aperitifs. We’ll be ordering the dirty vodka martini and the Porto Tonico with white port, quina fina and orange.
The vibe inside the wine bar is cosy, with lots of repurposed wood, vintage finds and shelves stacked with wine. Original stained glass windows from 1903 and a bar made from old French oak are both beautiful focal points. Outside, there’s a covered, sunny deck area, which will make this the spot to be come spring.
134a Hinemoa St, Birkenhead
The Cazador team is set to open San Ray restaurant on Ponsonby Rd on July 6
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Advertise with NZME.“After a lifetime at Cazador we are broadening our horizons to Ponsonby,” says restaurateur Rebecca Smidt of her and executive chef Dariush Lolaiy’s new Ponsonby all-day eatery San Ray. Described as a complement to award-winning Cazador, San Ray is open for drinks, snacks, breakfast, lunch, dessert and more, from Saturday, July 6.
Opening in the Orphans Kitchen site, the interior has been reimagined by Forma, with lilac tones replacing Orphans’ multicoloured pastel walls, the colour inspired by San Ray’s new Monmouth Glass chandelier. San Ray will extend to the covered outdoor area at the back of the restaurant and a private dining room upstairs.
“We’d been looking for a site for nearly a year,” says Rebecca, “and when Orphan’s came up we knew it was the one. The building has beautiful character features, and three distinct dining spaces with the front room, the covered patio and the private party room upstairs. It’s everything we were looking for to bring this concept to life.
“We’ve always asked ourselves what kind of restaurant we would open if we were starting from scratch, if we didn’t have our family legacy to consider. San Ray is the answer to that question,” she says.
Offering something for everyone, at any time of day; for breakfast, diners can enjoy Eighthirty coffee, eggs, crumpets, and toast, or sample all-day menu classics like caesar salad, crudo, and tajín fries. Executive chef Dariush’s menu features proteins and vegetables cooked over coals and woodfire with dishes like buttered cabbage, mushroom skewers and leeks, and meats including Whitehart kurobuta pork scotch and Bostock chicken.
To drink, there are mezcal margaritas, Svitlo Ukrainian vodka espresso martinis, and micheladas. Sawmill and Hallertau are on tap, and the wine list highlights premium local producers, and international drops. Plus, enjoy “golden afternoons” from 3pm-5pm Tuesday to Saturday, when Champagne, chips and dip will be on offer for $30pp.
“We want to create a welcoming space to use for everything from a quick coffee or afternoon drinks, through to a full celebration dinner. It’s about creating a sense of place, invoking a relaxed vibe where the food and drinks are approachable and memorable, and you can’t help but sink in and stay for the extras,” says Rebecca.
“I love restaurants that make me want to steal time back for myself, to have that glass of Champagne, to add the caviar ... the kind of places that tug at the temptation part of the brain. Ponsonby is definitely the right place for leisurely luxury!” Find San Ray at 118 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby
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Advertise with NZME.The Great NZ Toastie Takeover launches this week
A highlight of winter? Eateries around New Zealand experimenting with toasted sandwiches in the annual Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover, which kicks off this week. A mighty 170 cafes, restaurants, breweries, food trucks and even wineries are participating this year, tasked with creating a twist on a classic toasted sandwich. In Auckland, find toasties at Daily Bread, Burgernaut, Cazador, Churlys, Cheese on Toast, The Daily Goods, Hallertau, Dr Rudi’s, Parasol & Swing, Broken Lantern, Wild Wheat, Wise Boys, Saint Alice, Groove Dog, Morningside Tavern and the new Barkers Food Store.
Toasties aren’t limited to Auckland though. In Mount Maunganui, last year’s winner The Freeport with Cleaver & Co is offering the “Holey Cheese & Bacon” toastie, with house-cured and smoked pancetta strips, maasdam cheese, McClure’s pickle salsa and onion jam on house-baked focaccia bread. In Rotorua, Okere Falls’ Figgy in the Middle has Swiss cheese, pickle cheesecake mix, walnuts, figs, streaky bacon, rocket, chilli honey, blue cheese and McClure’s Pickles on sourdough. It’s now up to the team of 30-plus judges, overseen by head judge Kerry Tyack, to narrow it down to 12 finalists, which will be announced on August 5. A full list of participating eateries is available at Toastietakeover.com.
Enjoy a great non-alcoholic cocktail for Dry July
Dry July is now on our radar and restaurants around Auckland are coming to the booze-free party with quality non-alcoholic options. We’ve got our eye on this cocktail from Panacea on O’Connell St in Auckland’s CBD. A unique blend of flavours, it features bee pollen-infused Seedlip Spice 94 for a warm spice base, peach nectar and a dash of NON 3 toasted cinnamon and yuzu. Longan berry adds a fruity depth, while the garnish of dehydrated rice paper and hibiscus syrup adds visual appeal and a hint of floral sweetness. At Ahi, Supreme Winner in Viva’s Top 50 Restaurants for 2023, try a Doctor’s Orders, made with Lyre’s agave blanco, ginger, honey, lime or the Dis-a-Pear, made with Lyre’s traditional reserve, pear shrub, lemon.
Sunfire restaurant opens in Queenstown
Sunfire restaurant has opened on the shores of Lake Whakatipu, from Jonathan Bisley and Lou McDowell, owners of Flame Bar & Grill. Jonathan found inspiration for Sunfire on a trip to Europe last year, where he experienced the simple joy of food cooked over charcoal. For Sunfire, he’s installed a Josper charcoal oven imported from Barcelona “because the food it produces is just extraordinary – it elegantly sears, smokes and grills simultaneously to create irresistible, crisp flavours while retaining the moisture and integrity of the ingredients”.
Sunfire will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and feature quality, local ingredients on the menu, like Royalburn Station eggs and Southland 55-day-aged beef.
“We’ve had Flame for eight years and, after acquiring a space downstairs, we decided to evolve our offering and include breakfast and lunch, and embrace that connection to the outdoors we have being on the ground floor,” says Jonathan. “Sunfire is complementary to Flame in terms of its exceptional food and service, but it has a vibe that’s slightly more refined,” McDowell says. “We see it as an expression of amazing new flavours in an elegant and warm lakeside setting.” Ground Floor, Steamer Wharf, 88 Beach St, Queenstown
Eat truffles and drink Barolo at The Grove this July
Fine dining restaurant The Grove is hosting an intimate Barolo and truffle event on Monday 22nd July to celebrate the highly acclaimed 2019 vintage of this revered red wine from the Piedmont region of Italy. Pouring a selection of the finest wines from the renowned Giacomo Fenocchio, this event will be a special experience for wine and truffle lovers. There’s synergy between truffle and Barolo, as they both come from Piedmont, making them a match made in heaven. The earthy richness of truffles complements the robust flavours of Barolo, creating a harmonious and unforgettable culinary experience.
This event promises to delight the senses and celebrate one of the greatest vintages in recent history, offering guests a taste of Piedmont’s excellence. Dinner starts at 6.30pm on Monday, July 22 and will be a shared table experience. The price is $450 per person which includes a five-course menu, with six matching wines. Tickets are available by emailing info@thegroverestaurant.co.nz
In case you missed it: Viva’s Top 50 NZ Wineries for 2024 have been announced
It’s been an exciting week in wine, as Viva revealed its top 50 New Zealand wineries for the year, as well as the top 50 bottles to drink from each. Selected by wine editor Jo Burzynska, the wineries recognised in this showcase offer “excellence, enjoyment and interest at every level”, says Jo. They also do an incredible job of highlighting the distinctive places in which their wines are grown. “These wineries illustrate what is truly exciting in wine in Aotearoa today: the discovery of the unique and varied taste of its land,” says Jo.
Read more: Discover Viva’s Top 50 NZ Wineries.
Read more: The top 50 NZ wines to pop the cork on now.
Read more: The best New Zealand red wines
Read more: The country’s most dazzling white wines.
Martinborough Vineyard presents the sixth release of ‘Marie Zelie’ Reserve Pinot Noir 2019
One for the wine buffs: Martinborough Vineyard has announced the sixth release of its ‘Marie Zelie’ Reserve Pinot Noir, the 2019 vintage. Rare and coveted, there are just 1471 bottles of the ‘Marie Zelie’ Reserve Pinot Noir 2019, with the wine only produced in outstanding vintages. Marie Zelie Hermance Frere was a local wine pioneer, and the wine named after her epitomises the Martinborough winery’s reputation for pinot noir. This is chief winemaker Paul Mason’s fourth vintage of Marie Zelie, made with some of New Zealand’s oldest pinot noir vines cultivated by viticulturist Dave Shepherd, hand-picked, and pressed. Aged for 13 months in selected French oak barriques, the wine was bottled in July 2020 and has spent four years in cellar.
How can you drink it? Purchase it through Fine Wine Delivery and Foley Wine Club for around $220 per bottle, or book in for the Marie Zelie dinner at Martinborough Vineyard on Saturday, July 27, at The Runholder, 89 Martins Road, Martinborough. Tickets are $150 per person, available via iTICKET.co.nz
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