This week we’re booking in for a summer of fun in Hawke’s Bay with the release of the F.A.W.C! festival schedule, celebrating Ponsonby stalwart Lime Bar’s 25th birthday and enjoying golden hour at Karangahape Road neo-bistro Bar Celeste.
The Grill restaurant is set to return to Auckland
For anyone lamenting the loss of The Grill at SkyCity, which was famous for its mac ‘n’ cheese, extensive “steak library” of aged and specialty cuts, and raw seafood bar, among other things, the hotel chain has just announced the restaurant’s return in March. The Grill will be reinstated as part of the opening of the new five-star Horizon by SkyCity, next to the soon-to-be-completed New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) on Hobson Street. Leading the kitchen is executive chef Touvai Poloniati, who has come “full circle”, having completed his chef apprenticeship at SkyCity as a teenager before working in restaurants in Hong Kong, Canada and Australia. The Grill’s menu will bring back classic dishes from the original menu, like beef Wellington and roast chicken, as well as new dishes prepared at your table, like Wapiti venison tartare and Caesar salad. It’s what the people wanted, notes general manager of hospitality David Allot, who says: “Since we closed the doors during Covid-19, I’ve had almost constant emails asking when The Grill will be returning — I’m glad to say the time has come.”
The delicious line-up for Summer F.A.W.C! has just been announced
Hawke’s Bay’s premier food and wine festival F.A.W.C! has just announced its schedule of summer events and it’s a goodie. Now in its 12th year, the festival kicks off on March 15 and runs until March 24 and is a must-book for food and wine lovers with over 30 events to choose from. Summer F.A.W.C offers everything from intimate dining experiences and winery activations to its famous Grand Long Lunch on March 17, which is a five-course meal prepared by some of Australasia’s leading chefs including Casey McDonald (Craggy Range Winery), Plabita Florence (Forest, Auckland), Zennon Wiljens (Paris Butter, Auckland), Greg Piner (No9 Balmac, Dunedin) and Callum Hann (Lou’s Place, Barossa Valley and Eleven, Adelaide). To celebrate Hawke’s Bay’s inclusion in the Great Wine Capital of the World network in 2023, F.A.W.C! will be showcasing a different member capital each year. In 2024, it’s Adelaide, South Australia, which Viva can attest to being a brilliant wine (and food) region. On Saturday, March 16, Callum Hann will represent Adelaide on the plate with a three-course dinner accompanied by South Australian wines. Find the full schedule of events here.
Ellerslie pasta spot Bianca is now open for dinner bookings
Ellerslie pasta shop Bianca is now open for lunch and dinner bookings, having been granted its liquor license. Viva interviewed chef Hayden Phiskie about his new pasta spot Bianca when it opened in December as a retail shop specialising in pasta and other deli goodies to take home or enjoy in-house. The plan was always to be a wine bar and restaurant and from February 2, Bianca will be open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday and dinner Thursday to Saturday, serving a short menu of handmade pasta, small plates and desserts. Bianca’s food offering celebrates everything Hayden (ex-Cotto, Ada and Daphnes) likes to eat. Diners can expect to find four or five pasta dishes, celebrating whatever produce is at its peak, as well as interesting small plates like beef tartare or a tomato salad, and a fresh fish or protein option (so it’s not just pasta). “It is very simple but it’s just using high quality and in-season products and respecting them and doing your best with them,” he says of the menu. The wine list has been designed in conjunction with Dan Gillet of Wine Diamonds, who specialises in organic and low-intervention styles. There’ll be wine on tap, and plans are in motion to have Bianca-branded swing-top glass bottles that can be taken home and reused. Read the full story here. Book here. Unit 4, 2 Robert Street, Ellerslie.
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Ponsonby’s longest-running bar, Lime Bar, turns 25
What’s the secret to this bar’s enduring appeal? It doesn’t compromise on its pours, its classic cocktails, its music, its late-night hours and its dedication to its regulars, says owner Kevin Fraser, who’s seen it all in his quarter-century on the Ponsonby strip, and years in bars before that, including the underground Hobson Street Lounge, Pickle, Plum in the Viaduct, Ruby in Kingsland, Coco Club on Fort Lane, Boogie Wonderland in Auckland and Wellington, and Alice in Wellington. The 33-square-metre space features one long bar through the petite space with a handful of tables on the pavement, the floor is parquet and the ceiling is pressed tin. “I get asked all the time, why has Lime worked? And we’ve continued to do the same thing for 25 years. We play the same music. For a long time, we said only pre-1990. We’re trying to work out how we transition into newer stuff and it’s a challenge,” Kevin tells writer Kim Knight in this excellent interview for Canvas magazine. Also important to longevity? “Those core regulars are really important to any business. They’ve become family and sometimes family are a pain in the arse to deal with, but they’re family all the same. And I think our guys behind the bar, for the most part, have been phenomenal. There’s a lot of loyalty.” To celebrate its 25th birthday, Lime Bar is offering $99 bottles of Verve throughout January. Cheers to that. Open Monday to Thursday from 4pm, and Friday to Saturday from 2pm. 167 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby.
Karangahape Road’s Bar Celeste has sundowner specials
For anyone with champagne tastes on a budget, Karangahape Road neo-bistro Bar Celeste has just kicked off Céleste Golden Hour, which is happy hour from 5-6pm with $3.50 shucked-to-order oysters, drinks specials, and the restaurant’s famous cheeseburger for $15. Owner Emma Ogilvie says: “We’re seeing that people still want to go out, but might not have the disposable income to have a full-blown meal as often as before — so we wanted this offering to be about affordable and casual food, yet executed with the same level of finesse and care we do with our dinner menu.” Bar Celeste makes its own buns, which Emma says is a “labour-intensive process to make something special — a cross between a shokupan and a brioche, as well as sourcing great beef from Grey Lynn Butchers along with all the classic condiments to make what we think is a pretty classy bistro burger”. Order a burger, some garlic frites and a glass of pet-nat and you’ve got the ideal combination for a summer evening well spent. The restaurant recommends pre-ordering burgers or oysters when you make your booking. Celeste Golden Hour is available from Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm until 6pm or until sold out. Book here.146b Karangahape Road, central Auckland.
Hastings Distillery has a new pink-hued aperitif
Hastings Distillery’s Kate Galloway and David Ramonteu have released their version of Lillet, which is a French aperitif usually made with Bordeaux grapes and citrus-flavoured liqueurs (made from macerating oranges in brandy, for example). Hastings Distillery, which make certified organic spirits and liqueurs and which has a stunning tasting room and bar in Hastings, has called their new aperitif Constance and have made it from local Hawke’s Bay wine and organically grown botanicals. In France, Lillet is known as “ ‘the barman’s friend’”, says David, “possibly because it’s so popular with both young and old. It’s the ideal combination of refreshing and slightly fruity — a very charming, summer afternoon or early evening choice.” Constance is crafted from a blend of local wine, raspberries, liquorice, cardamom, bitter oranges, clove, rosemary, star anise and gentian root. How to drink it? Serve it neat, on ice or in a tall glass with soda or tonic. It’s also great in a range of cocktails, like a martini. Constance is $45 per bottle, from Hastings Distillers 231 Heretaunga Street, Hastings, or online.
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Casarecce, asparagus, cavolo nero pesto, creme fraiche from Osteria Uno
This beautiful medley of seasonal greens with pesto combined with my favourite style of pasta was second of my favourite things to eat over the summer holidays (beaten only by my grandad’s charcoal barbecue feast on Christmas Day). The drive over the bridge to sit in this quaint eatery in Birkenhead was worth it for this plate of pasta. It’s not too heavy and pairs well with a crispy side of endive, fennel and citrus salad. I washed this all down with a refreshing spritz made with Cappelletti liqueur, which has a lighter taste compared with the usual Aperol. 140 Hinemoa Street, Birkenhead. — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director
Real fruit icecream and blackberries in Coromandel
Plenty of my summer food shopping took place in tiny buildings and at roadside plastic tables around the bumpy Coromandel over the new year (I went fully intrepid in my tiny Toyota Ist). One of my favourite desserts of the holiday was made of supplies from an amalgamation of those attractions in Waihi. It consisted of blackberries from a roadside pop-up, the beachfront real fruit icecream and an amazing choccie spoon dunked in tea, picked up from the town’s famous Chez Moi Swiss Chocolate shop. — Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist
A long shared lunch at Falls Retreat near Waihi
During a recent visit to a friend’s farm in Te Aroha, I was invited to a shared long lunch at The Falls Retreat, a special spot elevated above Karangahake Gorge known for its great food and beautiful location that combines accommodation, events, workshops and celebrations, like weddings. It welcomes visitors every Friday and Saturday for dining experiences like its Long Table Feast, which is a shared set menu served at communal tables designed by the chefs to celebrate the best produce from the organic garden as well as food from local farmers and growers. The space reminded me a bit of The Sherwood in Queenstown, with charming rustic interiors, a sprawling garden and surrounding forest. We ate housemade woodfired garlic bread, a fresh garden salad, confit tomato and pickles, chicken roasted over an open fire and a passionfruit parfait-cheesecake with cherry compote. A magical spot to check out if you’re passing through the area. 25 Waitawheta Road, Karangahake Gorge. — Johanna Thornton, deputy editor
