The TGIF wander

Last Friday’s TGIF wander reminded me of some of the characterful, fun and tasty small venues we have around the city (in this case the Courtenay quarter). Firstly a ‘You Sexy Thing’ mocktail at Vinyl bar.  A creamy chai and caramel creation which hit the spot nicely on a warm summer’s evening. There’s something about […]

Happy tasty new year…

We’ve been silent a while haven’t we.  Here’s a few tasty (and generally healthier) morsels and a tipple I’ve tripped over through New Years: Plum café’s bircher muesli – oats, almond milk, greek yoghurt, fresh mango and toasted coconut. Pleasing density and flavour. Ombra’s mushroom parmesan and rocket ciabatta breakfast (8am-12noon).  Such a better time of […]

Naughty but nice

In the run-up to Xmas here’s some delicious eats and drinks around town I might have had to sample recently: CGR Merchant’s salted caramel infused rum and the best value $15 cheeseboard ever had. Betty’s dry iced sharing teapot cocktails. Friday and Saturday evenings only. Hideaway’s pecan pie.  Twice. Anything AroBake – baby xmas mince […]

La Boca Loca makes Wellington better by paying living wage

A couple of months ago, we went along to a dinner put on by the Sustainable Business Network, which was a very interesting night but I found myself unable to write about it without seething with rage remembering the man I’d been seated next to. He owns a franchise chain, believes that the only reason […]

Just spotted….

Beer-[and Firetruck, Goose Shack and Tommy Millions]-a-licious… (for those without microscopes – food stalls, live music, beer and other nice stuff at the Brewery on Vivian Street 12noon-8pm on Sat 6 Dec, Sat 31 Jan, Sat 21 Feb)

Long live the Long Lunch

The Mediterranean’s have it right. I went to the Logan Brown November Fresh Friday lunch club today. Sean (Clouston) decides on the dishes each week based on what’s fresh and appealing at the markets and his travels and wallah! What a fantastic way to get into the weekend groove. Today’s courses were LB bread and gazpacho […]

Without literature, life is hell!

This Saturday a large number of spots in Wellington are taking part in a pub crawl but without the pubs. And with literature instead. A LitCrawl if you will! Actually that’s a slight lie. There are not only three pubs involved (Hashigo Zake, Meow and Little Beer Quarter) but there’s a Writers’ Beer as well. Nine […]

Another Laneways opportunity…

On the back of the successful Hannahs Laneway event during WOAP, the Ti Kouka et al folks are at it again – this Saturday with a Day of the Dead Fiesta. These celebrations in Mexico are traditionally a three-day event from 31 October to 2 November to remember those who are no longer with us.  For more […]

Winners at the 2014 Capital Awards

Here’s our storified coverage live from the Capital Awards because we’re too lazy to type it all out. Hopefully this is still accessible. [View the story “Winners at the Capital Awards” on Storify]

Fancy times at a fancy hotel

Wellington does not have a lot of very big big hotels. I believe the Rydges has the most guestrooms (at 280), and the mayor was misquoted in the Dominion Post as saying Wellington has no five star hotels – a fact the Bolton and the Museum Art Hotel would probably take umbrage with. In fact, […]