The Princess and the Sausage
Most "pop-up shops" emerge in vacant retail spaces, but The Princess’ Bedroom was different: the shop itself popped up, in the form of a brightly-painted caravan in a gravelly old Ghuznee St carpark. Now it has company, in the form of a "Sausage Sizzle" caravan in the adjacent parking space, serving an odd combination of Kiwiana sausage sarnies, tempura vegetables and hearty soups & stews.
Neither this caravan nor its girlier neighbour fit in with the emerging highbrow designer vibe across the street (Milk Crate, Quilters, Customs and Bowen Galleries), but it sure beats a puddle-ridden carpark. Perhaps we’ll see more of this caravan urbanism setting up temporary shop in vacant spaces until we crawl our way out of the recession, and it looks like a cheap and flexible way for small businesses to get up & running in the gaps and fringes of the city.
WOP Review: the $35 lunch at Foxglove
Sometime last week I took my sister to lunch at Foxglove. We both started with the caramelised onion soup in a cob bowl with gruyere cheese and white truffle, which was less liquid than we expected, but it was delicious. Just look at it:
It was pretty filling just by itself, so I was anticipating a small portion for my main. Instead, I got two glorious bits of beer battered market fish with green pea gribiche (which is pretty much just tartar sauce) AND then they brought out fries and salad to go with it. Yum!
My sister, meanwhile, had confit chicken leg with crayfish ravioli and mushroom cream.
What I tried of it was tasty, with a surprise citrus zing. Our Magrain Sav was delicious as well, full size portions served in full size glasses (take note, Finc!). Service was great, until we tried to pay, and were left floundering for about ten minutes while we were also waiting for our coffees to go, because lunch had taken about an hour and twenty minutes. Others have complained that the ferns by the door are smelly, but we were on the other side of the restaurant so we didn’t notice. Based on the quality of the food, and the generous servings of it, I would definitely return to Foxglove, as long as I had plenty of time to spare.
Capital Fetish Ball
Once again, we are leaving it waaaaaaay late to let you know about an upcoming event. In this case, it’s the Capital Fetish Ball:
Wellington’s very own fetish ball will be a feast of flesh and fantasy. Expect wild performances, sassy spectacles, and Las Vegas grade entertainment.
Costumes are a must, so we suggest checking out Wildilocks at 225 Cuba Street to get yourself a corset or something similar…
WOP: Cupcakes and Cocktails
On Monday night my sister and I went to our first Wellington on a Plate event – the way sold-out (they added a couple more sessions even) Cupcakes and Cocktails at Martha’s Pantry. Given that neither of us is a slouch in the kitchen or bar, we weren’t sure how much we’d actually learn from the event, but since cupcakes and cocktails are two of our favourite things, we thought we’d give it a go. And when we walked in the door and saw that the McKenzie brothers were doing the mixing, we knew we were in safe hands.
I figure I’ll do this post basically just a series of cupcake porn photos. You don’t mind, do you? Good.
This was what was waiting for each of us at the tables – sandwiches to nibble on, cupcakes, icing and the cupcake recipe. We were also given Winter Pimms Punch to drink.
We had a couple of demonstrations about different ways to pipe, and were let loose on our own cocktails.
You can see here that we had varying techniques and levels of success with that.
Then, before too much icing could accidently end up in our mouths, Justin McKenzie, wearing one blue glove that was kind of creepy let us in on the magic formula for cocktails: two parts strong, one part sweet, one part sour. It’s so simple, I wasted all that money in Hooch and Hawthorne and Cuckoo for nothing!
Soup & A Seat
Today’s soup is Minestrone and today’s film is Nude Zealand
Soup & a Seat for $8!
Need I say more?
Nude Zealand (New Zealand, 1999)
Ninox Films, Exempt, 45 minutesA series of frank interviews with various New Zealand naturists, exploring their many and varied motivations for following the clothes-free lifestyle.
Originally screened in Prime Time on TV3, Nude Zealand manages to avoid many of the clichés and much of the innuendo that so frequently goes hand-in-hand with documentaries on naturism.
Nude Zealand talks to members of Naturist clubs and the documentary crew is on hand when Christchurch firefighters pay a visit to a local club, some of whom are making tentative steps towards life ‘in the buck’.
Nude Zealand also looks back to the first NZ nudist club, established in 1933. Warning: (not surprisingly) CONTAINS NUDITY.
WOP Review: the $25 lunch at Finc
For my first Wellington on a Plate meal deal, I decided to go to Finc, with the delightful company of a friend I’d just seen killed twice on Saturday night. People have differing opinions about Finc, but for myself, I’ve always found it great in the evenings and very average at lunchtimes. For pork belly, I would take the plunge.
Book yourself into the book fair this weekend
Normally around this time our lovely Sue would be getting all rapturous about the Downtown Community Ministry‘s Annual Book Fair, but since she’s rather busy, let me just tell you that the fair is happening again this weekend (August 21 & 22) at the TSB Arena, with doors will open from 9am to 4pm each day.
If you like books, you should go along, because prices start at $2. Not enough of a spiel for you? Well what Sue said last year should do!
Spaced Out
The Film Archive Traveling Film Show is back in Wellington this week with a brilliant selection of space films sourced from their extensive collection.
This should be a doosey (doozey? have just realised I don’t know how to spell that) with early fantasy films from the late 1890s by French film maker and magician George Méliès. Plus footage from 1965 of Russian astronaut Alexei Leonov conducting the world’s first spacewalk!
Review: The December Brother
The December Brother is the newest production from the SEEyD Theatre Company. It comprises of three mini plays, all linked with the common form of family and the search for truth.
Getting burgered at WOAP: The Greenman
As my first taste of Burger Wellington, I decided to check out The Greenman because I had errands in the area, and their offering sounded quite delicious:
Whiskey and Maple Lamb Burger
Local lamb patty with lettuce, tomato and pineapple salsa on a shawarma bun, served with fries