classy family dining

What to do when one’s parents come to town and want to take you out to dinner? We usually quiz our fellow Wellingtonistæ around the office watercooler: there’s always an opinion or three on a subject like this.

Given we had to cope with a not terribly adventurous (in the culinary sense) older bloke, and two small kids, where could we go that was classy yet satisfy our varying requirements? There were many good suggestions:

• Zibibbo – classy, plus PIZZA for small people;
• Roxy – quiet, tasty;
• Joe’s Garage – newly opened chain restaurant in Tory Street;
• Portofino – another newly opened chain restaurant, in the Meridian building;
• Le Metropolitaine – French, and known for a good steak;
• Osteria del Toro – Mediterranean for everyone;
• Crazy Horse – for a meat frenzy;
• Gusto Bistro – Petone’s finest;
• the Lido – an old standby, great food for the price.

Wellington is a good place to get shipwrecked

We’ve written before about the fire at the Maranui Surf Cafe, and how bloody sad that was, but it’s kind of bloody lovely to see the way that this city can be all small-town-like and good-hearted, with yet more events planned to raise money for the cause.

Shipwrecked! Maranui Staff Benefit Concert Party is happening this Saturday September 5 at the Tug Boat, and $20 will get you in to see the Eggs, Lonesome Cowboy and other bands, as well as chances to win prizes from Madame Fancy Pants, Real Surf and Joug Design

And if that’s not quite enough partying for you, there’s also the afterparty at SFBH where koha on the door will get you a free shot.

Safe Passage

Today delivered a bright and cheerful blue-dappled day in the city but there were dark forces abroad.  Three grim reapers were seen around town this afternoon complete with scythes and flowing dark hooded robes.  They were spotted at the beginning of their jaunt in the dank, dark alleys of Left Bank; then again at the library hitting the romance and murder mystery sections; later at New World doing a spot of shopping; and taking some air on the waterfront at dusk (photo credit Dominika Zielinska).

They were harvesting more squeals and smiles than souls and seemed to be a hit with the tourists.

To what do we owe this psychopomp?

Google Maps

A couple of cool new features have arrived at Google Maps.

First, the images used in the satellite tiles have been updated, and with images of a higher resolution so you can zoom in right down to the smallest click on the slidey thing.

The old images pre-dated the bypass, so it’s good to see more up-to-date images.

Also, the images appear to have been taken on a bright sunny day and the city looks absolutely gorgeous.

View Larger Map

Second thing is Google Transit, which lets you plan journeys using public transport (click on Get Directions in Google Maps).

Wellington is the first city in Australasia to have Google Transit, as reported in this envious article in the Herald.

Alan’s already had a bit of a play with it:

 

Wellington on a plate on the web

We’ve been particularly lax in not covering Wellington on a Plate, in my case because I am drastically short of funds and if I wrote about it I’d just get sad that I can’t eat every single thing on offer. But luckily, we can outsource the work to a third-world country instead. My favourite food blogger from Sydney – Helen at Grab Your Fork – has been in Wellington as a guest of Wellington Tourism, and she’s been doing some fantastic posts about what she’s been eating, along with taking some very tasty photos like the one at the right of the baking class at Floridita’s. You should check her out, and also check out the festival itself. If you’re short of a dining companion, feel free to extend an invitation to me…

Review: Whero’s New Net

Whero’s New Net, by Albert Belz, is a play inspired by The New Net Goes Fishing, Witi Ihimaera’s 1977 collection of short stories looking at the experiences of rural Maori moving to the cities.

This play takes the idea forward to the next generation, looking at Whero (played by Bree Peters), a young Maori woman living in London and trying to make a break as a singer-songwriter. She’s rather good, but a little nervous and somewhat overshadowed by Red, her confident, glamorous musical partner.

Whero is supported by her Irish manager and his boyfriend, also urban Maori. All is going well, when Whero meets a mysterious stranger – an East Coast Maori fulla who has the diary of her deceased father.

And it’s there that things get interesting, with Whero having to deal with aspects of her family’s past, her present and the pressures of the future.

Monsters attack!

Remember when Abel Smith Street was full of monsters recently? Here’s the ad that was the cause of it all.

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3O-dMD4-U8]

Another reason to love Wellington

We’ve always known that Wellington is a warm glowing lovefest of pinko liberal lefties. And no matter what your feelings are on the ambiguously worded opinion poll citizens-initiated referendum on kid-hitting, looking at the specific results of the Wellington electorates is pretty interesting.

As it happens, as of Friday night, the top two electorates in New Zealand with the highest percentage of ‘yes’ votes are Wellington Central (35.9%) and Rongotai (29.22%), and Ohariu isn’t too far behind with 19.73%.

The other big pockets of ‘yes’ are found in Auckland Central (28.84%) and Mt Albert (22.67%).

So if you’re feeling a little let down by the overall referendum result, a little comfort can be found in knowing that Wellington is still ace.

The end of Craft as we know it.

Open now and on for the next few weeks is Nanageddon at ROAR! gallery.  Nanageddon is the end of craft as we know it and its not-for-the-fainthearted 😉

Many of the of the artists involved learnt how to craft from their nanas and using those skills they are transforming craft into art.

 

This isn’t tea cosies with a twist or stylish scarves (both of which we love) but a re-take on traditional craft methods, giving us another way at looking at and using craft.

 

Nananageddon releases craft from it’s normal, common and accepted uses drawing it into the realms of conceptually driven art.

 

Some of today’s edgy, and radical thinkers are part of Nanageddon and they are also sharing their skills with you at two public workshops:

 

– On Saturday August 29th take a family photograph along to ROAR! and transform it using some embroidery techniques.

 

– the following Saturday – September 5th take along some old plastic bags and you’ll learn how to transform them into jandals.

Both workshops are by gold coin donation

 

So get your craft on or just head along to ROAR! above Real Groovy Records in Upper Cuba Street from now until September 12th

check out the website for opening hours