Entries Tagged 'Out and about' ↓

Walked home along the waterfront after dinner-at-a-friend’s last night and for Wellington it was amazingly warm and still. The harbour was calm and perfect looking.

I managed to get this with quite a long shutter speed, although know it’s nowhere near as good as the photo a guy further along the way probably got with his tri-pod, bum-bag and camera with big pokey out lens. His will probably feature on a postcard some day.

Well, I’ve done it. Not often do I bow to peer pressure but I have just got my first pair of jandals since, errrr, I think I was 11? They were bright yellow, thick soles with a rainbow canvas top. (Oh, for my international readers, jandals are rubber shoes … flip-flops or thongs you might know them as.) My new ones are brown.

It might seem odd to shop assistants that a person might not know the ‘right’ sized jandal to buy. Needless to say, I did not purchase mine from the surly teenager who when asked “Are these the right size for me?”, replied, “Well you’re not hanging over the edge of them so… uuu … yes”, topped off with a damn eyeroll. I just kicked them off, put on my clomper work shoes and stomped out.

Caught up with my brother-in-law at the Nikau drinks tonight – small world, he’s great friends of the owner and has been for many years. Anyway, he took clients there for breakfast this morning and conversation, as it was bound to today, turned to the closing of a great cafe, a huge part of so many people’s lives. And apparently one of his clients had witnessed it first hand …

She told him that she’d been in to have lunch on and off on Sunday’s over the years and every time (yes Every. Single. Time.) she came in she noticed this couple at the bar. She noted that every week they sat at the bar in the same seats and seemed to always have the same thing. She thought to herself that they must have a very sad life, to be so habitual and to have nowhere better to be than the same bar stool with the same scone. She was almost dismissive of their existence.

He told her that he knew them – “That’s my brother and sister-in-law you’re talking about.” I’m not sure if he assured her that we don’t in fact have a sad life. Hmmmm, you never know who knows who around here! I think she was a bit embarrassed!

Just had a fabulous dinner out with our New York friend (2nd dinner so think we can move to friend status) Brian – Capitol of course (turns out it’s a favourite of his family’s whenever they’re in Wellington!) I tried the pasta this time, can’t believe I passed on the pumpkin risotto, strozzapreti with herbs and zucchini which was delicious.

We very much enjoy Brian’s stories and getting to know him and his family. He’s very inspiring and it’s incredible to hear some of the things people that he’s met in his life and work have done, what they have achieved from humble, New Zealand beginnings. It’s good to meet some different people too, people outside of work mates, family and those we come into contact with each day. Important for becoming ‘grown ups’!

Work is so full on at the moment – I’m at that stage where I feel like I can’t breathe because I don’t feel like I’m making any headway and that there’s so much to do by the next deadline – so I was a bit anxious about taking a night off but it was a welcome break into a different part of our lives. Will have to start early tomorrow!

Went to Nikau for the last date scone in a while. They’ll be reopening in 2009 but not sure when. Actual last day trading is this Friday and we’re going to drinks after closing. It’s been great having Nikau and the staff as part of our lives the last 4 years (and all the date scones, kedgeree and ham and salad) – as much as we love life in the city, this neighbourhood aspect is very cool.

The pohutakawa are coming out and are amazingly red this year. Ahhhh, the colour of New Zealand summer.

Midland Park … tree is quite a bit tinier than the Rockefeller giant!

Went to the last Nikau dinner last night. At least the plane ride back from Blenheim yesterday evening was much smoother so we actually felt in the mood to eat. On the way saw some of the wreckage from the winds on Saturday – this half-a-tree in the garden outside the Council for starters.

So, Sunday 4:

Fried sardine, white bean, olive & preserved lemon salad
Baked fresh goats cheese, leeks, hazelnuts and rocket
Braised lamb shoulder with saffron, mint, peas & broad beans
Grapefruit eclairs & caramel sauce

(Yick fishy sardines but yummy salad with the olives picked out, goats cheese actually very nice considering I favour feta, lamb was a bit too much meat and by the time this course came I had been eying up the eclairs and definitely wanted to save room for them and my GOD they were worth the wait – cream was tangy and caramel sauce divine.)

Another great feast last night – the busiest Sunday so far and one of the other bar regulars sat with us so we chatted to him for a while. A retired chartered accountant … but we didn’t go there!

Sunday 3

Duck rilette with radishes & tangelo dressing
Pasta primavera
Seared herbed tuna with beetroot & green garlic aioli
Spanish cream with rhubarb & strawberry compote

(Rilette was served with chef’s homemade sour dour and was just delicious, like a posh chicken sandwich; pasta was DIVINE; tuna was way to raw for my liking; Spanish cream was very delicate and the strawberry mush with rhubarb bits was a new combo but lovely even though I was absolutely stuffed after the pasta course and really shouldn’t have gone on.)

Oh, and chef was very chuffed with my little jar of Xmas fruit mince – we’d labelled it using a bit of masking tape which is what we’ve seen them do in their kitchen.

In celebration of Nikau life* and spring produce, they’re having 4 set Sunday night dinners with matched wine for regulars and friends of Nikau. I think we’re rather unique in that we signed up for all 4 dinners and have reserved our usual place at the bar.

It’s a complete mystery what’s on the menu for dinner – it’s set, and 4 courses. Not really my style as it’s unlikely to be mashed garlic potatoes followed by non-chocolate ice-cream however the owners have guessed I’m rather unadventurous with food choices – I suppose 4.5 years of nothing but date scones was a bit of a clue.

Anyway, we’ve enjoyed 2 Sunday dinners and 2 to go. There’ve been some ‘strange’ things on offer but I’ve been very brave and sampled each course offered (and the Mister has had all my wine).

Sunday 1

Salted cod & potato ravioli with saffron broth
Artichoke, grapefruit & olive salad
Roast pork with baby turnips & asparagus
Strawberry semi fredo

(Ravioli was too fishy; artichokes OK but I prefer them mixed in with something (& don’t like olives); wasn’t too keen on the turnips; LOVED the semi fredo)

Sunday 2

Cured salmon, cauliflower, caper & sorrel salad
Asparagus, ricotta & marjoram sformato
Spring lamb, artichokes, mint, chard & skordalia
Tangelo & chemoya ices with coconut macaroons

(Salmon was especially for me, others had clams; sformato was GORGEOUS, licked the plate clean, so creamy and rich and asparagussy GOD IT WAS GOOOOD; lamb good but was getting full by this stage; tangelo sorbet was very orange but I couldn’t eat the chemoya one (custard apple), tasted a bit like I imagine a grandmother’s perfume would).

Still a bit nervous of the crayfish/curry or spicy/chocolate pudding arrangement …

* Good news is that they’ve managed to negotiate with the council or City Gallery to stay open until the weekend before Christmas so we don’t have to deal with the wrench as early as anticipated. Still no news of a temporary or alternative location for next year so I’m thinking we’ll boycott Wellington cafes for Sunday lunch and I’ll make date scones every Sunday myself until Nikau re-emerges.