ADD AUGUST TO YOUR CULINARY CALENDAR
You may be forgiven for thinking that August would be a rather sleepy time for restaurants with customers hunkering down at home in front of the fire with a bowl of soup instead of dining out! Well think again – as we approach August it is definitely heating up in some restaurant kitchens around New Zealand. If you’re a foodie, then there are some culinary events you will want to add to your calendar with Auckland’s Restaurant Month kicking off on the 1st August and Wellington on a Plate beginning on the 10th.
We’ve scrolled through the long list of delicious festival dishes and amazing events featuring local producers and international guest chefs and are happy to share our pick of the bunch for you!
1. Pravda Café & Bar, Wellington
The kitchen team at Pravda pride themselves on their beef offerings so its no wonder their Burger Welly entry this year is a delicious beer-braised beef brisket patty with smoked, cheddar, habanero mustard and piccalilli in an Arobake brioche bun with fries. And if a burger isn’t quite your thing, then check out their special festival dish of beef fillet, fried polenta cake, berry sofrito, rocket and Zany Zeus ricotta. pravdacafe.co.nz
2. Hummingbird Eatery & Bar, Wellington
Hummingbird is an elegant dining venue on Courtenay Place, so the perfect place to pop into before catching a show or movie! Their festival dish sounds so delicious we just had to share it with you - Wharekauhau lamb cooked in toasted hay with cauliflower, raisins, hazelnuts and Swiss chard. hummingbird.net.nz
3. Southern Cross Garden Bar, Wellington
Not just a place to grab a drink, The Southern Cross Garden Bar is serving up a Do or Doughnut burger, featuring a beef patty with coffee and Huffman’s chilli aioli with prodigal daughter bacon, pickles and cheese in a glazed doughnut bun with Horopito fries. southerncrossbar.co.nz
4. Artisan Restaurant, Bolton Hotel, Wellington
‘How you slice it’ is an event on 10 August where the kitchen team at Artisan Restaurant will take guests on a journey from farm to fork. The evening includes a butchery demo and a dinner and we hear all things lamb will be on the menu for this one! boltonhotel.co.nz
5. Logan Brown, Wellington
‘Wagyu Marrow Me’ is the burger on offer from Logan Brown and is a mouth-watering combination of Wagyu and smoked bone marrow patty with aged cheddar, onion rings and prosciutto in a Pandoro bun. We think this could well be the most succulent burger patty in town! loganbrown.co.nz
6. Olive Restaurant, Wellington
Pop into this little gem of a restaurant for their ‘Sip and Dip’ Burger Welly entry, featuring a chargrilled beef patty with streaky bacon, Kingsmeade Riversdale pecorino and buttermilk fried courgette in a potato bun with onion dip. Don’t forget to check out their courtyard and beautiful olive tree which might just be the place to enjoy a special evening here. oliverestaurant.co.nz
7. DeBretts Kitchen, Auckland
Situated in Auckland's CBD, this gorgeous restaurant is nestled in the heart of the iconic Hotel DeBrett. The restaurant is bathed in natural light from its soaring glass roofed atrium and adjoining the restaurant is the famous art deco inspired house bar. During August you can dine out for $40 on a two-course lunch or dinner. We think the chargrilled lamb in a citrus marinade with rosemary, lemon and anchovy gratin sounds rather delicious! debrettskitchen.co.nz
8. The Sugar Club, SkyCity, Auckland
Chef Peter Gordon is in town for The Sugar Club’s fifth birthday on August 1st. This will be a very special celebration with five key people who brought the Sugar Club together and to celebrate they will collaborate in the kitchen bringing you a special menu for one night only! If you don’t get to celebrate this special night, then check out their $99 special of three courses and don’t forget to sit back and savour the gorgeous views out over Auckland City. skycityauckland.co.nz