Review: Terra Mia

  We smelt this place before we could see it, and it was pretty hard to go past once we had got that whiff. We opened the door for a peek, and were greeted by a series of ‘Ciaos!’ and a wonderful cabinet display of sweet and savoury pastries and cakes. There is a wide…

La Bella Italia

La Bella Italia (10 Nevis Street, Petone) Yum, yum, yum, this place has the goods! People had told me that it was a good place to visit out in Petone, but I never really paid any attention until we spontaneously decided to go. This place is seriously awesome! It was like a big Italian warehouse,…

Bastardo

Bastardo (82 Tory Street) Replacing what used to be Pan De Muerto, Bastardo is brought to us by the same people behind Cicio Cacio and is just as delicious. The place aims for an Italian-American theme, and manages to pull it off beautifully. All of the wait staff are foreign, which only adds to the ambience. The…

Recipe: Vegetarian Bolognese

Spaghetti bolognese is such a winter classic, and my not eating beef this year has thrown a real spanner in the works. Finally though, I have found a recipe that replicates spagbol pretty darn accurately, except with the added bonus that it’s healthier and there is no beef. It takes just as long as cooking…

Fratelli

Fratelli (15 Blair Street) This place caught my attention during Wellington On a Plate 2016. It received some absolutely glowing reviews, and I was baffled because I live just down the road and could have sworn that I had never noticed this place. I made it my mission to go, and together with a group…

Recipe: Mac’n’cheese

Mac’n’cheese is such an understated dish. We all had it growing up, and I remember it as one of those dishes that was heavy, stodgy and boring. But I think that the mac’n’cheese movement has begun, and now it’s not uncommon to see reinvented versions of this comfort meal on various menus around town. I…

Mamma Mia

Mamma Mia (14B Pacific Ave, Mt Maunganui) I can safely say that even after living in Italy, my appetite for pizza and pasta has never once faltered. I love it. Comfort food at its best; I must admit that my default is to usually order pizza. Not on this occasion; as orders from around the…

La Pancetta

La Pancetta (123 Main Street, Greytown) We had been recommended to visit this spot by a number of our friends, so we were both pretty excited. We had taken a look at the menu beforehand, and had agreed there wasn’t much choice; especially with our recent decision to omit beef from our diets. Not that limited…

Pacinos

Pacinos Italian Family Restaurant (300 Epsom Road, Flemington) The main reason we visted Pacinos was because it was in Flemington, close to the race course, which was convenient for us because that was where Cirque De Soleil was on – and we were going to it! The circus started relatively early, so we wanted to…

Max on Hardware

Max on Hardware (54 – 58 Hardware Lane) We had been wandering the streets for way too long; a group of six looking for dinner in Melbourne can be quite a difficult task! Most places don’t seem to accept bookings, but six people usually means a decent wait at most places too. And then when…