Ortega Fish Shack

Many mourned the loss of the beloved Cafe Bastille which had been a very special and award winning eatery in Wellington. No one was happy to farewell it. However, in the same way that a good sequel to a film is usually an unexpected surprise, the newly established Ortega Fish Shack which took Bastille's place is another chapter in the story that is Mark Limacher's career in food.
The 'world famous in Wellington' chef, and former owner of Bastille has joined forces with Chef Peter Collins, wife Helen, his daughter Anna, and Davey McDonald.
These five have the perfect blend of skills, and with their powers combined have managed to create an almost perfect dining experience.

I started with the Duck liver pate with apricot chutney, which was delicious. It had a beautiful texture and was complimented very well by the tart sweetness of the apricot chutney.

As a main I had the pan-fried Gurnard with whipped potatoes, beetroot, and horseradish dressing. It was perfect. Such a lovely mix of flavours, presented immaculately, and everything was cooked to perfection.

The thing I loved about this restaurant is that whilst I was enjoying sophisticated food which was presented beautifully, in a trendy restaurant, everything from the food to the atmosphere had a lovely relaxed and unpretentious feel about it.
The staff have no airs, the food is homey, and there was a really friendly and casual feel about the place. So often new eateries which receive good reviews can be intimidating, even when they are not hugely expensive. This place had a vibe which was closer to Sweet Mothers than to the Matterhorn - no one was taking themselves too seriously - it was the food and wine the patrons and staff were serious about which is the way it should be (I love the Matterhorn but sometimes its a little too cool for its own good).

The other brilliant thing about Ortega is that the wine list is amazing. Davey McDonald was formally a manager at Wineseeker, and his knowledge of wine and food matching is impressive. You can know nothing about wine and still ask him for some advice as to what you might like. He is almost guaranteed to find you something you will love.

I would be perfectly happy to risk my reputation (which incidentally is worth nothing!) and say that this is the best new restaurant in Wellington.

I would highly recommend it to anyone. Take anyone from your new squeeze to your Nanna! They'll love it.

The Best of the High Teas

High tea is one of those things which has come back in vogue in a big way, sort of like the bold shoulder.
Suddenly, they are popping up everywhere in Wellington, sort of like the random pieces of corporate art on the airport corridor! As I have had the privilege of trying a few out, I thought I would share my experience for your benefit.

The first place I visited was Martha's pantry on the bypass/corner of Cuba street.
This place feels like what I wish my Grans kitchen had looked like. NZ circa nineteen fifties. It is as frilly and polka dotted and doilied as any good Nana's collection of aprons.
Its also relaxed, low key, and traditional. Scones and cream, cupcakes, club sandwiches and savouries. Its $20 pp and there is a great range of tea and plenty of treats to go around (about 9 each).
So, its the place you go if want a nostalgic blast from the past. Take your knitting needles, a few friends, and have a good ol stitch'n'bitch.

Next! Finc cafe on Wakefield street. This place has the lovely chic vibe of a European inspired modern cafe/bar. The menu was quite different from that of Martha's. They had an eclectic mix of goodies, like cinnamon donuts covered in maple syrup, chocolate choux pastries, petite venetian clubs and much more. They also provided a vege and gluten free option for members of our group who requested it, and there was more food than we could eat! The basic high tea was $18. Good value for money, especially if you are hungry.

Finally, we have the Hippopotamus High Tea at the Museum Hotel on Cable street. This place is already magnificent, but the High Tea was special!
It was $25, which is a little more than the others, but it was well and truly worth it. From the moment you come in you are treated to top notch service (they have really french waiters which is always fun).
They use lovely linen and you are seated at a formal dining table in the restaurant.
There are a selection of nine impeccably presented treats, which are a little fancier than scones and jam (although they are on the menu too). We had a flute of passion fruit panna cotta, lemon friand, onion tartlets, and much more.
In terms of overall effect, the Museum Hotel's High Tea was far superior. I felt like Marie Antoinette, its definitely a real treat.

All of these places offered a boozier high tea option for a little more cash, and the Museum Hotel had a luxury option which did look lovely, although I don't know whether I could fit much more in than what they were offering.

The nature of rich, small treats is that they are deceptively filling and intensely satisfying. The only thing I am ever truly successful at in the hours following High Tea is sleeping.

Atarangi Vineyard Feb 2010

Although I have loved Atarangi pinot noir (easily one of the best new world pinots anywhere) for quite some time now, for some reason I had never made it out to visit the vineyard until last weekend.

It was a perfectly hot Wairarapa day on Sunday, and I decided that it would be the perfect day to see (and taste) a little more of what Atarangi had to offer.
Everyone knows they make great pinot noir, and I was sure there would some pinot gris on offer too. What surprised me was that for $5 I tasted a sauvignon blanc, two chardonnays, a young vine pinot and an old vine pinot, a merlot/syrah/cabsav/cabfranc blend (celebre), the summer rose, and the reisling!

The cellar door manager Bron talked me through the tasting, juggling another two groups which arrived at the same time. She was knowlegable and fun and managed to create a lovely relaxed environment. We chatted and drank and shared stories of travel, fine dining, and wine as Bron led us seamlessly through the tasting.
What stood out for me was the enourmous difference between the young vine and old vine pinot noir. They might as well have been different grape varieties! The young vine Crimson 2008 was all black cherry and smoke, packing some serious punch in terms of structure, where as the old vine 2008 pinot was all silk! It was luscious and smooth and beautifully delicate.

I loved loved loved the pinot gris. It was perfectly soft, tasting of juicy pear, a touch of honey, and it had a lovely floral nose.

The reisling was full of lovely fresh fruit flavours. Passionfruit and honey.

The summer rose was a surprise. Very very soft, and very little residual sweetness. For those of you who think rose always just tastes like strawberries, cherries, and candy floss, you might really like this little stunner. Its crisp, and dry, with great fruit flavour. Must be the merlot!

The two chardonnays were drastically different, and I was really impressed by the Craighall which is more my style. It was perfectly buttery but still had enough zing to keep things interesting.

The reisling is sort of like Madonna's latest world tour! tour

Its like yummy dried tropical fruit and it has great texture.

Best value for money and biggest surprise was the summer rose - not normally my pick but at $18 it was a real treat.

Of all the vineyards I have visited this one had the most relaxed and friendly environment - a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I would highly recomend you pop out there for a tipple and a wander in the sun.