I’m writing this post from a hotel room in Rotorua, where we gave come for a very mini break, as I have to work here on Monday. Meanwhile, Wellington on a Plate is on, and the city is abuzz with talk of the best burgers, breakfasts and good food. The week wasn’t just about food…it was also about cats (see the last post), the arrival (finally) of Cherry Bombe magazine, issue 9, and going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Thursday dinner
To be honest, we haven’t really done that many things on Wellington on a Plate, but we did have an excellent dinner at Field and Green on Thursday evening. Their festival menu began with a twice-baked smoked tarakihi soufflé with a leek and chive sauce, accompanied buy a glass of Big Sky Grüner Veltliner 2016. It was a lovely dish, light and yet with quite a rich sauce, and I love smoked fish.
I opted for the Parkvale mushroom stroganoff with herb spätzle and sautéed caraway buttered cabbage, which was a rich taste explosion, and just excellent. Karl had the slow roast stuffed lamb with chorizo, date and rosemary stuffing, lamb jus, sauteéd Brussels sprouts and kūmara with Lot Eight harissa olive oil. This got a big thumbs up, and was also a rich and full bodied dish. We drank Paulownia Estate Merlot 2013 with the main course. I just wish my photographs did the food justice!
Dessert was one of Field and Green’s famous ice-creams, with Ritual Tea Company Bergamot Sunrise Earl Grey for me and a Peoples Coffee for Karl.
Romeo and Juliet
This week also saw the premier of a new version of Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Francesco Ventriglia, the former artistic director of The Royal New Zealand Ballet. It was a stung production visually, with wonderful costumes and simple but effective scenery. If you are in New Zealand and in a city where it will be on tour, don’t miss it.
Flowers
The tulips are beginning to pop up, daffodils are out, and I see the stunning blooms walking down the steps to work each day that you can see in the featured image at the top of the post. And I love these ornamental cabbages.
Not very much this week….but what there is brought smiles to my face. Thanks to Mani at A New Life Wandering for the original idea.
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Thistles and Kiwis 
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