Regular readers will know that I usually go somewhere for lunch on Wednesdays after Pilates. This week instead of the usual satisfying sandwich or treat on toast, I met Karl for lunch at the Wholesale Boot Company (WBC) The name comes from the fact that it is housed on the first floor of a building on Victoria Street in the city that housed, as you may have guessed, a boot factory.
The restaurant has been open for 11 years and to celebrate their birthday, they were offering a special three course lunch with a glass of prosecco. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to go there and try out something different for lunch.
The first course was a tasting plate of sticky glazed red pork belly, Thai green curry fish cake with lime and coriander salsa and a Portobello mushroom croquette with dash mayonnaise. All three things were fantastic, particularly the mushroom croquette, though I have to say I loved the pork belly, something I normally don’t go for, so extra points for converting me!
There was a choice of main dish, with Karl opting for the sirloin steak with anchovy butter and chips (or fries if you must). I had the 20 hour braised lamb shoulder with cannelini cassoulet and greens. The lamb was so soft and flavourful and nice to be served on top of the beans.
Dessert was ‘halka tatlisi’ or a Turkish churro served with an incredible sour cream sorbet and sprinkled with pistachio.
All in all, a fantastic meal and excellent service that certainly brightened up a very grey, wet and windy winter’s day. We must go back for dinner one night and try some of the on menu dishes.
Also entered in Wednesday Words and Whimsy hosted by Min and the weekend coffee share hosted by Natalie.
Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer, good food and pretends to garden.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. If you want to get in touch, email me on lofgren@thistlesandkiwis.com
Thistles and Kiwis 
What a lovely idea to go out for lunch in the middle of the week!
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it was a great idea – might try and do it again sometime.
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Hi Barb, wow what a treat! As I type I’m waiting for dinner to cook and I’m hungry so your post has made my mouth salivate. I like the look of all of it! Yum yum! Thanks for linking up again with #WWWhimsy ! xo
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It really was a midweek treat! Thanks for hosting!
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I wish we had seen your blog before we went to Wellington for our holiday ( 6 years ago now for our anniversary!)
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Hi Barb, your food photos as usual are making me drool. Your lunch looks lovely and very special.
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A very fancy lunch! However, being a huge fan of toast, I especially liked your description of “treat on toast.” I will have to borrow that description.
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It was a real treat – not my usual leftovers at the office desk! I love toast too.
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Toast, glorious toast!
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Sounds like a lovely adventure, and a new restaurant to explore further.
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We will definitely go back.
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The lunch looks delightful. I’m hungry now and it’s barely 10:00 in the morning. 🤩
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🙂
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That sounds like such a delicious meal! It all looks so lovely too.
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It was so good – will need to go back.
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Sounds like a delightful lunch!
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It was! A real treat.
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I liked the picture at the top of the post a lot. The food looked appetising too.
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Ah yes…a lovely welcome.
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Fancy! and beautiful, and such interesting flavours. I am particularly taken by the sourcream sorbet.
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It definitely had an overtone of citrus – and was delicious.
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That looked like an amazing meal and experience.
Denyse.
#TeamWWWhimsy
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A very nice way to get through a wet winter’s day Barbara and a yummy lunch to boot (see what I did there?). #Teamwwwhimsy
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:D. Excellent Debbie!
It was a great lunch.
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I do know that you like to go out for lunch on Wednesdays. I love this about our little corner of the blogging world. Your Wednesday lunch this week sounds like a well-deserved treat!
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It was a lovely treat and yes our little corner of the blogging world feels like a real community.
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That sounds extremely flavourful and very well thought through. Your photos of each dish is amazing too.
-Soma
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Wow! That’s quite a special lunch!
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It really was!
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Wow
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What a wonderful wonderful lunch! The lamb on the beans looks marvellous. For a few years in my late 20’s I rented a cottage (that I lived in full time) at a sheep farm. I sometimes miss it. I haven’t made lamb in forever. I should do it soon since I have plenty of rosemary in my garden, my favourite spice for lamb.
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Roast lamb with garlic and rosemary is lovely.
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Your lunch at WBC looks beautiful and sounds delicious. It’s nice to discover good restaurants. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
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Oh how delicious and decadent this looks!
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Your dishes always look so amazing! How fun to explore new places.
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Thank you!
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