Genevieve M.

Sabato has some interesting flavoured imported chocolates as well that are worth checking out like chilli and absinthe. I must go have a look at the chocky boutique thanks.

The French cafe is the best restaurant in Auckland. Other good ones are White at the Hilton Vinnies The Grove Cibo Dine enjoy!

Most BBQ's here have a grill and a hot plate as well. I have just bought a gas BBQ but my parents still use a charcoal brick BBQ my dad built years ago. All the meat is marinated and cooked on a grill on top of rosemary. If you can keep away the flames nothing burns and the flavour is outstanding. Glass of wine anyone?

Sorry you had a bad experience, I havent heard of that place. Did you go to the downstairs buffet Fortuna or the Observatory at the top of the tower? Downstairs is quite average but the Obeservatory is excellent IMO and while I have heard the odd grumble, I have never been able to find out what was expected that didn't somehow happen. The al la carte restaurant Orbit is a waste of time except for the view, I would never recommend it. Undertrained staff with average food for a big price. Hope you enjoyed your stay here

Cant wait to see the photos

Well, I have only been here 5 minutes but great question so here goes. 1/No particular person inspired me to start writing. I was chasing an outlet for my creativity that I was not finding in restaurants. I also wanted the benefit of the change in lifestyle. I just sat at home miserable oneday a year after opening a restaurant and wrote down all the things I wanted out of a career and in a puff of smoke I decided to try my hand at writing. 2/ I write about food and create recipes and cookbooks 3/Started by self publishing onto my own website and attracted Penquin books form there. Once I had a book deal the magazine job soon followed. 4/ I work for our finest food magazine already but I would dearly love a once a week newspaper article including my own recipe photos. Its all about networking, finding out when the current contracts are up and coming up with an attractive deal to offer the publication, best done through an agent. 5/ A media career is all about fingers in pies and getting into media in as many ways as possible as each individual piece if publicity draws attention to all of your work, thus bringing in the $$$$. 6/ My style of writing is all about teaching the home cook to think about and see ingredients much like a chef does, wish me luck

I'm afraid you are not in the best part of town for eateries but I can give you some middle of the road must eat places. Observatory, sky tower is buffet so a little cheaper and the restaurant revolves, great looking place. Parnell is down the road from Newmarket my fave Jap restaurant is there called Nori. Also in Parnell, San Tropez, a reasonalby priced French restaurant. All my chef peers dine at The Grand Harbour in the Viaduct for yum cha lunch regularly. GPK Ponsonby for the best gourmet pizza's, also in Ponsonby, Joy Bong for upmarket Thai, or Thai house, a little bit cheaper. Freemans Bay, Nishiki is a very busy Japanese place that focuses on hot food and is extremely resonable. Yum!

You should be able to buy most beers in a sixpac here, it hard to get anything smaller except maybe one of those double sized bottles that costs a bit less than 4$ each at supermarkets. Here are some great kiwi beers to try: Macs gold Heineken (apparently its made here and a little different) Speight's Gold DB Draught, Light Ice Monteith's Summer Monteith's gold Export Gold Enjoy

In food appreciation like music appreciation, we all know what we like. I dont have a problem with the non cooking restaurant enthusiasts and their food appreciation, they keep us in business. Its the non cooking restaurant enthusiast critics that bug me! Lack of knowledge and critism are not a good combo but all to often go hand in hand and can in some cases snowball out of control.

Hi all this is my first post here!! Lovely photos by the way. Just thought I would toss into the conversation that drying grapes in small bunches can be an attractive addition to cheeseboards and they can be macerated in liquors like dessert wine, brandy and muscats by soaking dried bunches or loose grapes overnight. If they are too tart, soaking in a sugar syrup (1 part sugar to 3 parts water simmered until disolved) will sweeten them up and also preserve them. Raisin bunches soaked in sugar syrup made with 1 part of the water substituted with muscat wine is my fav combo to serve with raison desserts or with cheese mmmm. Enjoy those grapes