As usual, we always travel on our tummies and hunt down good food on our trips. This has been no different and a very pleasant experience - plus we still have a week to go!
First evening we had Tarakihi on the grill. Nice, firm fish that has a mild flavor.
On the 16th we had a doubly good day. For lunch we had one of Archie's lunches (the dinner menu is here: Archie's Restaurant & Pizzaria and for dinner we had the Seafood Platter for 2 at Soul. The seafood platter can change daily, but this day it contained calamari, green lipped mussels, tuna, and shrimp. It was very good. Favorites for us - of course - are the shrimp, calamari, and tuna.
The 17th was our Lamb on the grill. Marinated in lemon juice and olive oil with garlic, it turned out to be the best lamb we ever had. The myth in the US that New Zealand lamb is strong and "gamey" has been totally blown away by this trip. The lamb is fabulous!!!
On our Saturday drive in the rain, we stopped at a cafe in Mangawhai called the Smashed Pipi Cafe & Bar. We did not have pipi's, but the sandwich and fish and chips were quite good. After we got home and recovered from the trip, we headed to Monsoon Poon for dinner. It is very good Southeast Asian food (Di noticed the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen on her way home from the hair salon).
On our Sunday trip to Thames after the gold mine, we stopped at Sola Cafe for a snack and some tea. We shared a Spanakopita and a dessert... Wow! We stopped at the grocery on the way home and picked up some large shrimp. We made scampi and relaxed.
Monday, the 20th, was a trip by bus to the Parnell section of Auckland. Di had read about a restaurant called (warning: they have music at this link) Cibo and the reviews made it a requirement for this trip. It was everything and more that the reviews said! Di had the Carpaccio and Lee had the Prawns. We had these as Entrees (appetizers), not as Mains - and it was a good thing. Had room for a cheese board with Kapiti Awa Blue Cheese and Quince Paste. OMG, Oregon Rogue River Blues have real competitors here in New Zealand! The BEST ever! We also tried an NZ beer here, Emerson's Pilsner.
The hike from Cibo up to (and I do mean "UP to") the bus on Parnell Road felt like the climb above Paradise on Mt. Rainier! Locals must have been chuckling as we huffed our way up the road. We took the bus around through Ponsonby and back to the Viaduct Harbor and walked home. We relaxed and then just had bacon and eggs for dinner.
The food has been wonderful - it is a good thing we have access to a gym and are walking quite a lot!
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