623991 Sun May 31 15:00:51 -0700 2009 5 37 Australia/New Zealand 0 4730585 My partner and I arrived Friday to Wellington for a 5 month stay. We really need some food help. We had heard from people that NZ is "very slow food" but we are having difficulty finding it. The internet postings on this topic seem to be from 2006 & 7. Other than some high-end restaurants, we haven't found any current tips. We visited the "farmers market" next to Te Papa museum, but it doesn't seem like the sellers are actually farmers. It looks like they're just resellers. We met one avocado farmer and a lamb farmer, but the others' vegetables look to be commercial. We visited an organics store called commonsense on wakefield street. Very nice healthfood store, but is that it? We aren't so interested in gluten-free... We're looking for artisanal bread, cheese, cured meat, and, of course, LOCAL vegetables. One person who we asked said "well the thing about local artisanal food is that everybody does that here, so we don't really talk about it much". But when we asked about the seafood at Sweet Mothers they said it was frozen and not local. What questions should we be asking and where should we be looking for high quality local foodstuffs? We won't be able to travel much, as my partner is working 6 days a week, so we are not looking for food tourism, just places to buy food to cook. Thank you so much for your help! Violet Sun May 31 15:00:51 -0700 2009 109271 violeta 1 4737944 The New World Market on Wakefield is a good market. New World is a chain but they are individually own and operated. They carry local, organic produce, and their cheese selection is quite reasonable. They have some versions of cheese that rival those I find here at home in the SF Bay Area (Humboldt Fog cheese comes to mind). The agricultural regions are mainly on the north island and just a few hours drive from Wellie. Overall, the whole country is agricultural and farmland, enough to sustain themselves and export items like lamb and wine. I never found the term "grass-fed" on any packages of beef, lamb or venison probably because they are raised in pastures and not in feedlots. If you do get a chance to get out of the capital, you can find endless fields of sheep and cattle. Just an fyi, a scotch fillet is similar cut to a rib eye steak. There is an italian deli/grocery/cafe, La Bella Italia located on The Terrace, a bit north of Te Papa. I've not been to this store location, but if it is anything like their store in Petone, you will be able to find prosciutto, copa, salami, etc. On Cuba Street past Vivian is Caffe Italiano. There may be more items there of interest. A friend of mine in Hataitai loves the place. Across the way from the Caffe is the Sea Market. I don't know if their fish has been frozen or not, but they seem to do a brisk business and have good turnover. If you want a place fun, casual atmosphere for a bite or a cup of coffee, walk further up Cuba Street a bit past the Sea Market to Fidel's Cafe. The crowd tends to be somewhat younger than middle-aged (my current club), but I really enjoy the energy there. I don't know what part of town you are living, but if you find yourself craving Greek food, I have to recommend Kosmos Greek Taverna on Pirie Street near Kent Terrace (Mount Victoria). Babis and Gabriella are warm, wonderful hosts. I had dinner one evening with my husband and our friend. We ate ourselves silly, shared a few shots of Ouzo with Babis and practically had to be carted out, we were so full. If you do want to know more about the local restaurants, you might check these links. The reviews are more current than what you will find on Chowhound. http://www.dineout.co.nz/ http://www.menus.co.nz/wellington/ Tue Jun 02 23:07:40 -0700 2009 4730585 102410 AntarcticWidow 1 4738009 Moore Wilson's. Tory St. at College St. open 'til 6. Wed Jun 03 00:35:33 -0700 2009 4730585 387656 annegp 1 4747637 i know you are looking for things to cook rather than dining out but as you have mentioned slow food i really have to recommend Maria Pia's Trattoria - if you are looking for slow food then this place really fits the bill as Maria the owner/chef is NZ's slow food enthusiast - and you can taste it in her cooking - everything is delicious and fresh - and reasonably priced. I live in auckland but have been known to go to wellington JUST to eat here!! review here: http://www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageID=22324&E7300EFA-220C-4568-8A3A0C1CB282EF10 and more info here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/food-wine/45888 and here: http://www.kiwiwise.co.nz/restaurant/maria-pias-trattoria her menu changes regularly, is seasonal, locally sourced etc etc - plus she imports wine direct from italy - great range and again reasonably priced. as for other places in wellington - to be honest nothing has blown me away. Locals will go on about the "wonderful" Malaysian places in wellington but don't believe the hype. I have tried many many of these places and yet to find any good authentic malaysian - certainly nothing even remotely in the league of what auckland has to offer (and thats still a long way off malaysia most of the time). anyway hope you make it to Maria Pia's - well worth a go! cheers FF Sat Jun 06 03:49:09 -0700 2009 4730585 81179 food fascist 1 4755369 Thanks all for the help! We're San Franciscans too, although we've recently lived in the vicinity of Formaggio's Kitchen in Cambridge MA so we are totally spoiled for cheese. It's exciting to see so many New Zealand cheeses. We're working our way through Moore Wilson's cheese department. (thrilled to find cumin and fenugreek Gouda, which for some odd reason is rare in the US) and buying organic produce at Commonsense Organics so far (although Moore Wilson sells an overpackaged plastic tin of fabulous organic microgreens). Thanks for the tip on New World. We're planning on doing Maria Pia's soon. Since we're stuck in a hotel for the first two weeks (this explains our diet of cheese and avocadoes), I'll report on our favorite restos so far: Ernesto 132 Cuba Street www.ernesto.co.nz 04.801.6878 We've eaten here twice and been thrilled with every bite. Cafe atmosphere (comfortable black banquettes and wide tables so two can sit side by side -- also the chairs are comfortable) with nearly half the spacious room an open kitchen feels like you are in the cook's living room. Watch out they close early. We arrived at 9:30 (after calling to find out what time "late" meant and being told 10) and had to beg the chef for dinner. He graciously agreed to haul everything out and cook for us although he had already cleared the kitchen. We had a seared lamb appetizer with garbanzo beans, also the lamp chops (perfect!), the delicious and unusual creamed spinach, and the pork belly on puréed sweet potato. Would have been nice to have a bite of bitter or a bit of crunch on the plate, but that didn't prevent us from licking it. Finc 122 Wakefield http://www.finc.co.nz 499.299 Looks trendy and upscale but turns out to be less expensive than many nearby places. Creative food in a cafe atmosphere (uncovered wooden tables not close together, one common table, high ceilings, good magazines). They don't advertise this, but they have free wifi! Long, diverse list of $8 entrées that deliver generous portions of chicken roasted in grape leaves (didn't taste the apricot in there but it was fabulous anyway), and pork dumplings. The menu is refreshing and unpretentious. Turkish eggs at brunch were lovely. Lots of literature here about sustainability and artisanship. Open all day and evening. High tea on Sundays, in grandma's teacups. Aro Café 90 Aro Street http://www.arocoffee.co.nz/ 4 384 4970 Everything you want with the perfect cup of coffee... An array of savories from bean salads to mini quiches and plenty of desserts, all easy to see. And a menu. And organic ingredients. And hip. Open for dinner for a few hours some nights. Mon Jun 08 23:06:31 -0700 2009 4730585 109271 violeta 2 5087461 Are there any new additions to the list on groceries and restaurants? I'm also a Bay Area person / Slow Food member. I'll be in Martinborough for 5 months and will be travelling into Wellington for some weekends. Thanks a ton! Wed Oct 07 21:33:47 -0700 2009 4755369 273961 evernote