Auckland Diner's Diary: October 2015

Food Trucks Galore

• The Food Truck Stop is based at No. 1 Queen St downtown, with a rotation of vendors such as The Loaded Spud, Zina's Brazilian Savouries and Ryan's Kitchen.
• La Cigale has started The Truck Stop on Wednesday nights, featuring food trucks like The Roaming Dive, Dixie BBQ, and Tahsin's Gozleme
• The Street Food Collective has been at Lot 3 in Ponsonby for a few months now, but has introduced some new vendors (Maidstone Burgers, Mama Tahina, Mr Shankly's from the Veda Club) while keeping favourites like The Bearded Clam
• Food Space is selling lunches at Smales Farm on Wednesdays during summer
• [Added 12 May 2016: The Friday night Food Station at the Mount Albert Market has been very popular, with vendors such as Che Lucio Argentinian BBQ]

Central City Eats

• The Culpeper - international flavours from the Nourish Group on Princes Wharf
• Oyster and Chop - steakhouse and oyster bar on the Viaduct where The Foodstore used to be, with a traditional menu from ex-employees of the Nourish Group
• Fort Greene - this former pop-up sandwich stall now has a permanent spot in St Kevins Arcade, where Honeytrap used to be
• Elk Eatery - cafe on Graham Street from a hospitality newbie
• The Brewers Cooperative - "craft beer and hashery" with fish and chips and the like, on the corner of Victoria and Nelson Streets
• Bite - Brazilian eatery in the Queens Court food court
• Chong Qing Cuisine - Lorne Street Chinese eatery, where Paradish BBQ used to be

A Facelift in Town

• Levant has re-opened as Med Kitchen
• Tyler Street Garage is now known as TSG, with a new menu based on Italian street food
• Euro is now smaller, with a new look and a new menu

City Fringe Openings

• Saan - Isaan and Lanna cuisine in Ponsonby, from the creators of Cafe Hanoi
• & Sushi - modern sushi vendor in Newmarket
• Apple Charcoal BBQ (大苹果烤串) - Chinese hotpot and grill in Freemans Bay
• Venosa - Italian restaurant in Kingsland
• [Added 10 November 2015: Big Sur - vegetarian eatery in Grey Lynn, where Monterey used to be]
• [Added 4 January 2016: One Bistro - "international cuisine" in the old Ponsonby fire station]

Savouring Sandringham

• Saattveek - vegetarian store offering food from Maharashtra and Gujarat, part of where Jai Jalaram Khaman used to be
• Eggs & More - Indian style egg and paneer dishes, including "Indian road side delicacies", in the other half of where Jai Jalaram Khaman used to be

Cafe Culture

• Criminal Grinds - tiny cafe on Wakefield Street, with sandwiches and sweet treats in addition to coffee
• The Food Crew - new venture from the owners of Ohso Cafe, located in the North West Shopping Centre
• Majestic Tea Bar - teas, coffees, chocolates and snacks at the North West Shopping Centre, with more branches planned
• Balance Kitchen - a "hub for the health conscious", this cafe in Albany caters for dietary requirements and lists macronutrient information on the menu 

Sweet Treats and Bready Delights

• Bohemein - chocolate store on O'Connell Street, started in Wellington by a Czech chocolatier
• Brotzeit - German bakery in Albany, with Swabian style pretzels, lots of loaves, and desserts like Berliners

A Drink or Two

• Pressed - raw juice from a popup store on Shortland Street, or get it delivered by Urban Sherpa
• Well + Good - cold pressed juice from a store at the City Works Depot, along with raw salads and nut mylks
• Coley & Punch - cocktail and whiskey bar on Princes Wharf, from the Nourish Group
• Rich Heart - "craft cocktail bar" on Fort Street

Coming soon 

• The Cat Lounge - New Zealand's first cat cafe was crowd-funded via Kickstarter and opens on the North Shore from 7 November
• BaristaCats - another cat cafe, this time crowd-funded via PledgeMe, will open in the city on Exchange Lane, 95 Queen St, on 1 December
• United Kitchen in Ponsonby will be re-launched as Mr Toms
• Brian Campbell's new dessert restaurant on Fort St is called Miann, and will be opening in early November
• Fruitlife (果C益佰) - Hong Kong style dessert franchise on Durham Street West, including durian pizza in its offerings!
• O-Cha - "Thai street food and noodles" opposite Eden Quarter on Dominion Road

Events

• [Added 10 November 2015: Up Markets is now on near the zoo every Saturday]
• Sabato is having a Market Day this Sunday (8 November), with food from Judge Bao and The Pie Piper
• Taste of Auckland (5-8 November) is on this weekend!
• Mercatino di Natale - Italian Christmas Market (15 November) in Freemans Bay, with decorations and food
• The Silo Markets are returning for the summer on Saturday 28 November, starting with a Pasifika themed weekend for Urbanesia 2015
• Auckland Seafood Festival (29 January - 1 February 2016) is on the Auckland Anniversary weekend and offers Friday and Saturday night sessions for the first time