Auckland Diner's Diary: February 2017

Semi-Permanent Pop-Ups

• The Cult Project is will be taking over Racket Bar in Britomart from 4pm Tuesdays to Thursdays from Tuesday 4 March, offering a full a la carte menu - walk-ins also welcome
• Etxeberria - pop-up at the Woodworks Cafe in Avondale, with Spanish and Mexican-influenced cuisine and interesting drinks from chef Javier Carmona, on Thursday to Saturday evenings

City Treats and Coffee

• Moin Moin Kaffeehaus - German pastries and coffee from a tiny shop in Durham Lane, where Little and Friday had an outpost
• Bangkok - Thai rolled ice cream outside the Lim Chhour foodcourt on K'Rd, formerly the Retro Rolls pop-up inside
• Southern Maid Donuts - this Lousiana donut franchise has opened a little shop opposite Aotea Square, a couple of doors down from where they used to be
• Craft Coffee Cart - cargo bike coffee cart at the top of Wellesley Street East
• [Added 27 March 2017: Parked Up on the Green - licensed eatery with catered events at the Caretaker's Cottage in Victoria Park, formerly the Greenkeeper Cafe]
• [Added 28 December 2017: Halsey St Kitchen - cafe at the newish ASB Waterfront Theatre]

Fringe Openings

• Cafe Mont - Mount Eden cafe which stays open for after-dinner treats (though the kitchen closes at 3pm), where Aquadeli used to be
• Palazzo Italia - Italian restaurant and franchise business model promoting Italian culture and products in Newmarket, including cooking classes and furniture
• Win-Win Bar - retro cocktail bar with the lively atmosphere of Las Vegas in Ponsonby
• [Added 9 September 2017: 枪火串烧 Gunfire Restaurant and Bar - Chinese BBQ skewers and Cantonese style dishes in Newmarket]

Beer, Burgers and Sandwiches

• Too Fat Buns - burger and shakes on Waiheke Island
• Pastrami and Rye - New York-style deli in Ellerslie with made-to-order sandwiches using house-smoked and cured meats from a former butcher, as well as vegan sammies and treats
• Brothers Beer Orakei - this brewery has opened its third craft beer bar at Orakei Bay Village with barrel-aged sours and a burger menu from chef Sara Simpson, in a lofty warehouse with a nine-metre stud (opened 1 March)
• [Added 27 March 2017: Bacon Brothers - market stall selling free range Pokeno bacon sandwiches, originally from Christchurch, with a crowdfunded burger bar in progress there]

Northern Nourishment

• The Junction Eatery - Birkenhead cafe-cum-bistro helmed by head chef Eder Marinho, where you'll be spoilt for choice, with Belgian waffles and savoury options as well as sodas made without refined sugar
• The Smoothie Bowl - smoothie bowls in Takapuna, from a couple of CrossFit fanatics

Hospital Rations

• Middlemore Hospital's new retail and cafe precint Paataka Place includes:
• Little Goodness - organic food store from Stephanie Martin, owner of the Goodness Grocer stores in Waiuku and Pukekohe
• Elixir Espresso - serving organic Kokako coffee and baking
• Espresso Alley - the Compass Group offers food and coffee on the run using carbon neutral BioPak cups (Galbraith Building and Edmund Hillary Building)

• Jamaica Blue - latest branch of the cafe franchise owned by Foodco (which also operates the Muffin Break brand) has opened at Greenlane Clinical Centre

Taste of Travel

• [Added 4 October 2017: BLD Cafe - Kazakhstani food in Glendene]
• [Added 1 April 2017: Wayfarer - cafe at the domestic terminal operated by Spotless, with food ordering apps and only biodegradeable packaging]
• [Added 5 Dec 2017: Khagan - Mongolian grill place in Manukau, formerly known as Gengy's]

Coming

• Fujikin Curry - Japanese curry from a food truck opposite the central city library (opening next Monday)
• Giapo - new two-storey store with wacky ice cream flavours is opening on Gore Street (first week of March) after the closure of their original Queen Street shop
• Shanghai Lil's - after stints at various locations including Parnell and most recently Ponsonby, this cocktail jazz bar is relocating to K'Rd (March)
• The Pie Piper - market seller of American style dessert pies has moved their Manukau kitchen into their new shop on K'Rd (opening mid-to-late March)
• Shakedown Milk Bar - coffee, shakes and sandwiches at Britomart Station, from the Britomart Hospitality Company
• Orakei Bay Village will soon be opening a few more eateries, including an oyster bar:
• & - Melba Group eatery using seasonal ingredients from chef Mikey Newlands, sharing a "coffee alley" with Espresso Workshop roastery (opening March)
• Mexican Specialties - second branch of the Mexican restaurant in Ellerslie (opening early April)
• Saku Saku 咲×咲 - Japanese restaurant, presumably from the people behind Kizuna (opening April)
• Bird on a Wire - another branch of the chicken rotisserie restaurant

Plan from the Orakei Bay Village website.

• Once Strangers - cafe on Upper Symonds Street
• The Good Home Onehunga - pub and restaurant in the Carnegie Library building, where The Library Cafe used to be
• A new addition to Three Lamps named after a famous London institution

Other - Grocery Stores

• Farro Fresh has not only opened a new store at Orakei Bay Village in a former gin distillery, but introduced online shopping where you can get your purchase delivered to your door, or pick it up from a store or from a locker downtown
• GoodFor Wholefoods Refillery - bulk, plastic-free, wholefoods store in Ponsonby, where your purchase will also contribute to tree planting (opening Sunday 5 March)
• Countdown has teamed up with non-profit organisation Love Food Hate Waste to launch an initiative called The Odd Bunch, where imperfect fruit and vegetables will be sold at a discounted price

Other - Food Delivery

• DoorNuts - donuts delivered to your door, a sister brand from The Pie Piper, with free next day delivery in Central Auckland suburbs
• The Kiwi Lunch Box - 5 day meal plans for breakfast lunch and dinner, with free delivery within Auckland City
• The Chocolate Tour - artisan chocolate subscription box delivered monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly

Other - Business Growth

• Zeffer Cider is offering shares through Snowball Effect to fund its move to Hawkes Bay and focus on exports to China and Thailand
• Lewis Road Creamery has launched a chocolate cream liqueur product, just in time for Valentines Day
• Food rescue organisation Kiwi Harvest has opened its new headquarters in Ellerslie
• Clooney has a new head chef, Jacob Kear, a Japanese-American chef who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants including Noma

Events

• Seafarer's Summer Series (24 Feb - 4 April) - series of eight events on the rooftop of the Seafarers building, from Duck Duck Pork to something for the vegans and vegetarians
• Auckland Coffee Festival (Saturday 4 March) - coffee festival with street food and an Orphans Kitchen + Fix & Fogg Popped Culture Lite toast event
• Diner en Blanc (Saturday 4 March) - Auckland version of the annual event launched 30 years ago in Paris, where people dressed in white enjoy a picnic at a secret location
• Alberton Market Day (Sunday 12 March) - fourth market day at the grounds of the Mount Albert colonial mansion, organised by the manager of the former Sandringham Farmers Market
• Dans Le Noir (from 21 March) - the original dark dining concept is coming to the Pacific for the first time, with surprise menus served by blind waitstaff at the Rydges Hotel, in partnership with the Blind Foundation
• [Added 12 March 2017: Pasifika (25 - 26 March) - this annual festival with 11 villages representing different Pacific Islands is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Western Spring]
• Baker and Bloom (Saturday 25 March) - pop-up market for fresh flowers and baked goods at Silo Park
• Kelmarna Autumn Festival (Sunday 26 March) - annual fundraising festival for the Ponsonby community garden, with a BBQ from Orphans Kitchen and other delicious local fare
• Latte Art Workshop (Wednesday 29 March) - Curator Espresso Bar is running their first latte art workshop for baristas