Wellington on a Plate - procrastinator's picks

My, how time flies! In the last month or so I've started a new job, found a new flat, had friends and family visit, kept up with extramural study... I've been painfully conscious that amid all the chaos this blog has been languishing in some dusty corner somewhere, but I have some posts planned, so thanks for all your patience!

I can't believe it's mid-August already and the first day of Visa Wellington on a Plate 2010. If you're from Wellington I'm sure you've read lots about this food festival by now, seen the flags flying on the lamp-posts, or even made some bookings yourselves. For whatever reason (indecisiveness, procrastination, sheer busy-ness), and despite my total excitement for this event, I was a bit late in the game and by the time I went to make bookings a couple weeks ago, many of the events had sold out. Luckily, there's still plenty to choose from - here are just a few of my picks:

Moore Wilson's Wellington Food Heroes Day - Moore Wilson's carpark, Sunday 22 August, 9-2pm, free.  Too easy! It's free, no bookings required, I'd most likely be at Moore Wilson's anyway (after all, it's just down the road from my house), AND there are going to be stalls run by the likes of Ruth Pretty, Laurent Loudeac, Bohemein Chocolates, La Cloche, and Wairarapa wines - just to name a few.


Pizza, Pig & Profiteroles - Lunch with Ruth Pretty, Kapiti Coast, Sunday 29 August 12-4pm, $95. If I didn't have to move that weekend I'd be at this for sure - lunch at Ruth Pretty's personal dining room in Te Horo including wood-fired pizza, spit-roasted suckling pig and (you guessed it!) profiteroles. Delightful.


White, White, Baby!  - GT Nissan Showroom, 38 Kent Terrace, Saturday 21 August 7:30pm, $150. Boulcott St Bistro will be serving up a menu of all-white food - this sounds really intriguing. The idea behind it is to explore what happens when we "neutralise a sense" by taking away the visual/colour element of food.

Beervana - Wellington Town Hall, Friday 27 and Saturday 28 August, $30.  I missed last year's Beervana so hopefully I'll be able to attend this one! Lately it seems that the craft beer movement has been picking up around these parts and Beervana will be showcasing over 160 beers. I can't wait - Beervana's website is here.

Dine 2010 - Last year some 30- or 40-odd restaurants and cafes participated in this event, offering set lunch deals (such as Logan Brown's $35 lunch I had last year) and special dinner menus. This year's event has taken off - there's around 90 eateries participating. I'll definitely be partaking in a few lunches over the next couple weeks, though it's so hard to choose! I've already got Matterhorn lined up, and there are so many more to choose from.

Burger Wellington - this is a new event for this year's festival and another one I'm so excited about. Like Dine 2010, there's no set time or place but rather 30 or so restaurants are offering special burgers - check out Mrs Cake's post on St Johns Bar's wild game burger. I'm also keen to try Duke Carvell's Ali Baa Baa (lamb) burger and Osteria Del Toro's Movida Burger (calamari on a Spanish roll).

If you're like me and haven't made any bookings yet, fear not. There's still plenty to choose from over the next two weeks. Stay tuned for the write-ups!