Featured

Workshop Cafe and Bar

The Esplanade Petone

Every now and then Andre needs to put credit on his “man card” and he looks for a project that will allow him such an opportunity. As luck would have it, our newly appointed “herb garden” needs pavers and after a quick visit to Bunnings in Petone we spy a cafe next door appropriately called the Workshop cafe. Andre can’t resist and drags a somewhat hesitant Rachael in past the sign that proclaims goat curd as one of the daily specials.

We walk over to the cabinet although after noticing considerable condensation inside the glass we decide to pass and see what the menu has to offer. Everything looks standard. Eggs, smashed avocado, bacon, mushrooms and combinations thereof to suit most tastes.

Andre orders up pancakes with bacon and uncooked banana, while Rachael looks forward to wedges with bacon, melted cheese and topped with sour cream. Our drinks, EBT and a regular flat white arrive in good time although the wait for our food seems somewhat long given the place isn’t exactly packed. Our preference and rule of thumb has always been that the food should arrive before we have finished our drinks. In this case the cups were well cold by the time our orders made it to our table.

The pancakes according to Andre were filling although quite thick and needed all of the available sauce to help them slide down. The bacon portion was somewhat on the miserly side although was cooked to his liking. Rachael’s wedges were a good portion size and there were no complaints around presentation or taste. Although less than memorable, both of us pretty much got what we expected.

Another party several tables over from us ordered sliders which looked like mini burgers with a skewer through the top (presumably to keep the layers together) and they did look visually appealing. Andre’s made a mental note of these should we end up there again when the next man card top up is due.

Today we are delighted to award the Workshop Cafe a solid 3 stars. It’s the kind of cafe you’d happily drop into when visiting Bunnings around lunchtime but it’s not really a “destination” that you then might use as a springboard to visit Bunnings while you’re there. The service was friendly and apart from the unsightly condensation in the cabinet the place was clean and looked well maintained.

For a workshop cafe the cups could do with larger finger holes!

Featured

Atrium

Lower Hutt

There are some days where everything just seems to come together and culminates into one glorious ball of perfection. Today was one of those days and it was largely due to the discovery of Atrium in Lower Hutt.

Our original mission was to purchase a small freezer to house our CoronaVirus panic buying food supplies (just kidding – we already have a freezer for that). We were pleased to find one that met our requirements – good size, cheap delivery and great price (possibly something to do with having a brand name we can’t pronounce).

Feeling jubilant, we decided to thumb our noses at the sign on the carpark wall threatening us with wheel clamping if we left the premises, and wandered down the main street of Lower Hutt to find a cafe for lunch. We happened upon Atrium, tucked a little off the beaten path. Drawn in by the bright colours (Rachael) and the smell of coffee (Andre), we decided to pop in for lunch and a sparkling water in celebration of making a purchase that actually qualifies as an ‘adult decision’.

If you don’t mind a slight side note here, I’d just like to take a moment to clarify the Kneepkens’ are not really known for purchasing items most would consider ‘responsible’. Here are a few examples: Andre – full sized rubber StormTrooper mask (see pic below), several unflyable drones, a multi patterned mustard coloured 5XL shirt from Wish and 2000 MINIATURE plastic bags (thinks dolls house sized here). Rachael – naming a horse race after Andre for his birthday, a mini coke fridge, knee high pink boots and a rundown silver convertible. So as you can see – an ‘adult decision celebration’ was in order!

The brightly patterned skateboard seats outside the door piqued our interest, and we were instantly charmed by the bright pops of color and the quirky odds ‘n’ sods inside the cafe. Seriously – two words sum up this cafe: Lolly Bags! Say no more right?

We were greeted by some of the friendliest cafe staff we have ever met and they dealt with our post purchase delirium with professionalism and humour with comments such as ‘Yes Mam, our fridge is always difficult to open, we have found pulling the door the other side makes a big difference’ and ‘No problem sir, people often return their table number to the counter so we can’t find where to deliver their food’. Our only excuse for these levels of stupidity were that we were so hungry our bellies were overtaking our brains.

We had a quick scan of the counter selection and decided on french toast for Andre and a bacon buttie for Rachael. No cake today, but there was plenty to choose from.

We took some time to appreciate the little nooks and crannies around the cafe. Intimate spaces for one or two, larger tables for groups and a play area for your little ones. There is a mezzanine floor which also provides seating.

The food arrived quickly and was delicious. Great service despite not having a table number! Overall we found Atrium to be a friendly, clean, spacious cafe with a reasonable selection of food. We both struggled to find fault with this cafe and agree it earns a well deserved five stars.

While we were out and about we decided to take our chances and pop in for a surprise visit to meet the owners of a house Andre once owned in Petone. Well the surprise was more for them than us, as we have actually been there several times over the last few weeks but never managed to catch them while they were home. Before you reach for your Facebook app and report us to the ‘Petone Community Noticeboard’ as possible Aurora Street stalkers we had better explain…

Back in the early 80’s Andre owned a fabulous little house in Petone, and after toiling away at layer after layer of wallpaper came across a swatch of original, hand painted paper which had been the first of many to adorn the walls.

He carefully salvaged a small piece, framed it in a wooden frame made from a piece of kauri found in his backyard and then lugged this little gem from house to house over the next 35 years. It sat in a box in the depths of a cupboard until about a month ago. During a thorough clean up where Rachael declared ‘if you don’t love it – lose it’, Andre decided to return his little slice of history back to its rightful spot. I’d like to say this artifact has come full circle, however, we are still struggling to close the gap, and instead seem to be stuck with a gaping arc. The current owners either have extremely active social lives or prefer not to open the door to strangers. So our mission to return the wallpaper is ongoing, as are our weekly reviews. Six Reviews to go and let’s hope the wallpaper is returned soon, otherwise all six may end up being in Petone!

OVERALL SCORE: 5 Stars

Featured

Caffiend

Petone

This week sees us heading back to one of our favorite areas in the Wellington region – Petone. There is something about this little seaside town that keeps drawing us back. Whether it’s the ever changing cafe scene, eclectic collection of junk shops or the fact that it has its own Dutch specialty store, who would know!

We start at one end of Jackson Street and decide to call in to the first cafe we see that has a park reasonably close. First mistake! Cafes in Jackson Street never have car parks close by. There are however, plenty of side streets off Jackson, as long as you’re prepared to walk. This may actually work out well as you can burn off a few calories before and after your meal.

We spot Caffiend not too far along Jackson Street and pull into a side street where parking was abundant (just kidding – we had to walk for ages). The cafe has a typical brick exterior, much like many of the old buildings in this area and also boasts a cute sidewalk seating area.

European settlers first arrived in Petone in 1840, making it one of Wellington’s oldest settlements. Many of the streets surrounding Jackson Street are named after early settlers and of course Aurora Street is named after the ship arriving in January 1840 with 101 passengers onboard.

While we are not sure if this particular building is an original, the interior would suggest it was built well in the region of ‘a long time ago’. With it’s small red bricks, lead light windows and small wooden doors, it certainly has plenty of character.

We take a quick scan of the cabinet (not much going on here) and then take a longer look at the large menu written on the wall. The menu is handwritten on a large roll of brown paper (very trendy) and more impressive than the large selection of food, is the fact whoever wrote up the menu managed to write completely straight across the page. More than 20 years in the classroom tells us this is no mean feat! (Rachael secretly checks for sneaky pencil guidelines, but there are none).

Andre spies a particularly lush looking berry pastry on the counter, and after giving it the glad eye for several minutes decides to claim it as his own. It is in his own words ‘very good’. High praise indeed from this bakers son!

We settle on the french toast and a cuppa tea each. Let us just say, the french toast did not disappoint! Layers of golden, lightly toasted bread with bacon, bananas, maple syrup and a berry coulis. We are often loathe to make bold claims on this blog, but we are going to call it, and say this is the best french toast we have ever eaten.

The food was delivered quickly, by a friendly waitress. The vibe was relaxed and beachy, with no loud music twanging our last early morning nerve.

It is hard to find fault with Caffiend, other than Rachael’s pet peeve that the sugar comes in a communal container on the table. E-Coli with that coffee anyone?

We highly recommend you check out both this cafe and the surrounding streets of Petone.

Jackson Street is also home to Te Puna Wai Ora (Spring of Life) – this pure artesian water originates from the Hutt River, and since 2003 has provided locals and visitors from afar with sparkling spring waters. Attracting hundreds of visitors each week this sculptural visual feast is the perfect perfect spot to have a gaze down the street towards Wellington Harbour. Once you have filled your drink bottle with pure spring water, why not meander along the street and follow the ‘Walk of Champions’ a row of bronze plaques dedicated to Petone’s sporting elite. If this is not your thing, the Lighthouse Cinema or the collection of boutique shops will engage even the most bored shoppers among us!

History lesson and decent coffee. It’s a win win we reckon!

OVERALL SCORE: 5 stars

Featured

Revive Espresso

Petone

I guess this weeks review could be considered a prequel to our ongoing novella of cafe reviews.

Revive Cafe in Petone was one of three, that we rotated through on an almost weekly basis, and the catalyst for deciding to make a change.

We knew we needed to slowly ease out of our relationship with Revive Cafe, simply because it was so good, it ruined us for any other cafe experience.

Revive is the kind of place we are prepared to drive 25 minutes, just for their gooey, chocolate caramel slice. Not only is it a generous portion (think enough for two, and then some left over), it is also thick, creamy, and packed with more calories than 6 months of Jenny Craig’s prepackaged meals.

Some of you may be wondering where the pic is of this mouthwatering morsel. Unfortunately this treat is so popular, it sells out quicker than a half price toaster sale at Briscoes. Get in quick or you’ll miss out, as was the case for us today.

While there is free wifi, again, we needed to ask for the password. This seems to be an up and coming trend among cafes at the moment. While we understand the amount of people free loading on free wifi is a cost to the cafe, we don’t really want to be seen as one of these free loaders by asking for the password. We did ask, and it was quickly given by an almost friendly waitress.

We were a little surprised by the unusually low lighting at Revive today, but agree it is the perfect spot for those of you nursing a post Saturday night hangover, or those of you on a first time Tinder date.

Revive is a popular spot, despite the awkward and limited parking. We were there reasonably early today, and noted the cafe was almost half filled, 15 minutes after opening.

We like the spacious eating area and there is a handy bar type table for those waiting for a takeaway coffee. There is also a water station for your dog, and a sheltered outside eating area.

There is a varied and interesting menu selection, ranging from eggs to mushrooms to smoked fish kedgeree.
Rachael chose the smoked bacon bagel, with pesto, tomato, rocket and aioli.
Andre’s selection of the day included poached free range eggs, on sourdough, with basil pesto. One word – yum!

We were impressed with the quick service and busy, happy vibe. Our table was a little wobbly, but the early arrival of our EB tea soon distracted us from this minor annoyance.

Rachael’s Highlight: The water station – still or sparkling water with a freshly squeezed slice of lemon. Perfect!

Andre’s Highlight: The delicious combo of egg, pesto and sour dough.

We always considered Revive Espresso Cafe to be top notch, with an easy five star rating. However, the last couple of months has really opened our eyes to new and exciting experiences. We agree this week a solid three stars should be awarded, however, we want to award this cafe an extra star, as a bonus point for getting us started on this journey. Possibly this is an unorthodox decision, but there are no real rules here anyway!

OVERALL RATING: 4 stars.