Hawke’s Bay eats and treats
Hungry for great cuisine and gorgeous liquid refreshment, Alexia Santamaria sates her appetite in sunny Hawke’s Bay, which prides itself as food and wine country.
Everyone knows Hawke’s Bay is all about incredible culinary and beverage experiences, so it makes sense it was made official a few months ago with the launch of Hawke’s Bay Tourism’s foodandwinecountry.com.
The region is the largest grower of apples, squash and olives, and it’s responsible for 80 per cent of the country’s nectarines, peaches and plums, as well as being a leading producer of garlic, mushrooms, peas, corn, beans, onions, and pears.
And that’s without even starting on the exceptional wines, great markets, and highlyawarded restaurants that call this beautiful part of the country home.
Here are some Hawke’s Bay foodie experiences you really shouldn’t miss.
Market bacon
Holly Bacon at Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market is an iconic Hawke’s Bay eatery, as queues show. Soft fresh bread loaded with a generous serving of bacon straight off the grill is pretty hard to resist, even next to other incredible market options like pastries and masala dosa. hawkesbayfarmersmarket.co.nz
Mary’s banquet
Considering it only opened in November last year, the ‘‘banquet’’ at Mary’s in Havelock North has gained quite a following. It’s a selection of favourites such as smoked kahawai croquettes, lil’ crispy fried chicken tonkatsu sandwiches, shared scotch fillet steak served with pear and parmesan salad, hand-cut chips and more. It includes a dessert, but if you’ve already had dinner and are just looking for something sweet, you have to try their drool-worthy New York-style cheesecake bruleed with sugar and served with whatever luscious fruit is in season. marys.co.nz
An immersive experience
Obviously you want to get around the wineries if you’re heading to Hawke’s Bay, but did you know there’s a totally immersive experience right in Havelock North village too? At Smith & Sheth, you can have a casual drink and some light bites, check out the tasting room, or go for the whole two-anda-half-hour immersive tasting experience, including an audio-visual performance, pulling samples straight from the barrel along with indepth, fascinating conversations with a sommelier. It’s a state-of-the-art experience that is a must for any wine lover. smithandsheth.com
Cheese, glorious cheese
Who doesn’t love a good cheese scone? It seems everyone in Napier definitely do, as Flora’s Cake Studio often sells out of theirs by midday on the weekends. Cheesy, crunchy and fluffy, this smoked cheddar number is dusted with a salt crust and served with a caramel, brown butter from Central Fire Station. And just try to leave without one of their incredible sweet treats in your bag for ‘‘later’’. florascakestudio.co.nz
Bistro beef
The beef short rib at Central Fire Station Bistro has quite a fan club. The chef and owner loves Matangi beef because it’s dry-aged on the bone for three weeks, before being finely cut by its master butcher. The meat dish is designed for sharing and melts in the mouth, and the sides are impressive too. Accompaniments such as sweetcorn, black garlic and shiitake mushrooms in summer, and turnips, gremolata and rosti potato in winter. centralfirestation.co.nz
Award-winning gin
There’s a reason Hastings Distillers’ Albertine gin won gold at the International Wine and Spirits Competition less than a year after the distillery
opened two years ago. If you’re in the area, you owe it to yourself to discover that reason. The tasting room is a fabulous, elegant space for a bite and a truly fabulous G&T. hastingsdistillers.com
Dosa joy
If you’re after a different type of brunch, head to The Dosa Project at Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market for a wafer-thin rice and lentil savoury pancake, stuffed with curried potatoes and served with coconut chutney and rasam (soup). It now has permanent digs at Colab Cafe by The Dosa Project, where the monthly vegan brunch has become a popular weekend pilgrimage for plant-based eaters and foodies looking for bold flavoured meat-free options. thedosaproject.co.nz
Get a Mister D injection
There are doughnuts and then there are Mister D’s doughnuts, and any Napier local will be able to tell you all about the latter sweet treat as they are such an institution. Some keep things pure, with cinnamon, others have a syringe approach, where you inject fillings such as custard, jelly, chocolate, coconut, lime, or palm sugar. There are even grown-up ones, including Hennessy Cognac Custard, Stolen Dark Rum and Chocolate, and 42 Below Ma¯ nuka Honey Vodka Jelly. But it would do Mister D a huge disservice to say it was only about doughnuts as it’s an exceptional spot for brunch, lunch or dinner too. misterd.co.nz
Faith Hope Love delight
If you love Malaysian noodles, it doesn’t get any better than the chilli pan mee at Napier’s Faith Hope Love Malaysian Cafe. Noodles are handmade on site, and are topped with pork mince, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms, a poached egg, crispy anchovies, and shrimp chilli. It also does other great Malaysian classics such as nasi lemak, beef rendang, laksa and roti canai. facebook.com/fhlcafe
A taste of Naples
If you like neopolitan pizza, head to Alessandro’s. One bite of its regina margherita or salsiccia piccante pizzas, and you’ll be transported to Naples, which is handy since it’s quite hard to physically get there right now. The sourdough base is naturally leavened for three days, and pizzas are wood-fired, resulting in a puffed-up, slightly blistered crust, giving way to soft, doughy gorgeousness, with fresh, simple, mouth-watering toppings. alessandrospizzeria.co.nz
Brave Brewing
Though Hawke’s Bay is all about wine, beer lovers don’t miss out. Brave Brewing Co is a fabulous neighbourhood brewery, with an on-site taproom, eatery and flagon-filling facility, and its Tigermilk IPA shouldn’t be missed. The team is amazingly knowledgeable and has lots of great advice to help you find the perfect brew. bravebrewing.co.nz
Share genius
There are so many great winery restaurants to choose from, but if you’re looking for something really special, try Craggy Range Restaurant’s shared menu for the chef’s selection of what’s best right now. You’re guaranteed the best local ingredients, combined in ways your taste buds will never forget. There’s a reason the restaurant’s won national awards, which you’ll understand when you take your first bite. craggyrange.com
These are a sample of the vast range of culinary delights Hawke’s Bay has to offer. Pastries from Ya Bon French Baker, coffee from Hawthorne Coffee Roasters, beer from GodsOwn Brewery, fried chicken from Asian Diner, plant-based food from Hapı¯, Bellatino’s Lovers Food Market’s take home meals, fish and chips from the Waima¯ rama Store are local favourites too. If you like good food, head there soon, and take stretchy pants.
This story was produced as an editorial partnership with Hawke’s Bay Tourism.