Tulsi

Brother David and Mel were in Petone today looking for kitchen hardware, so an excuse for the next one on the list. I've been to Tulsi before - ages ago - had a feeling that it was a bit ho hum but it was quite OK to get out of the rain today. Lots of thunder and lightning last night and the river was up. Quite an adequate meal and anyway it was great to catch up on the kitchen plans. I now know why the back steps have been wobbly for 10 years - they are about to be subsumed in an expansion! Afraid that I have a perception that eastern peoples can't do coffee and this didn't change. The waiter didn't know recognise the word macchiato - and when I changed to long black, produced a poor one. But in researching the spelling of macchiato it seems that the kiwi macchiato isn't the same as elsewhere - but I like them. The foam on top doesn't detract from the hit of the black, and may even keep the heat in as you drink.

Jackson St Cafe/Bistro

The project has stalled for a year, not that I haven't been to Jackson St for out-of-order coffee visits, but the next on the list required an "occasion". Dined last night at Jackson St Cafe and Bistro with Jim and Jill. Enquired on the phone about veg options for Jill and they had a special menu on the table for us. Nice meal and service to start with, but inattentive as the evening went on. So adequate, would go again, but not stand-out.

Curry2Go

I skipped Hell Pizza as it didn't appear to have sit-down facilities, though it used to back onto a pub called The Establishment (now closed). The same spot then held an Asian restaurant but it too has closed. So heading west the trail led to "Curry2Go". Which had tables but looks as though dine-in is a miniscule part of its trade. I endured a mediocre chicken curry and naan, the only bright part being the Arts Festival programme which I found among the tatty pages-glued-together giveaway publications on the counter. It was 2012.

Subway

This didn't exactly require a special occasion, I popped in recently to knock the next one off. Ordered a sub and ate half of it there, took the rest away for later. It was a good snack but not exactly fine dining or even cosy cafe style, with rubbish on the tables. The only reading was a two-week old community newspaper and one of those giveaway promotional things about the vitality of Lower Hutt. Guess the promotional budget is under pressure. Onward.

Buddha Stix

Almost next to Sopranos is Buddha Stix. Looking in the window midweek I wondered if it was really operational, looked more like a conference room, but on a Sunday evening, after picking Jonathan up from the airport, it was open and welcoming and rather good. The service was impeccable, the maitr' d came and enquired was everything all right, and the food was great. Don't normally order coffee in an Asian restaurant, but took a chance and it was OK. Short blacks that were kinda middle blacks but better than over-long blacks that some places serve up. Good experience.

Sopranos

Antonia was in Welly for John-Paul's school project. It was the ideal excuse to try out Sopranos, so Tone and Gaylene and I booked in. They were busy (which is a good sign). I didn't write this report straight away, but my recollection was of a very nice meal. And a nice coffee, which I would jolly well expect from an Italian establishment. Worth going again when there's a suitable "occasion".

Brezelmania

Woke up stiff and sore today, after a 6-hour rogaine last night. I needed a gentle shakedown so I rode down to Petone. I wasn't thinking of my Jackson St project because I thought Soprano's was next and it looks like a fine dining place; all I wanted was a coffee and cake. Turning from Cuba into Jackson I took a closer look at a shop I though was just a take-away bakery - Brezelmania, and spotted an espresso machine and tables.

Just what I wanted. The delightful, perhaps German, staffer didn't know what a macchiato was, but served up a satisfactory cappucino in a takeaway cup, and a delicious strawberry cheesecake. I perched on a street-facing bar-stool and found the Saturday paper among the magazines. Enjoyed the juicy story about the departing Micael Laws (get it?) and the sad saga of student association rip-offs. Empty when I went in, there was a steady stream of customers including a couple of couples sitting down for a snack. Which is the criterion for inclusion in my project.

The first completion on the south side, apart from a few taken out of order which don't count. Rode back up the hill, feeling much better. And made this posting. I wonder if it sounds corny. The style will evolve I suppose, anyway the main audience is oneself. Dear diary.

References: Street address 364 Jackson St Petone. Brezelmania has sites in Kelburn and Kilbirnie but web presence only via directories. Reference to www.brezelmania.co.nz doesn't work. A brezel is a baked item incorporating a knot shape; try "pretzel" in wikipedia as the "brezel" entry is in German.