FIRST DATE DILEMMA

Get it wrong, and you’re gone. Right, and it may last all night!

THE PERMIT ROOM

779 Colombo Street, Christchurch permitroom.co.nz THE BREW ACADEMY

84 Falsgrave Street, Waltham brewacademy.co.nz ISAAC THEATRE ROYAL

145 Gloucester Street, Christchurch issactheatreroyal.co.nz

Arrange to meet your date by the Poupou fountain in Victoria Square, then wander over to dine in the dark, sexy opulence of The Permit Room. Out: flock wallpaper, Taj Mahal posters and copper curry bowls. In: cut crystal glasses and porcelain platters. Here, illicitness meets opportunity, and the Southern Indian menu reflects all of this wonderfully. Perfect for small plates and shared dining. From banana and kale bhajis to Keralan fried chicken, gunpowder cauliflower, and much more – plus fabulous vegan selections. The drinks menu is extensive, with a range of bespoke, exotic, and spicy cocktails. Now, this is a true geezer-pleaser. Take your geezer and head down to Waltham and learn how to brew your own beer from the experts. Classes include a beautiful lunch from Smoke ‘n’ Barrel, plus you get to take home 40 bottles of freshly brewed grog. The Smoke ‘n’ Barrel menu is a beer match made in heaven. There’s a range of burgers, 1kg sticky ribs, beef cheek mains; Mac n cheese, mayo-loaded slaw. Oooh, potato skins and a nice little salad (+ meat) menu if you’re watching your weight. Or just head down for a plate and pint of my personal favourite, the Chinchilla – Hop Life Hazy IPA. Impress your date with some heady romance and book the Royal Box, canapés, and champagne experience. This can be done independent of tickets for a show. Hosted by an ITR team member, you’re treated to canapés and champagne whilst in the Royal Box, where you can enjoy views of the lovingly restored dome and stage. If you are there for a show, you enter the theatre 35 minutes prior to the main audience and are personally seated by an attendant. Come interval; you will be treated to ice creams and any additional pre-ordered drinks. P.S. if all goes well, you’re able to get married in the box, too – just saying!

BOTTLE AND STONE

20 Welles Street, Christchurch Central City bottleandstone.co.nz

top pick

Internet dating hasn’t done much to assist with the first date. Meeting a stranger from a paper portrait you ‘think’ you find attractive enough to share a meal with is a hard call. Not to worry, at Bottle and Stone, every eventuality is covered. It’s a fun, funky, and impressive little space off Quill Lane. There’s a mixture of high leaners and intimate tables, and it has a small and delicious menu. There’s an interactive kitchen with fabulous pizza toppings and the ability to order a slab, half a slab or if you need to exit quickly, just a slice. All going well; you may want to send a sly message. Order a side of *BAE shoestring fries (*[you] before anyone else) that’ll kick up the heat; you may even find yourself brushing digits with your date. They’re mouth-wateringly delicious, crispy with a dusting of pecorino and a hit of garlic oil. Get into the cheeky little wine list, crafty tinnies, and a selection of gorgeous Italian inspired cocktails. If success is on the cards, an in-store bottle-o is available to purchase, take home, pop the cork, and investigate your date further. Eat-in or fingers crossed, take away.

SWEET HEART

CAKEY STUFF

The Great Pastry Shop has expanded from Riverside to Riccarton! One of our front runners for pastry and coffee on the go is now in Westfield Mall, as well as its central city location. This family patisserie has an ever-evolving range of pasties, entremets, choux, tarts, and plenty of ‘cakey stuff’. You can also find them at the Christchurch Farmers Market and the Arts Centre Mākete every weekend. fb.com/greatpastry

FREEZE!

Silky smooth pink chocolate is sometimes all you need in your life. With 28 per cent cacao white chocolate and generously topped with a tart punch of freeze-dried raspberries, New Zealand dry roasted hazelnuts and crunchy cacao nibs, each of these gluten-free bars has a touch of edible gold flake for a luxe finish. House of Chocolate is a carefully handcrafted Kiwi brand stocked locally at Ballantynes. ballantynes.co.nz

SIMPLY THE ZEST

Butter’s latest menu offerings have arrived, which means spring ushers in bold, sweet flavours with fruit. The office favourite here at Avenues HQ is the lemon and hazelnut tart. A mix of crunch, zest, and pillowy soft meringue, and locally sourced ingredients mean this is set to be a menu favourite for the warmer months. Butter’s tarts easily feed four people, maybe six if you’re restrained. Not us.

butterpastry.nz

HAGLEY CHERRY BLOSSOM

This dessert is one of Sweet Soul’s iconic limited editions. The pastry chefs create these when the cherry flowers blossom at Hagley Park and continue to serve them until summertime. This year, spring will be even more special than usual, as every Hagley Cherry Blossom dessert sold means a donation of one dollar to the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Foundation. Founder Taina Scur says that this offering is a special dessert. “Not just because of its amazing taste and the meaning behind the name, but because we support Pink October and the wider community. It’s a sweet fulfilment for us.” sweetsoul.nz

Braised octopus

WITH MARTINEZ CHORIZO, PRESERVED LIME, AND TOMATO MARINARA

Kinross Winery is in the heart of Gibbston’s incredible wine region, only 20 minutes from Queenstown. Chef Pete Franklin and his team have made a conscious decision to carefully source local, free-range, organic, and sustainably focused food. They have been foraging, preserving, fermenting, and proofing; the team was inspired during the 2020 lockdown to focus on utilising all the incredible fruits, plants (and skills) at their disposal to create delicious additions for the winery’s menu. 99 per cent of the ingredients you will taste on your plate at Kinross will be created on-site – from the sourdough base of the pizzas, the sauces, pesto, preserves and pastes, the cured and smoked meats, crackers, and even honey from their hives.

Braised octopus One whole octopus

Stock 2 onions 6 cloves 4 sticks of celery Juice and zest of 2 lemons 3 star anise 3 bay leaves 2 tbs salt 2 cups red wine 8 cups water A handful of basil leaves to garnish

Marinara sauce 1kg tomatoes 4 large shallots, finely chopped 10 cloves roasted garlic, chopped 2 tbs preserved lime, chopped 100ml white wine 2 tins cherry tomatoes Sherry vinegar 1 cup of chopped parsley

SERVES 4

To make stock, put ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Blanch octopus for 10 seconds, then add to stock. Simmer for one hour, covered and weighed down so that the octopus is submerged.

For the marinara sauce, blitz the tomatoes in a blender and pass through a sieve to remove the seeds. Following this, soften the shallots, garlic and lime in a little olive oil and water. Add the wine and reduce by half. Then add the tomatoes and reduce by a third. When cool, finish with a splash of sherry vinegar, cherry tomatoes, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine and serve with crispy baby octopus and Martinez chorizo, some preserved lime, and crusty ciabatta.