Having had its first market day on 29 May 2010, this is the North Shore’s newest weekend market and one of only 3 bonafide Farmers’ Markets on the Shore. Sponsored by Harcourts and Barfoot & Thompson Mairangi Bay, this is a great initiative for the area and it’s drawing a lot of interest from locals. It’s small and relaxed, mainly about food, and there are some delicious and delightful products to be had.

I bought a parsley plant from Clevedon Herbs and Produce - they run a blog with recipes and other interesting foodie stuff, and they sell deliciously fresh lettuce greens and herbs, ready to eat salad mixes and all manner of vegetables (subject to the season). Based in Clevedon, Phil and Jenny Tregidga have been growing their produce hydroponically since 1984. Earlier this year they shifted the focus of their business from supplying supermarkets to being vendors at a number of Auckland markets.

Dinner for us, tonight, will be based around a piece of fresh salmon from the Salmon Man. It comes from the prisitine, clear waters of Stewart Island, shipped directly to the salmon man, who then smokes it, adding a variety of flavours such as dill, lemon, garlic & herbs. Or you can buy gravlax, gremolata and plain smoked. The website is worth a look – there’s plenty of salmon and seafood recipes, cooking tips and nutritional facts. If you’re concerned about your intake of omega 3 oils, you should be eating salmon once a week – no need to take pills!

The market is held every Saturday morning, 9-1, in the carpark behind Harcourts.

Preparing the perfect coffee at Toasted Espresso

When I simply want a great coffee, Toasted Espresso is probably my favourite spot. These guys are seriously good baristas and Toasted Espresso consistently produces award winning roasts. Their beans are used by a lot of local cafes and restaurants.

Toasted Espresso started life a bit further down Barry’s Pt Road Takapuna, but they moved into their current premises at number 42 a few years ago and have recently extended the cafe. I guess it’s more evidence of their success as a great local business that’s stuck to its core values. You can get a bite to eat – there’s a variety of sweet and savoury counter foods – but this place is really about drinking damn fine coffee. They sell coffe machines and all sorts of coffee paraphernalia.

The interior design is loungey, with collections of retro chairs and couches and the odd table. There’s usually some good local art work on display, good magazines to read, and the music is always groovy. Oh, and you can buy your beans here, too.

covered deck out the front of bungalo cafe

Great name for a cafe that’s housed in an old brick bangalow (cute spelling too) in Birkenhead. These guys used to have Villa in Birkenhead Point and they’re still doing great stuff. The coffee’s worth a drive across town for, and they know how to cook! (is that Mum in the kitchen?). I have a friend who calls in every morning on his way to work for a coffee and a cheese scone – says they’re to die for. Personally, I think the spicy apple bran muffins are divine. Plenty of seating, with a big, covered deck out the front and big tables. Friendly, prompt service-with-a-smile. Located at 96 Mokoia Road, open every day (8-3:30 weekdays, 8-3:00 weekends).

Busy lunch crowd at Jam Organic Cafe

I reckon if I were to open a cafe in Takapuna, it would just about look like Jam Organic Cafe in Hurstmere Road (behind Movenpick). We’ve had to follow owner Jules from her previous cafe in Milford, but it didn’t take long to find her, and her trademark blackboard menu, big pitchers of water brimming with chunks of seasonal fruit, and some of the best looking cafe food you’ll find on the Shore continue to draw a loyal following. Jam’s MO is to use organic and locally sourced produce where possible, and they don’t compromise on quantity, either. The Jam burger is massive (I could probably manage a half), packed with avocado, beef patty, bacon, lettuce, horseradish sauce, tomato, aioli (I think I got it all) – I’d defy anyone to get their gob around one of these monsters – Knife and fork required!

Jam has a liquor license and a fairly comprehensive range of wines (including some organic wine) and beer. The coffee roast is one of the best around (Toasted Espresso) and they have baristas that know how to do a good extraction. I have yet to be disappointed with a coffee from Jam.

This place is well patronised, especially by the road biking fraternity in the mornings. There’s plenty of seating, inside and out, including a big communal dining table with arty/foodie books to browse. Lots of fun, quirky details that will amuse, like getting a jar of jam to identify your table order, rather than a predicable old number.

During the week Mark and I were looking for lunch. Problem was it was late afternoon. Tried a couple of Albany pubs, and the kitchen was closed, and they were generally uninviting. We always get good food at Altura in Douglas Alexander Parade in Albany, so back we went.

Well Lordy! Altura is open and late lunch at Altura means you get their sandwiches for $4.50! Everything leftover seems to be half price. Yum Yum dig in. Coffee as always was perfect, rich and  strong after all they won Best Coffee in Auckland for 2009..which by the way means best coffee in the world!

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It’s been a crazy busy week (the blog has been much neglected) and friends suggest a “cheap & cheerful” at a local cafe. Zavito, at 6:30 on a Friday evening, is absolutely full and there are more people coming through the door. They’re happy to sit at the bar while they wait for a table. We resist the delicious sounding special of the day and stick to the plan – a couple of pizzas to share along with a good pinot noir (some things just can’t be compromised), We indulge in an entree of calamari and realise we’re in for a good night. Very tasty, melt in the mouth, not too salty, just a little bit spicy – perfect, really.

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Passion Cafe

Passion by name, passion by nature. Owner Julene Payne has plenty of it and it shows in her cafe. The food is cooked onsite – all the old favourites, presented with flair, like cheese scones, sweet and savoury muffins, friands, brioche, club sandwiches and pies, as well as daily specials like mince on toast and quiche. Every time I’ve eaten here, the food has been delicious. The coffee is also superb – supplied by local roastery Planet Espresso.

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Visit the Lake House Arts Centre in Fred Thomas Drive, Takapuna. In a beautiful garden setting (formerly the site of the Barry’s Pt tip), which often has fantastic outdoor sculptures, the Lake House is a fine example of Victorian and Edwardian architecture, preserved and lovingly maintained by a charitable trust. It was a boarding house in earlier times, built at the northern end of Takapuna Beach and was moved to its present site in the late 1990s.

You can visit the Lake House galleries to enjoy the rich variety of artworks on exhibition, you can join an art class for a term or more (adults and children’s classes are offered), or enjoy breakfast or lunch at the on-site cafe, amidst this wonderful piece of North Shore heritage. Perhaps you’d like to book your kids into a school holiday programme. Check out the timetable here.