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Good Food Guide 2005 – Awarded Chefs Hat |
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As you lift the gate’s latch to enter this cute 1912 cottage, it feels almost as if you should knock before entering. Don’t bother; wine buff Toni Urquhart is always thrilled to receive visitors, showering then with hospitality. She has kept the dining room simple but smart, with white walls, polished floors, white cloths, tea lights, muted lamps and, if you’re lucky Diana Krall on the CD and a fire crackling beneath the mirrors.
The large menu offers well-honed dishes, such as twice baked, Gruyere soufflé; or a pastie filled with meaty chunks of duck served on a rich sangiovese jus studded with mushrooms and steamed vegies. There’s old-style comfort with prosciutto-wrapped pork stuffed with chestnuts and prunes and braised red cabbage; or a confit of rabbit, roasted kumara, apple and mushrooms and herb stock. Complimentary vegies or salad are a welcome gesture. Desserts are a highlight - grab the rhubarb ‘pizza’; a custard-filled flaky round of light pastry with local organically grown rhubarb draped across the top. |
