Forsters is At The Front of Nelson’s Fine-Dining Scene!

I know I mostly post about bangin’ restaurants in our cool little capital – honestly, there’s so many I feel like I can’t keep up – but in this blog piece, I’m going to take you to my home village, Upper Moutere (Nelson),to enlighten you lot about a place that I reckon definitely deserves some recognition – Forsters Moutere Hills. I don’t come back to Nelson very often, but when I do, I like to make sure I’m eating out at the best places the Tasman region has to offer. After landing in chilly nelson, all I needed was a tasty feed and something  to warm my soul – so you bet when my mam suggested we go to Forsters, I jumped at the opportunity (and I knew I was going to get a gorgeous gram photo!).

When you come to Nelson and think of somewhere to eat, you never think to go to Forsters as it’s about a 40-minute drive from Nelson. Luckily enough for my family, it’s on a stones-throw away from our place, so it’s now become a go-to for beautiful food, local drink, and entertaining company! Forsters is also pretty hidden in the Moutere Hills, and you’ll find it tucked away in-between its endless fields of vineyards – but once you’ve found it, you know you’ve hit the jackpot.

First things first, I have to appreciate the interior and design of this place. Think of a Scandinavian mountain hut, with all amber cedar insides and minimalist but warm décor. With the weather outside stormy and cold, it made the inside even warmer and more inviting – which I think makes for a perfectly cozy dining atmosphere. The only thing that this incredible dining area was missing was a big roaring fire – personally I think it would’ve been the finishing touch, but that’s just me being fussy and naturally freezing! Enough about the interior – this isn’t Architectural Digest – so let’s get onto the fare.

I’m not a big fan of wine (don’t @ me for dining at a winery), so I decided to support some family friends and treat myself to a Moutere Apple Peckham’s Cider, which in my eyes, is one of the best tasting ciders in the world (and you can buy it all over the world too!). After kicking my liver into gear, my mum and I decided to try the famous Forsters tasting platter so we can each try a little of everything from the menu – and a bowl of chips, because why not? As soon as the platter hit the table, my mouth dropped and drooled. It boasted 5 beautiful amuse bouches from their menu, which you could just tell were each going to taste sensational. I’m still a pescatarian, so I dove right into the crumbed goat’s cheese & olive oil powder croquette, seared Tuna & seaweed salad, and ceviche Snapper. I’m an avid seafood supporter, so you bet that the fresh & tangy Snapper Ceviche hit all the right flavour spots, and it got me craving a whole tub of it! A big shout out to their chips also – sometimes the best places can do the most average chips since they’re the ‘lesser important’ dish – but Forster’s nailed the humble chip, and my mam and I smashed back that whole bowl without a soggy potato in sight!

If you’re reading this and you DON’T want to jump the cook straight to dine at Forsters, then what is wrong with you?? Beautiful food and drink that’s locally sourced, amazing people who provide the best chats, and this is all set in a location that’s picture-perfect. The only 2 things that might sway your decision to come here, is the time it takes to get here from nelson (it’s a little bit of a drive out), and also their food is at the high-end of the price spectrum – but to be honest, the proof is in the pudding, and you’re paying for top quality food. A spectacular 9/10 for my first time here at Forsters – and I can’t wait to dine again here in the summer!

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Toad-ally Delicious Food Part.2

I know what you’re gonna say – I’ve already done a review on Toad Hall (see Toad-ally Delicious Food). But that was a WHOLE YEAR ago, and menu’s change people – and you’re deffo gonna want to try a bit of Toad Hall after this review!

*Backstory Time* It was a warm, slightly overcast day in Takaka, where my family and I decided to kick off our travel back home with a beasty brunch at The Dangerous Kitchen. Sadly, Takaka doesn’t know about the importance of Sunday brunch, and Dangerous Kitchen was closed. Cue violins & tears. We had already been to the Wholemeal café and wanted something different – so ignoring our grumbling stomachs, we turned brunch into lunch and headed off to Toad Hall instead. A decision our stomachs thanked us for in the coming hours.

As we arrived, we saw that Toad Hall was PACKED (at least SOMEWHERE in the top of the South knows about brunch) – but luckily their lovely ladies found us a place to park ourselves! Looking at the Brunch menu, lunch menu & their cabinet – I knew deciding what to eat was going to be a long & arduous journey, but after many (what felt like hours) minutes – I finally chose their trio of salads.

You may say “Ew salads – why? They’re so boring AND they’re not a brunch meal” – BUT when I say Toad Hall does mean as salads, I mean it! They had my tongue in a trance with their orzo salad, spiced chickpea & root veg salad, and their Moroccan couscous salad. I didn’t know where to dig my fork in, but every mouthful I got seemed to be as delicious as the previous. The burgers were also a massive standout, as their COLLOSSAL size definitely translated in flavor too – each one looked juicy, tender and tasty! And just one more little shout-out to their polenta fries, since they converted my parents from HATING polenta chips – to liking these little forms of fried finger food.

So, last year after a delicious fare of food which included a killer salmon bagel and too much cider (I was a little drunk writing the review), I gave the kids at Toad Hall a bloody well-deserved 9/10 on the cafecrawlerlucy scale – a feat only few have succeeded in. But this time, after negotiating with my brain and my stomach, I’m going to have to give them a 9.2/10. They just keep getting better and better every time I come! AND they use biodegradable plastic wrapping for their cabinet – how sustainably sexy is that??? Seriously if you haven’t been, just take a weekend off and head to Nelson to visit this café because I can assure you it’s worth the travel.

Until next year Toad Hall, Adios!

Rural Riverside Paradise

My time in Nelson was coming to a close, and to make the most of my last few days with my mum and dad, we (well my mum and I – poor dad had work!) ventured out for one last cafe crawl. I wanted to go somewhere where I either haven’t been to, or somewhere that I haven’t visited for years, so after pondering all the cafes nearby and having a cheeky look online at what all the delightful cafes in the Tasman had to offer, we set our sights on the Riverside cafe.

Dime-a-Dozen Diner Dinner

Last week my girls and I were met with the common dilemma that encroaches our day-to-day lives: Valentine’s Day. In my eyes, it’s a made-up holiday so Hallmark can sell some cards and chocolate makers can make millions; an absolute and utter cop-out of a celebration that does not need to be appreciated. Usually the 14^th of February is a very intimate affair between my cat and I, however this year my girls and I decided to use Valentines as an excuse to go out for some wining and dining, all whilst mocking this horrendous holiday. With so many new restaurants that offer an abundance of different cuisines popping up in Nelson, we were spoilt for choice – but a 2-for-1 milkshake deal from Al’s Deli swayed us towards their classic American diner destination.

The Grape Escape!

Last week, the poor Tasman region got absolutely hammered by a cyclone that joined forces with a king tide to wreak havoc. It was a few days after the cyclone had hit, and my guests and I traipsed down to Mapua wharf to have a spot of lunch; where we were met with debris, power outages and cranes lifting destroyed boats from the waters. Nowhere was open due to the wreckage, so we sadly ambled back to our cars with our tummies rumbling. This was then when one of us had a brainwave and announced that we should, instead of going home hungry, hit up the popular café; Grape Escape. I had never been there, but had heard brilliant reviews, so we all agreed to regroup and refuel our appetites there.

Wine and Dine on the Water

We were met with a little mid-week surprise last week – our family friends from Scotland who told us they were coming at the end of February decided to arrive a month early! Naturally, when guests come over you must show them the local hot-spots and hidden hideaways that makes our beautiful Tasman region an even more desirable place to come visit or live. For our guests’ last night of their stay in Nelson, we took them out to a restaurant that we hold very dear to our hearts and tummies; The Boat Shed.

Good Morning Morri Street!

Ah Christmas. The time for giving, love and cheer. In our family, Christmas represents a time where we can love, give and cheer, but also argue, fall-out and cry. This morning we were all up early, rushing around to pick up ANOTHER sibling from the airport, and then venturing into Nelson to do some Christmas shopping. After about 3 fights, 1 cry, losing mum, getting NOWHERE with presents, we all agreed that we were in need of a feed.

Getting the Goods at Hopgood’s

Everybody has a certain special way they like to celebrate their birthday. For me, I like to toast my existence with good food, good drink, and good company! Now, you don’t turn 20 everyday, so I wanted to celebrate the big 2-0 at somewhere a little upscale, elegant, but also somewhere where I knew the food was going to be of an incredible standard. One place instantly came to mind regarding these criteria; Hopgood’s.

Ooh La La, La Gourmandise

Hot sunny days are usually for the beach or the river, but for mum and I they mean a full day of retail therapy and a girls lunch out! Nelson is a boutique city that not only has beautiful independent stores perfect for Christmas shopping, but also has masses of enticing restaurants and cafes. Naturally we planned our shopping trip so we HAD to have lunch in town, so we stopped at our go-to favourite cafe; La Gourmandise. 

Marvelous Market Food

 

December is nearly upon us and we all know what that means…. CHRISTMAS! I love everything about Christmas; the decorations, the presents, spending time with family, and especially the food. I think we can all agree when I say the lead up to Christmas is one of the best parts of the holiday, as there are so many events and festivities that the community can get involved in to come together and share the love and celebrate Christmas.