The delirium of deprival had not yet irreparably damaged my senses and with hunger levelling its rifle sights at me I headed for the peace and quiet of the countryside. Eighteen kilometres out of town, which may not seem far to some of you city dwellers, I came upon a friendly farmer willing to take me in, feed me hot vegetable broth and warm my swollen feet by the open fire....or so I thought.
In actual fact, whilst the above may not be strictly true, I did find somewhere equally as inviting and with a pleasing enough menu to induce moments of unmistakable joy and bouts of splendid relief at my good fortune.
A convivial community meeting point with aromatic wafts of freshly ground and expressed coffee, the large espresso machine ‘doing its thing’ with comforting encessancy, the ‘ladies in waiting’ sashaying about the room with purpose and poise. How could I not be teased into temptation by such tea house temptresses?
My espresso before me, a glass of Rabbit Patch Pinot Noir on order and the thrill of expectation as I waited a short while only for the ooh aah opportunity of lavishing my love on a lunch main of lamb. “Mildly spiced lamb backstrap served on a bed of roasted kumara & tomato, finished with rocket and a sweet red pepper dressing.” Such an unashamedly honest country offering, its fresh, earthy flavours a superb reminder to even the most critical of deipnosophists, that whilst molecular gastronomy and scientific cuisine has its place in the exciting world of food and wine, there is nothing quite so delightful as a simple, well prepared meal using the fruits of the local earth. Of course, The Store at TaiTapu is not a fine dining restaurant, far from it, but as a cafe it offers its own special take on local food and wine that is not at all complicated. The intention is for you, the customer, to enjoy the tastes on offer and be inspired enough to return. It seems that everything is local (South Island)including the wines so why wouldn’t you?
Judging by the numbers in this establishment on a weekday lunchtime they are doing everything right.
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