Food Highlights from our New Zealand & Australia Honeymoon

Wow, it's been almost five months since my last post. Eesh. I had some projects going on, but now I'm back. Hopefully. If only to tell you about our amazing 3-week honeymoon in New Zealand and Australia. 

Why those destinations? Well, we wanted to go somewhere once-in-a-lifetime. A place that could sustain a lengthy trip. A place that mixed nature, food, relaxation and adventuring. So it was down under for us. 

I'll share some of our excursions, but for now, I'll get into what you're probably interested in most: the food! 

New Zealand and Australia might not come to mind as top food destinations. You'd sooner think of other popular honeymoon spots like Tuscany or Southeast Asia. 

But what Aussie/Kiwi food lacks in rhapsodic buzz it makes up in quality, diversity, and creativity. Plus, some interesting takes on iconic dishes. Here are some of our fav bites: 

PAVLOVA

Pavlova is my type of dessert. Named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, the dessert is typically a ring of meringue filled with cream and fruit.

This one at The Landing Bar in Franz Josef opted for a softer, more marshmallow-like meringue, and a hokey pokey ice cream. Hokey pokey is also known as honeycomb candy, an excellent way to make use of New Zealand's prized Manuka honey. 

EXOTIC MEATS

Weird how we *saw* all these animals at the Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas...and then the next day we sought to eat them. I'll deal with carnivorous guilt another time...

I've had all these meats before, but with the exception of croc in the Florida Everglades (revolting, cartilaginous and slimy, with red veins coursing through), all those meats must've been shipped from far away. The patties at Mason's Cafe in Cape Tribulation were hand-formed, lightly packed, and fresh. Of the three burgers, the croc tasted the best!

This dish was from our favorite meal of the trip, at Salsa Bar & Grill in Port Douglas. Paperbark-smoked kangaroo loin with goat cheese marshmallow and guava pulp. The meat was tender and silky -- like filet mignon but with more flavor. (Random trivia: This is where Hillary and Bill Clinton were when they found out about 9/11. I think the staff tells every American that.) 

Side note: if you're in New Zealand you also *must* have lamb. We had shanks, a burger, and a lamb salad before we officially ODed.

PINOT NOIR

I drink wine and have basic knowledge, but I'm not really a wine person. I regard wine like I regard eyebrow threading and expensive artwork...someday, but not when I have other things on my plate.

But! My go-to wine is always always Pinot Noir and New Zealand's Otago region is the place for that. We enjoyed a Pinot tasting at No 5 Church Lane in Queenstown and this Pinot and Otago cherry bon-bon at Patagonia in Arrowtown. 

TROPICAL FRUITS

You can tell a lot about a person from their AIM screenname. Mine? Mauibamba. I take to the tropics...even if my hair doesn't. 

I loved the musky sweet taste of pressed sugarcane with ginger and lime. Post-hike, we drank from a fresh coconut, then returned to the stand so it could be split with a machete and shredded with a table-mounted reamer.

Another fav: a selection of ice creams from Daintree Ice Cream Company, a farm shack that rotates flavors from their orchard. We had jackfruit, soursop, passionfruit and wattleseed (a flavor that D astutely described as chocolate root beer). 

Side note: the apples are also really good in New Zealand. Galas, of course, but the best was a new variety started in NZ called the Smitten, a cross between Gala, Braeburn, Falstaff and Fiesta apples. So crispppy.

LAMINGTONS

A lamington is a spongecake, coated in chocolate and pressed in shredded coconut. Sometimes they sandwich jam or cream. How delightful is that? 

I loved how pillowy light they are -- less sinful than a cupcake, more substantial than a macaron. I'd have a lamington over either of those any day. 

SEAFOOD

Barely needs mentioning, but I will just to round out this list. Common fish we ate/saw on menus: mackerel, barramundi, grouper (which they spell groper), and some new-to-me fishes like gurnard and gem fish. 

If you're in Sydney, check out the Sydney Fish Market, the most diverse fish market outside of Japan and eye-popping good fun and better eats. 

CAFE CULTURE

You may have heard that Australia is "taking over the NYC restaurant scene". Even if you don't know the origins, you know the vibe. Airy interiors. Flat whites. Acai bowls. Muesli. And of course, AVOCADO TOAST. These are Australian imports (as far as you can track these things). 

Breakfast dishes usually bore me. Eggs get old and I've never been a pancake or waffle girl. I prefer bacon as an accent, not as the main attraction. 

But on our honeymoon, breakfast was my favorite meal. A few of my favorite breakfast dishes: cauliflower hash with agria, spinach aioli, mango chili chutney; coconut chia pudding with rambutan and passionfruit; probiotic salads with poached egg. And a flat white always.

GENERAL CARE & CONSIDERATION 

Ok, so this is just a basic picnic lunch. But it was prepared and assembled on-the-spot during our Dart River Funyaking expedition. Our river guides brought fresh vegetables and bread on their kayaks and then sliced them on-site. This really shocked me. We also had coffee, tea, cakes and fresh fruit -- all built up and broken down in the middle of nowhere. It was so... civilized. 

Now, you may argue that perhaps this was a "luxury" experience and we paid for such care. Maybe. That doesn't totally explain why they didn't just bring sliced bread. To me, this felt like a real respect for food and the eating experience.

I felt this all over New Zealand and Australia. From the lack of to-go cups, to natural nourishing ingredients rather than gut-bombing cheap shots, to plates that spoke to all the senses. We ate every well. 

Dessert at Salsa Bar & Grill 

THE RECS - PLACES WE WENT TO & LIKED
 

NEW ZEALAND

Christchurch
Black Betty
Roots -- we didn't go here because we didn't know any better at the time 

Queenstown
Bespoke Kitchen
Public Kitchen & Bar
No 5 Church Lane 
Madam Woo
Mrs Ferg Gelataria and Fergbaker (we never made it to Fergburger -- line was too long!) 

Arrowtown
Chop Shop Food Merchants
Patagonia (also in Wanaka and Queenstown)

AUSTRALIA

Port Douglas
Cafe FresQ
Salsa Bar & Grill
Lanternfish
Daintree Ice Cream Company

Sydney
Cross Eatery
Sydney Fish Market

Have you been to New Zealand or Australia? What were your favorite bites? 
 

Our Italian Vacation Part 2: Amalfi Coast

Okay, I’m going to sound a little hippie-ish here. The best vacations are holistic vacations.

\hō-ˈlis-tik\ characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole

I’m not talking meditation and acupuncture...but rather looking at the balance of travel. To me, a perfect vacation has contrast, a yin and yang.

City and country. Site-seeing and relaxation. Touristy and living like a local.

We started vacation in Rome, pushing ourselves to see and eat everything possible. And then after a quick train ride and taxi ... a gear shift. Something calmer, brighter, just as stunning but in a different way. 

Why Amalfi? Well, it wasn't up to us. Dave's friends decided to forego a wedding in favor of a stunning villa on the Mediterranean with 20 of their closest friends (cue: face palm and wedding planning regret). 

The place was incredible. In the photo on the above left, the villa is the taller building, from the top roof deck to the in-sea lounging area to the terraced patios gilded with fig trees, bougainvillea, herbs, succulents, and more. 

Relaxation took many forms. Napping on the roof deck. Crosswords on the main entertaining deck. Bocce on the...activity deck. Reading in the lemon grove. You get the point. You can even contract a boat to pick you up at the foot of the villa (but alas the sea was too choppy so our boat days were cancelled--twice). 

We did some site-seeing, but at a more leisurely pace than our Roman look-and-leave. One thing a day instead of seven. On our first day, we went to Hercalaneum, a smaller, more well-to-do city than Pompeii that met the same fate when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

Italy is impossibly beautiful, but not just because of the manmade. After ruins aplenty, we hiked the Path of the Gods from Agerolo to Positano, a walk that combines everything you could want: sky, sea, greenery, flowers, mountains, forest and wildlife. 

The contrast extended to food, too. There are a zillion ways to slice this, but here's a start. Casual and high-end. Traditional and experimental. Planned and spontaneous.

In some ways, I think living in Rome wouldn't be that different from living in NYC. But the Amalfi Coast felt more relaxed, possibly by necessity. You can't rush anywhere on those hairpin turns on the coast. The photos above are from Amalfi, a 40-minute walk from our villa. I was ready to do a day of market-ing and cooking, but alas the walk was a bit far and more importantly, harrowing, given there's no sidewalk and every turn is a blind turn.  

And unsurprisingly, possibly the best meal of the trip wasn't at some Michelin-starred restaurant, but a home-cooked meal at the villa by Marguerite, the villa's mamma-bird and housekeeper.

We had: eggplant parmigiana, stewed zucchini, panzanella, bruschetta, lemon pasta, shrimp risotto, sea bass en papillote with olives and capers, and cake with custard cream and fresh fruit. 

(Side story: when we asked if the eggplant had cheese, Marguerite reassured us, no cheese, only mozzarella!) 

Did I love it because it was homey and personal, that I didn't have to look it up on some blog or Google Maps? Did I love it because we were sitting with friends, new and old? Did I love it because it was a refreshing change, a contrast? Yes, yes, yes.

A common term you'll hear in Italy is tipico. As in, typical. To foreign ears, this may sound like an insult. "Typical frat boy", "typical boss rant"... something like that. But in Italy, it's a label of pride. 

Up in the hills of Nocelle, the last point on the Path of the Gods until you make the 1,700 steps to Positano, we had an unlikely hike pit stop at Ristorante Santa Croce of meats, cheeses, fish and soup, all served on white tablecloths and the prettiest of plates. Of note: the tipico fiordilatte, a type of mozzarella prized in this region. 

The famed Amalfi (aka Sfusato) lemon is everywhere: in orchards on the way to limoncello, in backyards, on servingware, in granita (so good), and in cakes, yogurt, pastries, you name it. I picked lemons from the villa's grove for multiple pitchers of mint lemonade and can attest that these fresh lemons are something else: more fragrant, more delicate, less acidic than our American ones. 

Cheese and carbs were our common thread in Rome. Lemons, arugula, and seafood were the refrain in Amalfi. 

We enjoyed our last dinner at Il Giardiniello in Minori. 

And what do you know, the salad was nothing more than arugula, spicier and more herb-like than what we have here, and a wedge of Amalfi lemon. 

We followed in Amalfi tipico fashion: fried anchovies stuffed with smoked mozzarella, fish wrapped in eggplant like a present, seared Mediterranean tuna, and great mounds of Minorese gnocchi, made with flour, ricotta and eggs. 

Naturally, we had to get the lemon delight, a vanilla-lemon sponge covered in a dome of lemon cream. And of course, tiramisu. Again. For balance. 

AT A GLANCE

Where to stay: 
Dimora di Mare
Via Carusiello, 28, 84010 Ravello
Perfect for a large group and/or special occasion. They even host weddings. But otherwise, there are plenty of smaller villa options here.

Where to eat: 
Ristorante Giardiniello
Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 17, 84010 Minori

Ristorante Santa Croce
Via Nocelle, 19, Nocelle 84017 Positano

any lemon granita stand in Positano

Our Italian Vacation Part 1: Rome

I adore Rome. Where else you can encounter ancient ruins down the street from the Missoni store, a celebrity pizzaiolo in the shadow of the Vatican, and casual beauty where even the neighborhood convenience store drips with jasmine vines?

We came to Italy to celebrate a friend’s wedding on the Amalfi Coast (more on that later), but first we had to spend a couple days in the Eternal City. 

This was my third time in Rome and D’s first, so our two day/ two night stay included a full sweep of all the major sites, some quieter neighborhood spots, plus lots of time for wandering. 

If you have two days, I’d recommend a combination of these three groups.

GROUP 1: The Biggies - Colosseum, Roman Forum/Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vatican. These are must-see destinations for the first-timer. Warning: there will be LINES, particularly at the Vatican and Colosseum. 

GROUP 2: The On-the-Ways - Piazza Navona, Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese. These are also special, but if you’re short on time, you can probably do without. Chances are, you’ll be in those neighborhoods anyway, so you can stop by. 

GROUP 3: The Wanderables - My favorite part of any trip: discovering where locals really live, work, and of course--eat. Trastevere is boho yet refined, a neighborhood that twinkles with charm. Testaccio is laid-back and home to satisfying, unpretentious restaurants. And Prati! What it lacks in elegance, it makes up for in the best pizza on the planet. 

Here are some picks from Group 3.

Mercato di Campagna Amica Circo Massimo

Rome is not as compact as NYC, but you really should walk everywhere because there are surprises around every corner. Case in point: this buzzing farmer's market just down the street from our hotel. That porchetta was our first bite in Rome and it was just what we needed to awaken our airport-dulled appetites.

Beyond the Iced Coffee

Yes, I know all about your nitro coffee and cold brew. But when it's hot, the Italians know where it's at. I first fell in love with the shakerato in 2009, when I was in Puglia for a spell. I've since ordered it at every top Italian coffee shop in NYC (Eataly, Tarallucci e Vino, and... Blue Bottle) and no one gets close. A shakerato **must** be foamy on top. Don't ask me how it works -- the ingredients are only ice, espresso, and simple syrup -- but it's magic, like a hyper caffeinated root beer float. Shakerato above is from Sant'Eustachio. 

And I know you're in Italy for the gelato ... I get it! But save room for another creamy cold treat: the granita. Consider: icy shards of espresso, scoops of barely-sweetened cream, and a generous drizzle of chocolate. Like all Italian coffee, you don't take this to-go. You stop and enjoy it. Granita above is from Bar del Cappuccino. 

Flavio al Velavevodetto

I almost never repeat anything. Books, movies, restaurants, recipes. Life is too short, the list of options is long. Why dwell on one thing? Well, for one, because some things are really, really good. 

We loved Flavio al Velavevodetto the first night. The food wasn't anything we hadn't seen before -- caponata, zucchini with mint and garlic, ricotta ravioli, meatballs -- and yet each dish was dialed into a different, more delicious register. The ravioli dough was daringly al dente, the ricotta wet and milky, the tomatoes somehow deep and bright and sweet all at once. Flavio has been a foodie fav ever since Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food Movement, sang its praises. 

And so I buried my FOMO and went to the same place for dinner, two nights in a row. 

Reader, it was worth it. (Shown above: roasted padrón peppers, escarole with capers and raisins, fettuccine with green beans, pesto and potatoes, beef rollatini, tiramisu) 

Bonci Pizzarium

But man cannot live on vegetables, pasta, and espresso alone. There must be pizza. 

I first learned about Pizzarium from my friend Pam Yung, who did a pop-up collab with Bonci just one week before my trip. Pam is a breadmaking goddess who has earned well-deserved acclaim for her desserts and bread program at her restaurant, Semilla. Her partner (in life and business) José Ramírez-Ruiz is a vegetable-whisperer. Any place that hosts these two is a place I'm sure to like. 

And boy, did I. 

Pizza is a multi-faceted thing. And I am but one small person in a giant universe. But from my POV, this is the best pizza in the world. 

Gabriele Bonci uses natural sourdough starters (one that dates back to WWI), resulting in the platonic ideal of pizza crust. I always thought I liked thin crust, but what's infinitely better is a crust of medium height, airy and elastic inside and crackling and crisp on the bottom. Imagine the lift and depth of a sourdough, the crunch of a cracker, and the savory je ne sais quoi of a baguette. 

And that's just the dough. 

Pizzarium serves up to 20 different flavor combinations a day. Lucky for you, the pizza is al taglio, or by the kilo. You can sample a little sliver of tomato, sweet onion and Pecorino ... or squash blossoms and ricotta ... or tiles of potato ... or tuna and arugula ... or broccolini and mortadella ... or ...

I overheard one woman say, "I could die here." Same, sister.

And, oh yeah!

There's another reason I was in Italy -- I have a book coming out this week! (same book, different language). Check it out here. Vita Segreta di Una Gourmet hits stores June 23.

Next up... part two of our vacation ... the Amalfi Coast. (sneak peeks on my Instagram) 

At a Glance

Where to stay:
Kolbe Hotel
I picked this hotel because it was sandwiched between the Colosseum (touristy), Palatine Hill (serene) and Testaccio (neighborhoody). The airy, spacious hotel is in a former convent, and like many things in Rome, is a pleasing blend of new and old. 
Via di S. Teodoro, 48, 00186 Roma, Italy

Where to eat:
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Via di Monte Testaccio, 97, 00153 Roma, Italy

Bonci Pizzarium
Via della Meloria 43, 00136 Rome, Italy

Frigidarium (gelato)
Via del Governo Vecchio, 112, 00186 Roma, Italy

Where to caffeinate: 
Sant'Eustacchio 
Piazza Sant'Eustachio 82, 00186 Rome, Italy
Yes, I know this place is touristy, but it only got that way because the coffee is so good

Bar del Cappuccino
Via Arenula, 50, 00186 Rome, Italy
Totally unassuming (even ugly), but serves a memorable, perfect cappuccino