There’s a little place in Takapuna that I’d been meaning
to eat at for a while. My partner and I frequently head to Takapuna for the
beautiful beach which boasts mythical views of Rangitoto Island, a dormant
volcano teaming with wildlife and epic beach-side walkways that lead you across
sand, grass and black rock paths. The heart of Takapuna itself is peppered with
eateries, shops and bars rendering it the perfect marriage of nature and
hedonism. Let’s just say, I like it here a lot and hunting out a new place to
eat has become one of my favourite pastimes. I never used to be, but lately I’m
a foodie.
Blunderbuss
Pizza Vino did not catch my eye immediately. I remember first walking past
it during the day, seeing it empty and being rather unimpressed with the decor.
Let’s just say the theme of the place is...interesting. I think I can even recall saying, “Who would
eat here?” (Such a snob). The tables and chairs are numbered and look like
donations from an old fashioned institute, the lights are creative and bizarre and
the wall is decorated with posters and pictures epitomising the best of by-gone
culture; there’s lots of pictures of Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brandon and James
Bond and even Lady Gaga makes an appearance.
We walked on by and I didn’t think twice. A short
while later, having just eaten elsewhere in Takapuna, we took a stroll down
Hurstmere Road and stumbled across a variety of pizzerias (the place is heaving
with them). This time Blunderbuss was PACKED to the rafters and table after
table was teaming with heavenly, thin crusted pizzas that looked mouth-wateringly,
lip smackingly good to the point where I wanted to smash through the glass of
the establishment and snatch one of those heavenly pizzas from the hands of the
smug diners enjoying their artful assortment of carefully crafted toppings.
Food has an immediate visual impact on me. I literally
look at food and it has a pornographic influence. Despite the fact that we’d already
eaten, I knew I wanted pizza! We didn’t actually end up eating at Blunderbuss
until a short while later; Easter Monday to be precise. I realised upon
entering that the reason why the front of the restaurant often seems barren is
because the real action is in the back; there is plenty of outdoor seating
available and often a live band or music playing. How could I have been so
naive! It’s just like how all the fun happens at the back of the bus; none of
the cool kids sit at the front in plain view.
A quick scan of the menu told me that one item would
not be enough. Our quirky redheaded waitress had a few suggestions for us and
seemed endlessly enthusiastic about the food which is always a positive sign;
when the staff enjoys the dining, you know that it’s a promising venture.
My partner and I settled on the following items:
·
1 bottle of water (okay, so this was
complimentary)
·
1 jar of prosecco sangria - $10
·
1 portion of baby back ribs
·
1 margarita pizza - $17
·
1 frutti de mare pizza - $19.5
·
1 portion shoestring fries, porcini salt,
aioli - $7.5
Let’s just say, my stomach was very pleased.
Can I also say, I absolutely love these bottles of
water! I need to get some for my house.
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| Sangria loveliness |
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I also love when sangria comes in a jar. This is
another thing I need to start doing; saving and cleaning out jars to make
unique little drink canisters. I’ve never tried prosecco sangria but I do like
prosecco and sangria so unifying them didn’t seem to be a bad idea. My drink
looked like a technicolour rainbow in a jar complete with two teeny tiny black
straws and laden with lemon, raspberries and teeny tiny berries that I just couldn’t
place. Rammed with ice, this creation was fruity, refreshing and had that
gorgeous pop and tang that prosecco is so notorious for. Not enough to get
drunk on, this little jar just got me into that happy, ‘sip of alcohol’ place
that I needed to be in.
The baby back ribs were beautifully presented
slathered in Jack Daniels BBQ sauce and topped with slaw. Unfortunately, the
ribs were a little dry despite the fact that the meat was tasty and a little
more sauce was needed to offset that dryness. The ribs were listed as a special
and my boyfriend devoured these. For me, I wouldn’t be too fussed to re-order.
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| Heaven personified...inside a pizza |
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The real piece de resistance, the jewel in the crown,
was of course the pizza. I’ve always loved margarita pizza; the simplicity and
subtlety of the flavours always works well and delivers an ecstatic taste bud
hit. I knew that the pizzas I had seen in the window looked divine and healthy,
but I didn’t really think about how unusual and unique they truly would be. I have
literally never eaten a pizza like this.
The base is constructed from semolina and manuka honey
but there’s also a gluten free option that comes at a $2 surcharge fused from
chickpeas and tapioca flour. The base of the pizza is very thin (typically I
prefer thicker bases) but the flavour was not compromised whatsoever. First off
the pizza was HUGE. I noticed most pizza sharing pizzas. My partner and I don’t
quite work that way. We ordered one each. We are pigs...a little bit.
I was glad we did because I consumed the entire pizza
in one sitting and could have eaten more if I didn’t have the ribs, fries and
sangria to contend with. The burst of flavour could be tasted in the pillowy
mozzarella which was not used to excess as is so often the case with pizzas. Now
I’m a bit of a cheese fiend but I found that this was just the right amount of
cheese. The basil and juicy, ripe tomatoes were absolutely gorgeous and the
crust was just the right kind of crispy; enough to give you a crunch without
deteriorating in your hands.
My partner’s pizza, the frutti de mare, was a decadent
feast of mussels, salmon, prawns, squid, coriander and fried capers poised on a
tomato base with no cheese. I’m not such a seafood fan so I passed on trying
but he definitely enjoyed it.
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| Fries...salty, creamy goodness |
The shoestring fries came well equipped with porcini
salt, which sounds very Italian and the creamy deliciousness of a side of aioli
(I literally had no idea what aioli was before I come to New Zealand) really
finished them off well.
With our bellies full and the bill paid, I was so
happy that we took the time to stop by her. The staff were lovely, the venue
quirky and spacious with abundant outdoor room and the food was healthy,
creative, filling, and tasty and well worth the price. I’m already badgering my
boyfriend to go here again.
PS...not
that it’s particularly relevant to your eating experience but Blunderbuss
literally translates to mean:
1. historical
a short large-bored gun firing balls or slugs.
2. an action or way of doing something regarded as
lacking in subtlety and precision.
"economists resort too quickly to the
blunderbuss of regulation"
Interesting....
