Crayfish on the menu for Seafood Night

Waoku Lodge has gained a following amongst visitors from across New Zealand and Australia who return to the Lodge specifically for the food and ambiance at the Whale Bay location. Some lucky Raglan people have already had the opportunity to sample the Waoku Lodge menu and have recommended the food to friends; consequently the Lodge has received requests for bookings at their restaurant. BUT…  there is no restaurant for public bookings as the Lodge can only serve their resident guests leaving many people disappointed!

Now there is an opportunity to sample the dishes that Lodge guests keep returning for.  It seemed relevant to Raglan to offer a Seafood menu and Sharon from Waoku Lodge will showcase two of the Lodge’s dishes whilst Vinnies owner and chef, Vito, will prepare two more seafood dishes. Sharon and Vito will combine to create additional new choices especially for this evening’s menu. There will also be a classic char-grilled steak and a vegetarian option, so all are welcome!

Reservations are advised as there is already a great deal of interest generated for this event. To book your table call 825 7273 (Wed – Sun) or 825 7072 anytime – remember numbers are limited!

Date:        Thursday August 26^th

Time:        6.00 – 10.00 p.m.

Place:       Vinnies, 7 Wainui Road, Raglan

Vinnies - voted best value burger in Raglan

A clear winner has emerged in the best burger poll conducted by The Raglan Website during July and August.  Vinnies in Wainui Road, Raglan went into the lead early on and held it with about 50% of the votes while the poll was running.

Overall a total of 115 people voted in the poll, which asked the question, “In terms of taste, presentation and service which of the following has hamburgers that are best value for money?” The value question was used so it best captured the purchasing behaviour of people buying burgers in Raglan.

While Vinnies took the lead early and held that place, Burger Shack Organic and Te Kopua Camp Store came second equal.  So congratulations to Vito, owner of Vinnies and thank you to everybody who voted.

In terms of taste, presentation and service which of the following has hamburgers that are best value for money?

• Vinnies (50%, 57 Votes)
• Burger Shack Organic (14%, 16 Votes)
• Kopua Camp Store (14%, 16 Votes)
• Hot Roast – Burger Bar (4%, 5 Votes)
• D’s at the Club (Raglan Club) (3%, 4 Votes)
• Blacksand (3%, 4 Votes)
• Harbour View Hotel (3%, 4 Votes)
• Raglan Takeaways – Nannies (3%, 3 Votes)
• The Shack (2%, 2 Votes)
• Raglan West Store (1%, 1 Votes)
• Orca (1%, 1 Votes)
• Marlin (1%, 1 Votes)
• Hong Kong Kitchen (1%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 115

An occasional column by Rodger on dining in Raglan

Harbour View Hotel, Bow Street, Raglan

When the brick chimneys were shortened at the Harbour View Hotel as an earthquake safety measure, the double brick fireplaces in the restaurant were converted to gas.  While a gas fire doesn’t have the full charm of a log fire it still looks good and it keeps you nice and cosy.  Only ten years ago, the Harbour View Hotel restaurant was empty on winter nights, but now it is well patronised all year round.  The ambience of this heritage building is always good to enjoy.

The original Harbour View Hotel was built in 1866 when the first proprietor, George Moon, moved from Te Uku to Raglan.  Until the 1890s when other buildings began to block the view, the harbour could be seen from the dining room side entrance.  After a fire in 1901, the Harbour View Hotel was rebuilt, burnt down again in 1904, and rebuilt similar to the 1901 design. The hotel is registered by the NZ Historic Places Trust as a historic building.

The table next to the fire looked good to us so we settled down there.  The waitress offered some water and took our drinks order.  I ordered a glass of Jacobs Creek Shiraz ($6) which was delivered promptly.  It was priced right for the quality.  The Harbour View is best known for its seafood chowder, but it has a full café style menu and a restaurant menu with meals that are a little fancier and a bit more expensive.   We both ordered the beer battered gurnard off the cafe menu.  The gurnard was cooked perfectly and the batter was light and crispy.  The fries were out of the freezer but cooked well.  The meal came with a fresh garden salad.

One of the Raglan’s best kept secrets are the cookies that are homemade in the Harbour View kitchen.   We each had a lemon shortbread cookie fresh out of the oven with our cappuccinos.

Overall on Value for Money I gave Harbour View Hotel a Seven out of Ten for a well cooked and presented meal and very good service.

The Harbour View Hotel restaurant is quite large and they can usually fit you in somewhere although in the peak holiday season there can be a wait.

Harbour View Hotel,  14 Bow Street, Raglan.  Phone: 825 8010

New Fresh & Sweets shop opens on Bow Street, Raglan

A new shop has opened on Bow Street Raglan in the old premises of the Independent Grocery.  Known as Fresh & Sweets, the new shop at 37 Bow Street stocks fudge, coconut ice, raspberry sauce as well as a range of fresh produce.  It is the same mix that has been seen on the stalls run by Lallu Farms at markets in Raglan over the last few years.