One to one cafe on Ponsonby road is an oldie, but a goodie.  Ponsonby road is home to coffee in Auckland, and never disappoints with this, Dizengoff, and many others to choose from.  In between cafes you can stroll into boutique shops, or sit on the pavement seats and sip your coffee, people watching.  One to one used to be called Atomic cafe, but changed hands a few years back.  Two rather massive cats live there and watch you eat, or sulk down the pavement, avoiding people walking dogs, to the cafe down the road to jump on unsuspecting patrons laps.

While waiting for her occupational therapy registration to come through Kirsty did a few weeks work at the cafe.  It turned out to be a quirky place with the cats health and wellbeing on the staff meeting agenda.  The walls of One to one are lined with old stove top espresso makers and even a vintage two group Faema in the corner, that used to have its home behind the counter.  The menu is simple, yet extensive and very tasty.  They serve Miller’s which I found out is roasted not far away in Cross street, meaning a visit there soon is essential.

One to one is a jazz cafe so they are open late and have live music.  On Tuesday’s that have music lessons for toddlers, and even a sandpit for those not so inclined.  The outdoor space is massive, and you can either sit out the front and watch people stroll Ponsonby road, or out the back underneath the vines.

One of the delights of moving back somewhere you know is the re-exploration of old favourites.  One of these is Dizengoff Cafe, a Ponsonby institution.  Ponsonby is my favourite suburb in Auckland with cafes, bars, restaurants and a few quirky shops to boot.  Flanking Ponsonby road are narrow streets with gorgeous old villas giving a lovely atmosphere to the area.  I lived there for a few years, and found my home within Auckland.  Auckland is a relatively big city.  Big in size, not so in population, but it is spread out enough to have a very different feel to each suburb.  I lived in Auckland for a long time, not really enjoying it that much, until I experienced living in Ponsonby.

Dizengoff cafe was my old haunt, just 5-minutes stroll up the road.  They are a well oiled machine  with consistent, no fuss service.  If it is heaving with people or completely empty the wait time seems the same which always amazes me, and their mushrooms on toast is simply divine. It is full bodied, rich, and creamy.   This particular dish is so well known that it is featured in the New Zealand Lonely Planet.  The Dizengoff menu is simple, just like it’s walls with a few pictures that change every now and again.  If you get there early enough you can sit in the morning sun, and watch Ponsonby road wake up for the day, or the occasional local celebrity walk through the door.

You would think that all I have been doing lately is cafe dwelling, and perhaps you are right.  Meetings are coffee’s, not stuffy board rooms.  With much to do I’ve barely had explorations outside of those involving caffeine, but I’m not complaining.  After all, cafe dwelling turns work into an experience of place, taste buds, and atmosphere.

From early July to mid-September Kirsty and I travelled all over England, both changed jobs, moved to London, and moved countries.  Every weekend we went somewhere, making the most of our short time left in England.  By the time I left I was exhausted!  But, happy and contented to know we had made the most of our time left there.

The weekend before I flew out we went to Brighton to visit friends and have a look around.  It was my first visit to Brighton.  We wandered around the Lanes and had fabulous Momouth coffee at Coffee@33 on Trafaglar street, and found a Banksy original.  It was a short stay, just one night, but I sure know I will go back to Brighton.  The sun, the independent arty stores and cafes is my kind of town.

I think I found quite possibly my all time favourite cafe (well so far anyway).  Look Mum no hands is a superb combination of my passions: cycling and coffee.  No wonder I rate it!  It’s coffee could not be faulted and this workshop, come cafe, come bar, come quirky hang out with historical pieces of cycling and modern bits to boot, topped off my time in London.  The whole concept was perfectly executed with attention to detail everywhere you looked.  My spinach and feta pie was delicious tempting me to eat my way through their menu.

Over the last decade or so a lot of cycling shops have tried to bring together the cafe and bike shop concept and most of the time it hasn’t worked that well.  Look Mum no hands has flipped the concept around with it’s primary ‘gig’ being a cafe/bar, and secondarily a workshop and accessory bike shop.  It’s the first of it’s kind that I have seen and boy they have done well.  If you are in East London be sure to pay a visit.  You won’t be disappointed.

It wasn’t long ago that my partner and I were faced with a big decision: move countries?  An opportunity presented itself and we were out for the day talking, enjoying the sunshine, and it was lunch time so we stumbled into Gourmet Burger Kitchen as they have a fine list of Vegetarian burgers.  Never having been here before we sat down and continued talking about moving countries then read the menu and realized something.  The country in question was my homeland, New Zealand.  On the menu was L&P, New Zealand’s iconic drink, along with Peanut Slabs, and many other Kiwi delights.  The burger restaurant is a New Zealand burger chain which we had both never been to, or heard of.  Coincidence?

Whatever the case we both laughed and enjoyed a can of L&P along with fabulous Vege burgers.

The Chorlton festival was a few weeks ago.  Chorlton (officially Chorlton-cum-hardy) is a suburb 20 minutes outside of Manchester.  It is a bit of a strange suburb with £1 stores next to fancy cafes and restaurants and has a great community feel.  We only got to one event in the festival, the shared meal.  It is something we do at the Buddhist centre often before a teaching or class.  Everyone chips in and brings food and eats together which for some reason I find really heartening in this busy, competitive, what can I get world.  Instead, we are intentionally feeding strangers, feeding each other on the basic level of sustenance.

Lanchester is one hour north of  Manchester and last month went there to have dinner with KC’s Dad.  We were running late, so by the time we got there and headed out the door, it was already 8.30pm.  The local idea was full and had a 30 minute wait.  The next idea was full, the next idea had stopped making dinners.

On our fourth, finally we found a table until KC asked “hmmm do they serve alcohol here?”  The reply was not conducive to dining out that night, so again we headed out into the night to continue to stumble door to door to full restaurants.

What recession?

Finally we came across 1725 Tapa’s after an hour of looking for somewhere to eat on hungry tummies slowly winding us all up.  1725 Tapas had a Jazz band playing – KC’s Dads favourite music, and served us with gorgeous food, and great service.   The tension built from the hour looking, quickly disappeared with our waitresses empathetic service, and a swift pint, giving us a lesson in, if you keep trying you will find somewhere perfect.

It was a late one, making a coffee tasting essential.  I asked for my usual macchiato but they did not know what it was, so a double espresso with a side of milk was agreed on, and it came out to wow my taste buds.  My espresso with a bit on the side may just be the best way to ask for my macchiato in future.  Especially after my Moose experience… coming soon.