Food news: The best bites, bars and recipes of the week

Project Botanicals pop-up bar</a> promises a sensory overload of shared dining and artistic cocktails. Photo / Supplied

From foodie events to diet tips and Friday night drinks, here are the best bites of food news this week.

Friday night drinks

• K Rd for a cocktail

Jesse Mulligan reviews new K Rd eatery 69. While he's not impressed with the food, or the restaurant's name, he does rate their drinks menu. while you're waiting for a table across the road at Coco's Cantina, check it out for a cocktail.

The brunch bunch

• Kooky coffee and avo smash

New Mt Eden eatery The Midnight Baker impressed us enough to give it 4.5 stars in our review. The small café gives a new lease of life to the popular avocado smash and offers a red velvet (read: beetroot) latte.

Healthy bites

• The best carbs for weight loss

You might have been surprised by the news that long-demonised carbohydrates aren't so bad for us after all, with new research claiming they are in fact the key to a long life. Here are 10 carbs that will help, not hinder, your weight loss efforts.

• The foods that make you hungrier

Everyone expects to feel fuller after eating, but a nutritionist has revealed how some of our favourite foods could actually be making us hungrier.

Book ahead

• Art meets food

ArtDego is a creative dining collaboration where six renowned chefs team up with New Zealand artists to create a five course art and food experience that's utterly unique.

Held at the Auckland Art Gallery on October 18, tickets tend to sell out fast. Get yours here.

• In with a gin

Project Botanicals pop-up bar promises a sensory overload of shared dining and artistic cocktails. Ten meals, designed by Michael Meridith and inspired by the concoctions of Bombay Sapphire's ambassador Chase Bickerton, will be on offer for two weeks in November.

Where: 5 Galatos Street, Auckland
When: Wednesday 9th - Sunday 20th November
Sittings available: 6.30pm and 8.30pm Wednesday to Saturday
and 6.00pm and 8.00pm Sunday.
Tickets from: www.iticket.co.nz

Make it this weekend

• Cheese please

October is cheese month - was there ever a better excuse for excessive fromage indulgence? To celebrate, Ray McVinnie shares his love of the dairy delight with ten simple recipe ideas to try over on Bite.co.nz.

• Eggplant's purple reign

The humble aubergine has risen in popularity, not just in the food arena, but in beauty, fashion and culture. Find out why eggplant is the new avocado on Viva.co.nz.

• Calling all cauli fans

Celebrate World Vegetarian Month with a new cauliflower recipe to rival all others: Braised saffron cauliflower, crumbled feta, steamed kasha and pickled vegetable salad. Get the recipe on Bite.co.nz.