I have remarked before that many restaurants show scant respect for vegetarians ("Give 'em the spaghetti carbonara, and pick the bacon bits out"), but this looked suspiciously like taking the piss. To be fair, we had been warned: "It's hard to fill the plate with a vegetarian dish," the waiter had said (an assertion that would come as a surprise to about a billion Indians). But the Professor, who likes a good carrot, was intrigued.
In short: the vegetarian dish on Clooney's a la carte menu is a bad joke. It's a side dish - and not a very good one. And (see prices below), it's a dish that costs some proportion more than half of $80. In a place that feels free to ask for a $5 "supplement" if you choose the French cheese at dessert time, knocking a bit off the fancy carrot seems fair.
Clooney may be the most expensive restaurant in Auckland. The prices are higher than at The French Cafe, Merediths and The Grove, but the main courses do come with veges.
Of course, it's the kind of place people who worry about prices don't go. They barely notice when the waiter, unbidden, cracks a second bottle of sparkling water and adds $12 to the bill. I only mention it because they emailed asking for constructive feedback.
So is it worth the dosh? Rereading my largely enthusiastic reviews from '07 (when it was newly opened) and '09, I can't help concluding that it has gone downhill. The unchanged design (Fearon Hay led the charge into industrial chic) is forgivable, because it's so damn nice. But our table had cracks and stains and the leather on the banquettes is tired. The service is acceptably efficient, though at those prices, I reckon you ought to have the same waiter all night (we had four) to give a sense of exclusivity.
All of which is not to say there wasn't some damn fine food: venison carpaccio, cured with beetroot, was sweet and rich as chocolate, and a sherry jam worked perfectly with it. A variety of fungi (enokitake and shiitake) and rosemary-flavoured croutons added texture. A decent slab of cured salmon served alongside smoked eel in a light pastry case called a beignet was superb.
Likewise I was deeply impressed with some lamb (boneless shoulder, I think, miraculously unfatty and swooningly tender). I also got the better of the desserts (licorice in brittle and custard forms came with blackberries and a sensational biscuit crumble).
All in all, it wasn't a bad way to finish a dining year, but to judge by this single experience, Clooney is only near, not at, the top of the fine-dining game.
That's me for 2014. Thanks for reading. All the best for Christmas. Back on January 11.
• Two courses $80; three courses $95; degustations $130-$150
Verdict: A pioneer of ubercool industrial chic is showing its age
Cheers
Great white
As tall, dark and handsome people go, there's only one for me.
And funnily enough, when it comes to wine, my favourite right now also happens to come in a tall, dark and handsome package. It is the lucky last Auburn riesling from Central Otago.
If you blinked and missed the brand name, you're in good company. This is teency tiny quantity wine we're talking.
The Auburn brand was born about six years ago as the hobby of three riesling fanatics, including viticulturist Max Marriott, who has now been seduced to the bright winemaking lights of Oregon in the United States.
So if you're looking for an awesome white wine to drink this summer, here it is: the 2014 Auburn Riesling from Bannockburn in Central Otago, which cruises in at 10 per cent alcohol, is medium-dry in style and tastes nearly bone dry, thanks to its succulent peachy flavours and fresh acidity.
Stunning. Sob sob.
Please, lovely Auburn guys, can you make me some more.
Short supply is the best summary of this year's Auburn Riesling, but you can buy it; email producer Max Marriott: max@auburnwines.com
- By Joelle Thomson, joellethomson.com
