WELLINGTON FOODY GOSSIP.

Today the rugby prawn and I had a nice business lunch at St Johns Bar and Restaurant . Turbot is a special favourite fish of mine and I was delighted it was on the menu. It was the best fish I have had in ages. Settled on a heady garlic mash, and dressed with a lovely julienne carrot salad the fish was cooked to perfection. I will be going back for more. He was a bit more reticent about his Sirloin Steak - declaring it a tad too tough. We drank a lovely bottle of of Arcadia bubbles from Central Otago. Its light and girly - like Pol Roger without the citrusy zing and length.
As for food gossip - It is time one of the Wellington main stream media did a story on who owns what in the Wellington hospitality scene. We hear that while the Trinity Group remain one the main players in bar management , many of their previous bars are now owned by a big Aussie company.
And the word is that DB has so much money buried in the basement of the failed Temperance Bar complex that some of the company wags have suggested that it be turned into the Brewery giants offices. And everyone is watching anxiously to see who will close next. Times are pretty tough we are told.

And anyone walking down the west side of lower Willis St can't fail to notice that it has become a shopping ghetto. While the fashionistas dominate the east side, the West Side looks like it has been bombed. It was busy enough prior to Xmas but all with shops on short term, sell shit quick, leases. Now we counted at least 6 empty shops in a row. It is hoped the area will be developed.