WAITER THERE IS A TWIT IN MY RESTAURANT

We reported recently on our experience with twittering our concerns about a substandard fish pie we had in a cafe recently and the fact that the restaurant was monitoring twitter and sorted out the issue in short order.

Now the Herald is carrying a story on how Twitter is being used by restaurants. Hospitality by its very nature is a great place to capitalise on the benefits of social media. Wellingtonians are joining up Four Square in droves as it points the social butterflies to the best deals around the place.

One of best examples on the Wellington scene of social media use is St Johns. the normally laconic owner Jason is having some fun on twitter offering deals on beer and wine every time the wind gets up . His latest effort is a total pisstake of himself but already he has had 3500 people view the vid on Youtube.

Well done him.

We are really expecting that the hospitality will be huge users of social media. Its immediacy and ability to target are a marketers wet dream.

DISAPPEARING LEMON SUCKS

We hope it is not true but we fear it is. Citron is to go. It has been a stunning little haven of gastronomic delights lovingly tended by the big guy Rex Morgan. a man who has the admiration of the industry. Apparently he is off to rule the kitchen at Boulcott St Bistro. Phew.....

And in other Wellington Bar news - St Johns has apparently been sold.. bugger, We hope the chef stays and Portofino now has a liquor licence.

We also lunched at Trade Kitchen last week - it was outstanding - we had meatloaf.. moist and tasty it was.

This morning we had brunch at Mecca in the Chancery in Auckland... superb it was.

AROUND AND ABOUT - EATING OUT

We have been lucky to have dined here and there in the last few weeks.

First up - our old favourite - Zicos a wonderful Italian restaurant in Courtney Place. A few old scribes meet there every so often and last week Spaz gave us all a treat and shouted us some lobster entree. It was superb. As was were the Bluff oysters.

Next it was Tulsi - still impeccable food and the service is some of the friendliest in town. We are noticing more " suits " in the lunch time crowd - Some of the same faces we used to see when we used to frequent Dockside.

And we recently called into Main Street Deli with the Irish Lass and had a superb breakfast of French toast . It was indulgent and a treat and the coffee was strong without being bitter.

The other nite we ended up at St Johns - it was oysters and whitebait all round for canapes. For Entree they served a lovely Alaskan Crab on a crab mousse. Our main was a done to perfection crispy skinned baby snapper on a cauliflower puree - it was bliss.

Dessert was a marsala poached pear encased in filo in a butterscotch sauce with pistachio ice cream, delicately sumptuous.

Peregrine Pinot Noir and a stunning sauvignon blanc with a name we cant find on their wine list but sounded like Staedel and it was from Marlborough. It was very different and very very yum. It has all the acid and fruit of a Marlborough Sav but had a hint of oak.
And yip we do not confess to being a wine expert but everyone loved it.

And finally today we dined at the Green Man - not really my cup of tea . I'm not a fan of soggy pizza. However the rest of the team liked their meals which were a Caesar salad, and burgers. The place is a riot of mismatched kitsch. Give me D4 any day.

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.