By CATHERINE HARRIS - The Dominion Post
10/02/2010
Most travellers, as they come off the Rimutakas, used to head straight for Martinborough or Greytown for their Friday evening meal. But just down the main road in Featherston there's now a very good reason to stop.
Cornucopia has been in residence for just 19 months and in that time it's gained a reputation as being just as good as any cafe in the big smoke.
Using the kids as camouflage, we slipped in one Saturday morning for brunch. We forgot, of course, that taking children to a grown-ups' cafe is anything but inconspicuous, but the staff were attentive and the kids were happy with their ham and cheese, and chocolate croissants.
In fact, a very healthy array of baked goods greeted us at the counter, courtesy of the cafe's new baker Martin Grice, who has spent time with Greytown's Shoc Choc and French Bakery.
Forgoing a particularly tempting brioche, I settled down with a menu. Outside, cyclists stretched their legs in the sun and couples slouched into the cafe's spacious beige, white and black interior.
It's a classy look, with a slightly French feeling, and obviously popular with the growing commuter population and passing traffic.
Owners Tony Austin and Erin Nesdale had been locals for several years before deciding the township could stand one more eatery.
Tony, who had been tutoring and working front of house for many years, decided it was time to put his chef training to use, and his culinary skills are hinted at in the big range of house chutneys and jams by the counter.
The couple began running cooking courses last year and for some time now have been opening with a limited but revolving menu on Friday nights, to service a loyal pool of weekenders.
Back to the menu, and while I know from happy past experience that the fettuccine ($18.50) is worth ordering, I decide it's too early and opt for eggs benedict ($15.50).
It comes with generous slabs of sour dough, and plastered with more off-the- bone ham than I had at Christmas.
The other half is also enjoying a generous breakfast plate ($18.50) with everything cooked just right. He's most reluctant to share the spicy sausages.
I leave a half-eaten meal, simply because I can't stuff in another bite and sip a decently strong long black.
The kids eye my piece de resistance, a delicately balanced morsel of decadence that is Cornucopia's 72 per cent dark chocolate tart ($5) and all too soon I'm grappling for the last piece of it.
While the others eat, I cast my eye over the menu. French toast ($14.50), lamb's fry ($17), soup ($11) and beef and red wine pie ($6.50) catch my attention, and, based on the evidence, I have to believe the other offerings are equally well cooked.
So Cornucopia gets the big tick from our family and I leave hoping their culinary efforts will be appreciated enough to ensure it a long life.
Coffee: Served quickly. Mine was black, small but perfectly formed.
Try this: Twice-cooked pork belly ($19) which was successfully road tested by the Friday night crowd.
Mag Rack: Wairarapa publications.
Clientele: Cyclists, weekend visitors and mature regulars.
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photo by ROBERT KITCHIN
The Dominion Post
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