VIVA ITALIA CONTINUED FROM P44 SCIASCIA BROTHERS: A local corporate identity and packaging design business. Owner Ben’s great great grandfather emigrated here from Trani, married and had 11 children. Tragically his life ended being mauled by a bull. Amazing, but true. 56 Brown Street T: 09 360 0559 www.sciascia.co.nz SKIN INSTITUTE: The medical spa above the old Ponsonby Post Office is where you will find Pier Marzinotto, a doctor from Udine in Friuli, north east of Venice. 3 St Mary’s Bay Road T: 09 376 8888 www.skininstitute.co.nz TANGO PIZZA & PASTA BAR: Serial entrepreneur Alex Escalante has just opened, Tango, his latest enterprise late last month. Alex is married to an Italian and this new business has developed from a culmination of 30 years experience in and around food, wine and fun. This new Italian inspired restaurant is a welcome addition to Grey Lynn’s neighbourhood. 2A Surrey Crescent T: 09 378 7888.
photography: Jo Barrett
TESSUTI: (Fine linen) Create ambience in the home and be transported to Italy with the beautiful fragrant candles in the Tocca range. Freshen up your home ith fabulous throws, cushions and blankets from the Missoni range. 224 Jervois Road T: 09 376 4802 www.tessuti.co.nz VIDEO EZY: Complete your Fellini and Pasolini DVD collection with one of the finest selections of art-house and foreign movies in town. 160 Ponsonby Road T: 09 376 6450
MEET THE LATEST LATIN AT GPK THERE’S A NEW LATIN LINK AT GPK PONSONBY. ALONG WITH ITS LEGENDARY pasta and pizza dishes, the iconic restaurant now has an Italian general manager, Davide Lovison – the one who’ll greet you with the widest smile on your arrival. Davide brings an abundance of international hospitality expertise to his new post. He was born into the business, and has been in it ever since. His parents ran several bars and cafes in his birthplace, Padova, Italy. “I started in the kitchen when I was six years old,” he says. It was a good training background: Davide went on to complete hospitality and business studies at university in Italy, before moving to London and working in key bar and restaurant roles in a number of top-notch spots. While he was in London, he discovered another love – a New Zealand woman - who is now his wife. The pair moved back to these shores in search of a better life for them and their two children. Davide joins GPK Ponsonby after a stint at its sister restaurant in Albany. He’s also spent some time at the Millennium in Queenstown, but now he and his family are back in Auckland for good. He has a way of keeping the customers satisfied. “There’s a simple formula to get people coming back: Consistently good food and service that is attentive but not intrusive,” he says. “The best waiter is almost invisible - the one you almost don’t remember visiting the table - but who gets everything done exactly when you need it.” As general manager he’s responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the restaurant – and he’s got very exacting standards. With him now at the helm, diners can expect to continue to enjoy all the things they love about GPK, with some added polish. “I want to inject some laughter and passion – and to make sure everyone has a good time.” Away from work, Davide is no slouch. One of his out-of-hours passions is ultramarathons. He’s also a keen cook. But don’t put a recipe book in front of him. “I’m a very bad person in following recipes. I just follow my instincts and my palate.” GPK owner, Dominique Parat, says Davide is a valuable new member of the GPK Ponsonby team. Dominique also promises more change at the 17-year-old restaurant. “It’s time to remodel,” he says. “We are planning a major renovation: one which maintains appeal to our local and loyal clientele – but recognises the needs of 2012.” That means you can be assured that all the menu favourites will remain. But expect a few changes in décor and direction too. PN GPK PONSONBY, 262 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 1113 www.gpk.co.nz
44 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2012
WORLD BEAUTY: A little slice of heaven right in the heart of Ponsonby central. Pamper yourself with Carthusia perfumes, Marvis toothpaste, Aqua di Parma candles and fragrance, and divine Nasomatto perfumes. The store is now stocking the new Fornasetti homeware range, and you’ll find various Italian objets d art, Italian books, Ceramics, Jewellery, Leather goods and lots more. 175 Ponsonby Road T: 09 360 4544 www.worldbrand.co.nz
DEGUSTATION DELIGHTS AT DINE – THE UNCORKED WINEMAKER DINNER SERIES SKYCITY Auckland’s premiere fine dining restaurant, dine by Peter Gordon is teaming up with the legendary Family of Twelve to bring the food lovers of Auckland the dine Uncorked Winemaker Dinner Series. With events held every two months, dine by Peter Gordon will be hosting two different wineries from the Family of Twelve collective at each event. Knowledgeable speakers from the hosted wineries will be present at the dinner to enlighten guests on the winery and answer any questions. Degustation menus for the event have been specifically created in collaboration between the chefs and the winery adapting dishes to work alongside the featured wines, bringing out the flavoursome nature of both the food and wine. The Family of Twelve is a collective of 12 family-owned New Zealand wineries that came together as New Zealand’s Wine Family. Since 2005 the group has worked together in key export markets to promote the high quality and regional diversity of New Zealand wines. Danny Bucalo, SKYCITY’s General Manager of Food and Beverage says, “The combination of dine’s famous fusion menu created by Peter Gordon and our highly skilled chefs, mixed with the award winning wines from the Family of Twelve will create a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience for diners.” DATE OF EVENTS: Wednesday 7 March – Villa Maria Winery and Nautilus Estate Wednesday 9 May – Kumeu River and Pegasus Bay Wednesday 11 July – Ata Rangi and Neudorf Vineyards Wednesday 12 September – Felton Road and Craggy Range Wednesday 14 November – Palliser Estate and Lawson’s Dry Hills Wednesday 5 December – The Millton Vineyard and Fromm Winery Spaces are available for the dine uncorked winemaker dinner series and seats for the first event are only $150.00 per person. For more information see www.skycityauckland.co.nz or contact dine by Peter Gordon on T: 09 363 7030 to reserve your space today! PN
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)