My favourite places with nutritionist Jessica Giljam-Brown
I grew up in Auckland, but since moving back 18 months ago I have had to rediscover it. I have found new places to eat and hang out, and fallen back in love with old favourites. My favourite places are all about the ocean or good food, or ideally a combination of both.
North Head + GoodFor Takapuna
Northhead is my go to place when I want to watch the sun go down or and sit and look out for dolphins in the harbour. If I don’t pack a picnic or dinner I will stop off at GoodFor on Lake Road and pick up a selection of nibbles. The chocolate coated freeze dried strawberries, Inca berries, and organic tamari almonds are always in my basket, as well as anything else that is new or interesting.
Matakana Markets
As much as I love Auckland, I also love getting out of town. Matakana is close enough for an easy day trip, but further enough away to feel like you’re taking a break from the busyness of Auckland life. The markets are open on Saturday’s from 8am-1pm and offer a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, oysters and fresh fish as well as a host of other delicious local foods. The honey, nut butter and hummus on offer is some of the best in the country.
My market routine is to grab a coffee, coo over the cute dogs getting babysat by kids at the ‘Dog Day Care’, then shop around for a picnic to take to the beach. I will usually pick up some sourdough, smoked salmon, organic greens and a pot of hummus or chutney, then and some fruit and maybe some pastries if they look really good.
If the sun is shinning I might venture out to Tawharanui, but if I am too hungry I will set up camp down by the stream and feed the eels while listening to the live band.
Gemmayze Street
My best friend and avid foodie introduced me to Gemmayze Street earlier this year (yes, I was a little late to the party!). High quality, feel good food in a relaxed setting is my kind of restaurant. They serve up delicious Lebanese food, and there are always plenty of plant based options. What I like about the plant focused dishes is that the plants are the hero of the dish and not an after thought to please visiting vegetarians. The menu changes regularly with the seasons so there is always something new to try.
Duck island on Waiheki
Not many places offer really good dairy free ice cream, but Duck Island has it nailed. There are more and more Duck Island shops popping up around Auckland, making vegan ice cream easy to find, a win for my dairy free clients.
