Boutereys Restaurant

The find of the week has been Bouterey’s Restaurant, a truly wonderful dining experience.

This unobtrusive looking frontage on Queen Street in Richmond, Nelson hides a tasteful and beautifully laid out dining room.

The open style pass and plating station allows owner/chef Matt Bouterey to orchestrate his service with precision. Chef Bouterey’s classical style is obvious in his menu offerings with an emphasis on seasonal, fresh and local produce of the very best quality.

The front of house service was exceptional. Seamless and effortless from start to finish with a level of expertise, warmth and confidence that comes with experience and professional training.
The food is in no way over complicated or pretentious but is expertly executed and well balanced. The warm sage bread came with a wonderful local olive oil, my Pate of chicken and foie gras was rich, smooth and perfectly matched with shards of house made crackers. Mains were equally well received with a perfectly cooked Angus sirloin and a very tasty dish of braised cheek of pork, Irish cabbage and pomme puree leaving us in comfort to enjoy our beautifully presented and crafted desserts.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dinning in such a lovely restaurant it is hard not to draw comparisons with other leading restaurants. In my opinion Bouterey’s restaurant would not be out of place with Cin Cin on the Quay, Logan Brown or Pescatore but would score higher in value for money.

Another must visit while visiting the Nelson area.

Next up….Fish and Chips, or in my case Fish Cake and Chips.

Head towards Golden Bay from Nelson, around 40 Ks out you’ll find Mapua.

A more idyllic spot is hard to find.

Situated on the wharf is the Mapua Smokehouse Fish and Chip shop.
The fish is at its absolute freshest, perfectly cooked, the batter crisp and the Agria potatoes that the chips are made from are twice blanched, floury on the inside and crisp outside. Not a trace of old fat or oil in the air, no stale fish smell just the sea air and contented customers scattered around the pier quietly devouring maybe the best Fish and chips in the country.


Myself, I had a fish cake. I wasn’t able to define the fish but can tell you I’ve paid a lot more for a lot less quality.
This Fish cake, slightly smoked had celery, a little pumpkin, potato and chilli combined with a very fresh tasty flaked fish. Well seasoned and again perfectly cooked. Sometimes the most simple food is the most satisfying.

Save some room when heading from Nelson to Golden Bay and treat yourself to an “Old School” lunch.

Heading to Bouterey’s Restaurant next where Matt Boutereys reputation promises to impress.

O'Neills Butchery and Delicatessen

My first stop is to spend some time at O’Neill’s Butchery and Delicatessen situated in Richmond Township, just outside Nelson proper. An absolute pleasure to find such a passionate and professional provider of gourmet delights.

Mr O’Neill has over 30 years experience under his belt both as a gourmet butcher and chef. In his current location the well laid out food displays tempt the taste buds and attract window shoppers into his store.

His product range extends from free range meat and poultry through the very best of French cheese, Italian hams and pasta to homemade preserves.

The fresh meats on display are a combination of primal cuts, both tied, rolled and stuffed, alongside the finished restaurant cuts, Frenched lamb rack, escallops and sautés. What was exciting for me to see was the traditional method of cutting the requested meat cut from the carcass or primal, all the while ensuring the guest was comfortably informed on the best cooking techniques.

Game was also a highlight on offer, confit of Duck leg, Rabbit and Wild Boar, the latter in several cuts and preparations.

The shop offers an extensive small goods range, fantastic Sausages, Pork pies, and a Pate en Croute of Pork and Porcini that would rival the best in Europe.

Marrying these products with his imported selection of French cheese, Olives, Salads and marinated Vegetables lets the customer create a brunch directly from the Mediterranean.

Over this time it has been a pleasure observing a true artisan at work and can strongly recommend a visit when here in Nelson.
This may appear more as an advertisement than a Blog, I would like you to consider it more of a template on what a true Gourmet Delicatessen has to offer.