Food, Wine, & MUSIC 

Breakfast and happy hour are daily events that all of our guests look forward to, and an evening meal served with fine wines from New Zealand and Australia is also available for those who prefer to dine in on Fridays and Saturdays, or on other evenings by special request with at least 48 hours' notice. The descriptions below are a representative sampling of our food options. Other options, including vegetarian meals, are also available upon request.

• Cereal bar with selection of cereals, fruits, home-made yogurt and fresh milk
• Selection of juices
• Hot, home-baked bread, toast or muffins, with a choice of home-made jams, New Zealand honey, and other strange options like Marmite and Vegemite
• American-style bacon (streaky) or New Zealand-style bacon (like Canadian)
• Venison sausages
• Eggs, any style
• Buttermilk waffles served with fresh strawberries (in season) or other topping options including blueberries and raspberries
• Pears Volcano: Pears poached in Maple Syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon, and topped with a delicious raspberry sauce
• Baked Eggs Parmesan: Shaved ham, bacon, cherry tomatoes & basil, egg & parmesan cheese, baked in an oversized muffin pan and served on top of an English muffin split
• Huevos Rancheros. (Gotta have some Tex Mex since Becky is from Texas). Poached eggs served with a Mexican tomato sauce (not spicy but Tabasco available) and tortillas
• Fresh coffee, and a selection of teas

• Blue cheese & pear bruschetta
• Baked camembert
• Smoked trout pate
• Smoked trout
• Ginger chicken meatballs
• Guacamole dip
• Selection of New Zealand cheeses
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Barbequed garlic butter & white wine mussels, served on the half shell with a dab of salsa

For those dining at the lodge, dinner flows on seamlessly from the happy hour. Typically we dine by candlelight in our lovely dining room - with dramatic views of the lights of Taupo glistening on the lake, though on warm summer evenings we may choose to dine outside.

Usual fare is an elegant three-course meal starting with a soup or salad, followed by a main dish and dessert. Here's an overview of some of the menus:

• Starter: Pumpkin soup or fresh green salad
• Main: Medallions of venison with blackcurant jus, kumara (NZ sweet potato) and apple rosti and a spinach ala creme. Garnished with capsicum, rosemary and blackberries.
• Dessert: Chocolate mousse served with a dollop of whipped cream and some shaved chocolate.

• Starter: Tomato bisque or an asparagus and spring berry salad
• Main: Basil & gruyere lamb rumps, or lamb shanks marinated in Moroccan spice. Both served with a Kumara/Potato mash with fresh veggies.
• Dessert: Apple crisp (apple crumble) sprinkled with icing sugar and topped with whipped cream

• Starter: Winter squash and apple bisque or fresh salad
• Main: Cumin-roasted Pork Fillets served with red pepper relish and spinach on honey-roasted kumara or poached pork loin with a compote of dried fruit and a creamy mustard sauce.
• Dessert: Cheeseboard platter or fresh fruit and ice cream.

• Starter: Spinach salad or blue cheese soup
• Main: Pesto beef fillet. Eye fillet (fillet mignon) served with root vegetable rosti, green beans and slow-roasted tomatoes. Garnished with a dark steak sauce and basil pesto.
• Dessert: Panna cotta served with fresh fruit

• Starter: Goats cheese and lentil salad with roasted beetroot, or root vegetable fritters with Thai chili sauce and ricotta cheese
• Main: Smoked rainbow trout or fresh trout served with an Apple Jack Sauce green beans, apples and bacon. Or seared fresh white fish caramelized with lime juice and brown sugar. Fish served with lemon and basil pilaf
• Dessert: Lemon Tart served with berries and vanilla ice cream
  

Sometimes however, guest preferences or the mood of the day may swing us in the direction of something more simple: Pizzas, made from scratch by Rob and baked in his wood-fired garden oven; wood-fired garlic & herb leg of lamb, with peach cobbler and ice cream for dessert; or barbequed steaks, marinated in Rob's secret marinade (well okay, it's a blend of tequila, lemon juice and Tabasco).

Rob is passionate about wine, and particularly enjoys introducing guests to the latest great find from one of New Zealand's boutique wineries. (We have some Australian Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz too.)

New Zealand is best-known for its outstanding Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region and we always have several of the latest finds available. A selection of fine Chardonnays and Pinot Gris are also available.

On the red side, the Central Otago, Martinborough and Marlborough areas of New Zealand are producing some world-class Pinot Noir and we offer some fine choices here. We are also producing some magnificent Bordeaux-style reds - typically a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with perhaps some Cabernet Franc or Malbec in the mix. Some of our favorites come from the Gimblett Gravels appellation in Hawkes Bay, which is 2 hours' drive from Taupo. (Trinity Hill is a personal favorite.) This area is also now producing some outstanding Syrah, The Doctor Syrah from Hatton Estate being a fine example.

Music is another of Rob's passions. When you make a booking with us through our online booking system, we ask you about your music preferences, giving you the opportunity to identify specific artists you really enjoy.

Rob subscribes to an online music service called MusicMatch (www.musicmatch.com). Using this service, he can legally download an entire album of music in about 10 minutes. So, if we don't have your favorite music at the time you book with us, chances are we'll have it by the time you arrive. We have about 700 CD's in our current library, and the collection is growing by the week.

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