Blast from the Past at Boulcott Street Bistro

According to a Googletistic so unverifiable I couldn’t bring myself to link it to this post, the average lifespan of a restaurant is two and a half years.

This means that the Boulcott Street Bistro has lived eight times longer than average, which is the same, more or less, as a human living to 537 years, or a dog 48 – in canine years (trusted source: dogyears.com).

The wee building the restaurant resides in is no young buck either, built in 1872 for a blushing bride but most famous for its association with John ‘father of Wellington’ Plimmer, who strolls in sculptured bronze along with his dog Fritz at the bottom of the nearby steps to Lambton Quay. John Lawrence and Chris Green took out the lease on Plimmer House on 30 October 1991, and have been buttering up discerning diners at the Bistro ever since.

Think fine champagne. Think Duck fritters, venison sausage, fillet bearnaise, ox cheek, lamb shank, pork belly. Then consider crème brûlée, profiteroles with Baileys ice cream & chocolate sauce, macadamia & chocolate semifreddo with caramelised honey pears, leaving room for gooey cheese. (Then think about peppermint tea and a lie down, perhaps.)

Yep, it’s top drawer alright, and the LL and I have dined here on a number of special occasions over the years, and never left disappointed. Mostly we leave a wee bit tipsy and glad that we came.

Handy at the pass, the big Maori guy. The Legend. The man with the strength, the staying power, the flair. No, not Piri Weepu – Rex Morgan. Move over All Blacks, it’s time for the Chef’s Whites, ’cause Rex can beat the French at their own game.

Lawrence and Green certainly have a knack for finding talent. Remember Rusty? What charm! What hair! What je ne sais quoi! (Currently starring at the excellent Salute in Greytown, FYI.)

The Bistro’s longevity will be celebrated from October 30 to November 5 with a retrospective menu offered in addition to the in-season. But fear not the cheesy pineapple spiked on a hedgehog orange, for these are BSB’s classics. I’ve already had my sneaky beak all over them and can assure you they are as fresh, exciting, and irresistible as ever. But that’s a 20-year-old for you, eh?