Vknow has a nose for VINO

oh my gosh, alert the press, this is the find of the century. i am so excited to find Vknow, a wine bar and restaurant, up in fernhill and actually a few minutes walk from my house. i've driven by it numerous times, but for some reason never stopped in. now, i vknow better.

not so much a mom and pop operation as a husband and wife (and best mates) team each contributes equally and harmoniously to make Vknow the delightful restaurant that it is. though modest from the outside and located next to the only corner store in fernhill, upon entering you are transported from queenstown and kerplunked to north beach in san francisco or to little italy of new york. with one of the rooms covered in corked walls, there are beautiful bold paintings from local painters and lovely old posters celebrating wine and food.

it's a charming bistro that serves fresh, seasonal and quite varied menus all created by lizzie complementing her husbands palate pleasing choice of vinos. in fact, and i find this as delightful as the couple themselves, their wedding vows included lizzie promising to always complement danny's wines with her food and danny promising to always maintain a full cellar. how adorable.

the restaurant clearly showcases the passion that these two have for their respective expertises. danny has worked as a wine rep for numerous years before owning his own distribution business while lizzie has always had a nose and a hand in hers and other kitchens. danny even offers a "sunday school" where you can go and learn about and taste wines in an informal and fun setting. brilliant. i love it.

not limiting themselves to be only an italian restaurant, (although it's named after the italian word for wine, with a punny twist adding knowledge to the name), you will find some delicious pastas or a great thai green curry and even some venison.

i feel that the best way to judge an italian restaurant is by the pizza. thin crust and simple toppings make or break it. this is where i fault. i was so entranced and was enjoying the company of danny and lizzie so much that i completely forgot to take a picture of the food that they so graciously proffered. nonetheless, i will have to go back and dine there again, poor me.

about the pizza. i ordered the thin lizzie putanesca pizza - which interestingly enough, translates to mean "harlot's pizza" for various though debatable reasons - and it was "molto bueno". the crust was thin and crunchy on the outer rim while the center crust had been softened by the chunky though not overbearing tomato sauce all while still supporting the toppings.

pizzas should not be smothered in toppings. it is a delicate balance that Vknow got just right. each slice had the perfect amount of chili, tomato, pitted kalamata olives, capers and fresh basil mixed with the melted (i think it was) mozzarella cheese. spicy enough to warm a harlots heart, i finished half of the pie and sat contentedly talking with the lovely couple.

as dessert, though eaten first, i was given a "yukkie". though it looks a bit like a chocolate "dropping" and is served chilled, a "yukkie" is anything but. basically a chocolate shell encases a truffle like center of velvety chocolaty cherry and pinot noir goodness. it was about the size of a golf ball and oh so good. lizzie graciously offered the recipe so we can all try to make it!

yukkies
2/3 cup cream
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean

*bring all these to a boil stirring constantly.
*stir in 200 grams of chocolate.
*cream 300 grams of butter and add to the chocolate mix.
*add flavours (which in this case consist of 30 milliliters of central otago pinot noir and 200 grams central otago cherries)(though open to variation)
*refrigerate until hard
*roll into small balls. - refrigerate
*chocolate coat when ready to use then refrigerate.
*enjoy!! --- (you will i promise)

just to give you an idea of the type of guy danny is, while i was there, a youngish gentleman flicked a cigarette butt from his fingers just in front of his restaurant. danny walked outside and told the guy, not unkindly, that there was an ashtray just in the corner. and you know what? the guy said "oh sorry", went and picked up the butt and put it in its correct spot. his "green" perspective can be seen through his choice of beers; additive and preservative free, locally brewed and quite delicious, danny is proudly trying to leave a small eco-footprint in his wake.

they are open everyday except tuesday from 3pm till about midnight. they have quite an affordable takeaway menu and their mains never cost more than $30. i will probably see you there.