Welcome back to at the table.
August has settled in with the kind of quiet, cold-weather rhythm we love in the kitchen.
This month is less about milestones and more about the everyday craft: seasonal ingredients at their best, a new wine we're excited to pour, and a dish that's become a favourite around the pass.
We're sharing both below.
Thank you, as always, for following along and for spending your evenings with us.
We hope you enjoy this month's edition of at the table.
August in Central Otago means one thing: winter at its most generous.
It's peak season for root vegetables, with parsnips, celeriac and swedes at their sweetest and most concentrated after a good frost. Citrus is also in full swing, with blood orange, mandarin and lemon offering a welcome brightness against the cold.
It's truffle season too, with local black truffle at its aromatic best, wonderful shaved over risottos, eggs and slow-cooked dishes.
What we're loving right now: the citrus. There's something about its brightness cutting through a cold winter's day that never gets old.
It's a rich, ingredient-driven time of year in Central Otago, and one of our favourites.
Pappardelle & Fungi // A La Carte
An ode to the mushroom, in its many forms. Our pappardelle is a hand-rolled, charcoal-striped pasta that bleeds down into a ravioli-style base, piped with a rich mushroom duxelles and velvety house-made mascarpone from Viavio Cheese.
Alongside it, we're showcasing some of the most striking mushrooms we've come across: Phoenix oyster and coral tooth, grown locally by Remarkable Fungi. A Chardonnay vinegar foam and a rich butter sauce bring it all together, adding brightness and depth in equal measure.
It's a dish built entirely around the mushroom, from the filling to the garnish, and one that's become a firm favourite on our a la carte menu.
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What We're Pouring This Month
Michet Nebbiolo d'Alba, Marchesi di Barolo
A classic Piedmontese red, chosen to sit alongside one of our favourite dishes on the menu.
This Nebbiolo d'Alba shows everything the variety does best: bright red cherry and rose petal up front, giving way to dried herbs, orange peel and a savoury, earthy undertone. The tannins are firm but polished, and the acidity keeps every glass feeling lifted rather than heavy, exactly the balance this style of Nebbiolo is known for.
We've paired it with our Pappardelle & Fungi. The wine's earthiness meets its match in the mushroom duxelles and local Remarkable Fungi mushrooms, while its bright acidity cuts through the richness of the mascarpone, Chardonnay foam and butter sauce. It's a pairing built on contrast and common ground in equal measure, and one we think really lets both the dish and the wine shine.
From our team to yours, thank you for following along and supporting what we do.
We can't wait to share the season ahead with you.
We'll see you at the table,
The TOAST & OAK Team
