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Winnie's

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Jack Ventura
Jack Ventura
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
4
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Editor Pick

Winnies

  • January 31, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Jack Ventura from Scottsdale, Arizona
Winnies


You have to love an eatery with such a whimsical name as Winnie Bagoes. Oops, I meant "Winnies". It seems the American motorhome manufacturer recently got wind of this and sent them a cease & desist letter.

Located smack in the middle of a pedestrian-only street called The Mall, it’s one of the best alfresco dining and people-watching places in all of Queenstown. I wanted an upstairs balcony table, but there were six of us. We sat at a picnic-style table and benches of thick, rough-cut wood. If it hadn’t been so heavily lacquered, it would surely be covered with penknife graffiti.

Open from noon to 11pm daily, Winnies is a restaurant with two personalities. By day, it’s a fantastic pizza and beer joint with a gigantic projection screen TV. By night, it still serves great food, but the crowd is wild! There’ll be a live band and everyone will be dancing, except the people playing a rowdy game of billiards. If you’re lucky, they will have a wet t-shirt contest. But I digress....

Back to their food, Winnies herself describes it as "Epic a la carte" and "WICKED gourmet pizza". I couldn’t’ve said it better. It is really good. We started with Kiwi Fries, a large basket of crispy, deep-fried potatoes, not too aggressively spiced, for NZ$6. We also had Winnies Antipasto Platter. The NZ$34 large size plate was modest in variety but very generous. We should’ve ordered medium. There is something for everyone on Winnies’ tight list of Starters, Salads & Sides.

But it is their pizzas, thin-crusted, that stand out. We had a contentiously hard time deciding. Here’s what we ordered, and tell me if it doesn’t make you salivate:

• Thai Chicken
Marinated chicken, flavoursome Thai curry sauce, red onions, capsicums, roasted peanuts, lemon grass, coconut and fresh herbs.
• Pescara
NZ green lipped mussels, garlic prawns, smoked salmon, roma tomatoes with fresh parmesan cheese, pesto & lemon.
• Luigis Italian
Crispy bacon, pepperoni, red & green capsicums, red onions, buttered mushrooms, topped with fresh chives.

It was simply some of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. The large size was 35cm in diameter, cut into 10 slices, and cost NZ$28.50. Small would’ve cost NZ$14.50 and medium, NZ$21.50. Winnies will also deliver to your hotel for a fee; or if your hotel is nearby, you can order and takeaway.

For dinner, Winnies bumps up her menu with some serious eats, too. A sandwich, like Chicken and Brie Burger topped with cranberry sauce and garlic aioli costs just NZ$15. Their fresh pastas, up to NZ$18.50, are said to be excellent. At NZ$26.50, the most expensive item on the Evenings Only menu is Prime Ribeye Steak with wholegrain mustard sauce.

Top it all with beer on tap for the equivalent of a dollar each U.S., and Winnies is a winner!

From journal New Year in Queenstown

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