Lazy Susan – a Facebook group of Auckland food-lovers – shares secrets of the city's restaurant scene in the second volume of Auckland Eats.
Lazy Susan director Anna King Shahab tells Jesse Mulligan she co-founded the movement a couple of years ago with fellow foodie Anthony Suvalko.
. Photo: supplied
"I think we were just sitting around talking about how we felt like there was a little bit of a gap in the coverage and, you know, a lot of places that couldn't afford PR, couldn't afford social media managers were missing out on the love that they deserved."
The first of the Auckland Eats series was put out last year, profiling 41 restaurants with their backstory and a recipe.
The new volume, subtitled The Prequel, looks back at the trailblazers of the industry, "the people who might not get a lot of attention today for the influence they've had on the scene".
"We've got a whole lot of restaurants [profiled in the book], including Antoine's [which] will be one that people will be very familiar with," Shahab says.
"Antoine's is a legendary restaurant in Parnell which has really kind of seen the Auckland food scene, the build-up, and been around for 48 years before the doors finally closed.
"He has had just a huge influence on so many people in hospitality right from the kitchen through to the front of house and also his wife Beth as well, who sadly passed away last year."
"Little insider dispatchers" from people who worked in the kitchen and front of house are also in the book, Shahab says.
"So, they're really telling us the nitty-gritty of what was going on and I think those are probably some of my favourite stories in the book because it's a completely 'from the horse's mouth' perspective."
The group also shares niche menu items found in Auckland, and in this volume, some "famous and fabulous recipes" of the time.
"I'm just going to tell you about a recipe from Vinnies which is braised lamb shanks. I don't know that you would see too many recipes around today that would include an entire bottle of red wine and an entire bottle of Madeira in a recipe for four hind lamb shanks."
Shahab says they've got more ideas for another part in the Auckland Eats series and hope there will be another volume.
