An old bears critique of garlic bread

There are so many types of garlic bread's out there - and we always eat some whenever we are out. So I decided, that I would critique the garlic bread's - especially as very recently we had eaten a very different version.
This is meant as a light heart-ed view of this old bears tastes - so no offence.

Naturally at some point I have to go back and see if the quality has improved (or not).

Of course - if you have been at these places and sampled the local garlic bread - feel free to leave your impression via the comment section! They most likely will differ from my experience - and lets  hope in a better / improved way!!  Or if you have found
the  P E R F E C T  Garlic bread - let me know  where . . . .    ^^ 

Garlic Bread from the 65 and Dine Gastropub Smokehouse in Twizel

 

65 and Dine Gastropub Smokehouse

13 Tasman Road,
Twizel 7901

Phone: 03-435 0832

Website www.lunchtime.co.nz/Top-Hut-Bar-and-Bistro/Mackenzie/menu/
Email admin@falstonehospitality.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/65andDine/
 

 

This is a case of "rinse and repeat" - certainly as far as the garlic bread is concerned. In fact the chef offered us our money back if we thought it was not the best ever . . . . I did not have it in my heart to tell him . . . . .  

--->  https://garlic-bread-critique.blogspot.com/2020/06/garlic-bread-from-65-and-dine-gastropub.html

'Nuff said

Presentation	4 out of 5
Quantity	3.5 out of 5
Taste:	4.5 out of 5
Quality	4.5 out of 5
Overall score:	16.5 (out of poss 20)

Garlic bread from Tavern Harewood

 

 

ttps://www.tavernharewood.co.nz/

Tel: 03 359 9075

Email: tavernharewood@gmail.com

Parkside Plaza,
333 Harewood Rd
Bishopdale
Christchurch

 

 

It was advertised as:

S T A R T E R S
GARLIC LOAF
Served warm with garlic butter $12

 

I have to say - this was not what I was expecting! The printed menu might need an update?!

We ended up sharing some around within a larger group!

The little buns had to be cut - or ripped apart and were luke-warm at best! At least the garlic butter had been fluffed up and was easy to spread! The wooden platter had seen better days and looked like I feel - older! The paper underneath had a nz multi answer quiz on it - alas = half the answers were cut off so for some questions we re still none the wiser!

 

 

Presentation	2 out of 5
Quantity	2 out of 5
Taste:	3 out of 5
Quality	1 out of 5
Overall score:	8 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from Hanmer Alpine Village Inn

47 Amuri Avenue
Hanmer Springs 7334


P: (03) 315 5133
E: info@mbbh.co.nz


https://www.hanmerhospitality.co.nz/venues/alpine-village-inn/

 

 

Ohhhh - what a pity! ALMOST another perfect score!

Alas, the napkin so carefully placed detracted from what was a good serving!

It arrived hot and in a timely fashion! Plenty of herbs and Garlic flavor! Just the right amount too.

(Note to myself - have a  little lunch beforehand!!) 

Crispy on the outside and nice soft fleshy on the inside.

 

 

Presentation	4 out of 5
Quantity	5 out of 5
Taste:	5 out of 5
Quality	5 out of 5
Overall score:	19 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from Costas Taverna in Christchurch

3/478 Cranford Street

Redwood 

Christchurch
Tel  +64 3-3523232

Email: cranford@costastaverna.co.nz

www  https://costastaverna.co.nz/

It was advertized as: 

Garlic Pita Bread v

Experience the unforgettable combination of toasted village pita bread filled with creamy garlic and herb butter 14.9

 

It sure was - and when it arrived it was still almost to hot to touch!  I did wonder how they got the garlic butter inside and it dawned on me right at the end that the Pita bread had in fact been cut through the middle!! 

Lots of flavor with  good herbal sprinkle.

The wire basket was a nice touch - less so the napkin underneath!
 

It is a Pita bread . . . . .

 

 

 

 

Presentation	3 out of 5
Quantity	4 out of 5
Taste:	5 out of 5
Quality	3 out of 5
Overall score:	15 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from Brydone Hotel in Oamaru

 

Brydone Hotel Oamaru

115 Thames Street
Oamaru
North Otago


Tel +64 3 433 0480

Email: brydone.hotel@olt.co.nz
www: https://www.brydonehotel.co.nz/



GARLIC BREAD $11
house made bread

 

 We actually rung thinking that we may have to reserve a table! Turns out - just as well - as they are NOT normally open to the public for meals on a Sunday - but being the steampunk festival weekend - they decided there might be enough buisness to be open! 

Alas - I think we were the only street walk-ins for a meal!!  And promptly got treated like royals!!  

The Garlic Bread arrived hot.  

Crusty on the outside and soft fleshy on the middle - just as we like it and is supposed to be! 

So much flavor and a very liberal helping on the herbs! 

The platter and no napkin were the final nice touch!

Overall a very very rare full 20 marks!!

Presentation	5 out of 5
Quantity	5 out of 5
Taste:	5 out of 5
Quality	5 out of 5
Overall score:	20 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from Crescent Bar & Grill in Kaitangata

Crescent Bar & Grill

 2 Clyde Terrace, 

Kaitangata 9210
 

Tel 03 413 9790

WWW. -->  on Facebook only

 

Oh did we love this offering - our second ever perfect 20 from 20!!!

You could not want for better . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presentation	5 out of 5
Quantity	5 out of 5
Taste:	5 out of 5
Quality	5 out of 5
Overall score:	20 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from the Hurunui Hotel

 

 

Hurunui Hotel

1224 Karaka Road, 

State Highway 7, 

Hurunui 7385

Phone: 03-314 2207

www.thehurunuihotel.co.nz/

https://www.facebook.com/hurunuihotel/

 

garlic-bread from Hurunui Hotel

 

 

Rinse and repeat. . .

Copy and paste from last visit . . . 

No changes or additions compared to the last visit there . . .

 

 

 

 

 

Presentation	3 out of 5
Quantity	2 out of 5
Taste:	3 out of 5
Quality	3 out of 5
Overall score:	11 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from Heartland Hotel in Auckland

 

 Heartland Hotel Auckland Airport

14 Airpark Drive
Airport Oaks
Auckland 2022
New Zealand


https://www.scenichotelgroup.co.nz/auckland/heartland-hotel-auckland-airport/runway-restaurant-bar/
 

https://www.scenichotelgroup.co.nz/auckland/heartland-hotel-auckland-airport/


P: +64 9 275 4540
E: aucklandairport@heartlandhotels.co.nz

Listed as:

  Garlic Ciabatta (V)
Mozzarella cheese
– Add Bacon: $2.00
   $14.00

 

It certainly was a Ciabatta bread.  There was lots of flavor and a good sprinkling of green herbs present.  Crusty on the outside and soft and fleshy on the main body - inside! The cheese added a slightly nutty flavor to the bread!  It arrived in good time and was still hot to the touch - but not to hot to bite right into! Not sure if the presentation suffered from " transport" to the table - could have been a teeny bit better.

Kudos for the plate and lack of napkin.  We rated this version very highly

Presentation	4.5 out of 5
Quantity	5 out of 5
Taste:	4.5 out of 5
Quality	4.5 out of 5
Overall score:	18.5 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from Dawsons Hotel, Reefton

 

Dawsons Hotel in Reefton

74 Broadway,
Reefton 7830,
West Coast,
New Zealand


Ph. +64 3 732 8406

Email: stay@dawsonshotel.co.nz
Web:   www.dawsonshotel.co.nz/

 

It had to happen eventually - after nearly 13 years of searching and blogging - and at times getting to an almost perfect score - we struck Gold - In Reefton, NZ!!

 Everything as it should be - perfect flavor - hot crusty on outside  - herbs - no napkins - porcelain plate - just the right amount (not to much or little) - presentation ok . . .   

We did enjoy this particular sample

 

Presentation	5 out of 5
Quantity	5 out of 5
Taste:	5 out of 5
Quality	5 out of 5
Overall score:	20 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from Rotherhams Hotel

Rotherham Hotel

42 George St
Rotherham
North Canterbury
New Zealand

https://www.rotherhamhotel.co.nz/

Phone: +643.315.6373 

  

The garlic bread arrived in good time.  The wicker basked is a nice touch - the napkin under neath not so much.  As it was the semi melted garlic butter did manage to drip a bit right through onto it!

The bread itself felt warm to the touch and was very soft outside.  Lots and lots of garlic butter inside - still melting away - so one had to be careful how one broke bread!! 

Lots of flavor and a sprinkling of green herbs complementing said flavor! Surprisingly - there was just enough to eat - and not leaving you full before your main course arrives - or maybe we were just over hungry?! Overall very enjoyable to eat!

 

Presentation	3 out of 5
Quantity	4 out of 5
Taste:	5 out of 5
Quality	4 out of 5
Overall score:	16 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from Fat Sally’s Pub & Restaurant in Oamaru

 Fat Sally’s Pub & Restaurant

84 Thames St
Oamaru,
New Zealand

Phone: 03 434 8368

https://www.fatsallys.co.nz/

 

Oh -  this turned out to be almost 100% perfect!  Easy to eat - leaving you wishing for one more bite! Lots of flavour / colour herbs etc! Crusty on the outside / nice soft on the inside! Nice arrangement!

Porcelain Platter - serviette on the side (not underneath as some do) - arriving hot but not too hot and in good time!

The ONLY markdown  - the platter had a tiny little chip at the side - which we only noticed, once we had eaten most of it!! Apart from that - yup - almost perfect!!

Presentation	4.9 out of 5
Quantity	5 out of 5
Taste:	5 out of 5
Quality	5 out of 5
Overall score:	19.9 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from O'Flynns Irish Pub in Hanmer

O'Flynns Irish Pub

47 Amuri Ave
Hanmer

Tel: 03 3155282
Email: info:oflynns.co.nz

Web: www.oflynns.co.nz


The menu listed this as: 

Garlic Ciabatta (V) $11 

Toasted garlic ciabatta with garlic herb butter

 

 It came out in good time and was still hot to the touch - although I think the arrangement may have suffered during delivery.  Further - seems that everyone these days is using Ciabatta bread as first choice to use! Not sure why that is . . .

Upon closer inspection you could actually see the little garlic bits - having been roasted - on the top!! Sadly - a tiny wee dash of green herbs was absent!  

There were three of us and I wonder if the quantity had been adjusted for that - even with three - there ended up one piece left behind! We should go back as a couple and see if there is less on offer for two!

Certainly plenty of flavor and seemingly genuine butter - although that would go counter to the V - (meaning Vegetarian) listed on the menu. Maybe Margarine or Olive oil was used???  Crispy skin and fleshy soft on the inside - almost perfect! Notable too is the absence of a wooden platter or the usual napkin underneath.

Presentation	4.5 out of 5
Quantity	3.5 out of 5
Taste:	4.5 out of 5
Quality	5 out of 5
Overall score:	17.5 (out of poss 20)

Garlic bread from Cheviot hotel

Cheviot Trust Hotel

State Highway One
P.O. Box 58
Cheviot
North Canterbury
 

Ph. 03 319 8616

https://www.cheviothotel.co.nz/

 

It was time to treat ourselves again and we bunked down in the little town of Cheviot.  A meal out was part of that treat and we visited the Cheviot Trust Hotel.

The ordered Garlic bread came out with the main meal (after the 2 plates of meal came  out first).  Hmmmm  - OK the  Garlic bread itself was nice and very hot - straight from the oven! Crusty on the outside all-round and soft fleshy on the inside! Plenty of flavor and as you can see, a healthy sprinkling of herbs. The steak knife was useful in cutting it into pieces as it needed a lot of cooling down to handle it.  Given it came with the main meal at the same time - we did have little time to savor it - and ended up leaving some behind.  I did love the plate - so much better then the usual wooden platter. 

Presentation	5 out of 5
Quantity	4 out of 5
Taste:	4 out of 5
Quality	5 out of 5
Overall score:	18 (out of poss 20)

Garlic Bread from the Hurunui Hotel

Hurunui Hotel

1224 Karaka Road, 

State Highway 7, 

Hurunui 7385

Phone: 03-314 2207

www.thehurunuihotel.co.nz/

https://www.facebook.com/hurunuihotel/

 

 We have been there before and enjoyed the meal out and of course - the garlic bread on offer.  See image from Aug 2020

 

 

 

Finding us there at the same venue we of course had to have the garlic bread - and compare notes with 2020's offering

 

 

 

 Two changes were obvious from the beginning - the condiments were a bit different (Do I see some traffic Lights???) 

Then it ended up being a loaf - which was way more then 2 people needed to eat - so we offered some slices to the children to the table next to us.

There was a good smattering of garlic butter and the loaf was still hot to touch! The steak knife was needed to cut through the crust at the bottom - making a bit of a crumby mess - and of course more cut-lines on the timber board! 

Compared to the 2020 offering, I sadly am afraid to say, the standard has dropped a bit! 

Presentation	3 out of 5
Quantity	2 out of 5
Taste:	3 out of 5
Quality	3 out of 5
Overall score:	11 (out of poss 20)