The Good Home – Mt Eden
Once a child/grandchild/nephew comes into a family, the choice of eating out suddenly becomes restricted. No to small dingy noodle houses. No to any place that doesn’t embrace the whole list of food allergies. I’ve visited The Good Home in Birkenhead before and the decor was something that set it apart from the usual bar/restaurant.
The Good Home in Mt Eden takes the place of Normandy Hotel pub. Branded quite clearly at the door, it’s a hard to miss spot on Normandy Road. Again, the decor is something to take in, there’s a spot for every type of eater- soft cushiony couches by the fireplace, colourful cushions propped along the seated tables and curved tables to cater for bigger groups. More impressive is their play area for the children – and I’m not just talking about felt tips in a cup. There’s a dedicated play space with a jumbo chalkboard, scrabble and mega-sized blocks. As a teacher and auntie, this has my nod of approval.
Foodwise, there are plenty of options including salad, pasta and your bar/restaurant sharing platters and meats. I was pleasantly surprised with the steak for the Grill platter. While we didn’t get asked how we would like our steak done, it was done to my perfection, soft and juicy medium rare. Extra potato wedges were substituted for the promised beer battered onion rings. We didn’t get told, but it was ok.
To share, we also had the spinach and feta pasta with creamy paprika sauce. The sauce was delish! Not too creamy or overwhelming to drown the spaghetti strands. The leftover sauce was just enough to be mopped up with the extra potato wedges. For meat-lovers or vegetarian option scorners, there is the option to add smoked chicken to the pasta.
Thank goodness for the new transformation! With a warm and inviting atmosphere, the food was surprisingly better than your average pub food. Easy parking in the area is always a bonus.
The Good Home, Mt Eden
37 Normandy Road
Mt Eden, Auckland
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