Last year, Wellington mourned the closing of the indie Parson's Books, which was the best place in town for buying classical disks and DVDs. At the same time that Parson's went, the cafe on the mezzanine went too, something else for all of us to rue.
But now that cafe has reopened, with the nostalgic name Parsonage Cafe, and with a LORD OF THE RINGS theme that was created by business owner Phil Saxby (known to cruisers as the proprietor of Sommerfields, purveyor of quality New Zealand souvenirs) and Wellington designer Karen Cubis Smith (both pictured above).
Cubis Smith calculates that she devoted one thousand hours to the project, not just designing but making artifacts as well. She says she is particularly pleased with a model of the dragon Smaug, which veils a long pipe along the wall of the Hobbit Room.
Saxby is pleased that he was able to coax a chef from the old cafe, Helen Brice, to return. And will she serve hobbit food? Who knows -- and who cares, as long as the sandwiches are as absolutely fresh as they were before. Avocado and crispy bacon was my favorite.
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