Words by Denise Irvine, Images by Ashlee DeCaires
“You can have anything you want, whenever you want,” says Mat Pedley as he takes a tour of Reggie’s, the bold new addition to the hospitality stable established by himself, John Moughan and Alex Hudson.
Reggie’s is on the rooftop above Made Market, in Hamilton East, occupying the best seat in the house, with a vast deck that looks out to the Waikato River and ample space indoors as well. It opened in early November and the back story is that Reggie’s was born out of the three owners all having young kids and looking for somewhere to take them for a meal: a family friendly outfit with food for all ages.
The trio already owns Hamilton establishments Mr Pickles, Last Place Bar, Neat at Made, Wonderhorse, and Everyday Eatery at Hamilton Zoo. Mat says that nowadays they’ve all got young children and this has changed their perception of hospo. “You’re after some places to take your kids, where they can have a simple cheese pizza without anyone looking down their nose. Where there can be family fun and frivolity.” And lots of flexibility, as per his opening comment.
So the Reggie’s project began and the primo site at Made has been transformed into a warm-hearted Italian eatery specialising in made-from-scratch pizza, pasta, and focaccia (a super-pillowy and airy rendition).
Reggie’s Lager is on tap at the bar, there is a carefully curated list of Italian and New Zealand wines as well as drinks for kids. Reggie’s also has its own-brand canned beer, cans of house-made chilli oil for the tables, and there are Reggie’s t-shirts and caps if you’re up for some cool merch.
While the style is Italian, Mat says it’s more New York Little Italy than Sicily. “It is traditional-ish. We’ve taken some licence with the food.”
The ‘licence’ includes a small plate that is a clever riff on lasagna toppas, the old-favourite Kiwi after-school filler from the supermarket freezer that is typically nuked in a bag in the microwave. At Reggie’s, the toppas are crispy-golden croquettes with house-made cacio e pepe sauce rather than the flabby shapes of mass production. They have potential to be addictive.
There are traditional pizzas, some that veer off-piste and, of course, the simple cheese job for the kids as well as spaghetti and meatballs and cheese ravioli. Kids get their own funky menus with colouring-in artwork and accompanying crayons.
Pasta for grown-ups include a baked dish with spicy vodka sauce and stracciatella, beef lasagna with red sauce and mozzarella, and tagliatelle with lamb ragu and lemon herb crumb. There are also tasty small plates (including the toppas), and mains such as grilled eggplant, crispy crumbed chicken breast, pork and beef meatballs, and chargrilled skirt steak. And if you’re ordering the tiramisu for dessert, the chocolate topping is freshly grated at the table.
“We’re not food snobs,” says Mat. “We have plenty of simple things as well as some ritzy pastas, like the spaghetti with crayfish bisque that is gangsta as f**k. We change things up regularly and we want the food to be excellent and affordable.”
He envisages a variety of customers through the day: lunches perhaps for business people, early evenings for families, and the later hours for a more grown-up experience. There are three separate spaces for feeding and watering: a 40-seater bar, 60-seater interior, and seating on the deck – with a retractable roof and fully enclosed sides – for 80 people. There are comfy booths, high leaners and tables and chairs: take your pick of the places to park yourself, and you can do takeaways, bookings, or simply walk in.
“You can book different spaces for different things – weddings, parties, family celebrations,” says Mat. “Again, it’s about what people want.”
The interior fit-out is an ideas-collaboration between the owners and Hamilton firm Designwell, a contemporary take on an Italian diner, with timber panelling and furnishings, bold diamond- patterned linoleum, mirrors, greenery, distinctive lighting, a touch of red-and-white gingham, and an Italian trattoria-style picture gallery. Mat says they’ve used local tradespeople and suppliers wherever possible on the project.
The big kitchen was designed by Reggie’s co-owner John Moughan and Mat’s brother Hamish Pedley, in consultation with a commercial manufacturer. An imported Italian Forni Valoriani pizza oven is the kitchen workhorse, an impressive 1.5 tonne beast that was craned over Reggie’s deck in an equally impressive operation. The pasta extruder is pre-loved, formerly owned by Waikato ravioli maker Leondro Parodi of Piu Blu Pasta, the hard-working machine now installed at Reggie’s.
Mat says Reggie’s has been a team effort, from go to whoa, and he and his partners are delighted with staff they’ve brought together to run the show: John Moughan will oversee pizza production, head chef is Issam Pompa with Raz Bayani as sous chef, Mat at front of house with Krista Mangan, Jordan Bellamy running the bar, and Clara Weinzettl as head waitress.
Some of the crew have long been associated with the other businesses owned by Mat, John and Alex. “We make a commitment to presenting hospitality as a career with a great future and not an in-between job,” says Mat. ”We aim to create a culture that people want to be part of.”
As he surveys the ambitious new set-up, buzzing with customers and staff, he says, “It’s terrifying, but you have to be doing cool things.”
