At Auckland’s Smales Farm, Michael and Annette Dearth are creating Zamboni, a generous restaurant bringing their Italian heritage and love of good food to a new space. With Auckland’s CBD already home to plenty of dining options, Smales Farm offers the space to spread their wings and brings their style of hospitality closer to the loyal North Shore customers who have long urged them to open nearby. “We wanted to bring that same level of care we put into The Grove and Baduzzi to the North Shore, and give this side of the bridge somewhere we can be proud of,” Michael says.

Michael’s family is from Rome, while Annette’s roots are in Sicily, bringing a north-to-south perspective to the cooking, and Michael travelled to Italy with Baduzzi head chef Federico Schincariol to develop ideas. While Italian traditions sit at the heart of the menu, the kitchen will also look further afield, taking inspiration from Italian-American restaurants and delis of New York and New Jersey – think regional pastas and meat from the Apennine mountains.

Inside the restaurant is beautifully polished but comforting with marble counters and timber panelling beneath a vaulted, skylit ceiling. A large terrace extends outdoors with market umbrellas and a fireplace, while a separate dining room will host private dinners and events.

“Zamboni is something different. It’s food we love to eat, made to share, in a room built for everyone,” says Michael. “From the person who just wants a negroni at the bar to a table of twelve celebrating something big.”

There is even a beer to call their own. Brewed in collaboration with Hallertau, Zamboni Beer will be poured at the restaurant and sold through select local wine shops. In Michael’s eyes, it’s a chance to create something of his own, even as he continues his enduring love affair with a good glass of Peroni.

Named after a machine that smooths the rough ice at an ice rink, Zamboni is shaping up to be a brand-new North Shore experience that’s perfect for taking the edge off. MIA BENNETT