An Italian Restaurant that I would recommend to Italians – Meloncino

Posted on April 6, 2011 by

I first heard about Meloncino from an Italian visitor to Cape Town.  They raved that the meal that they had at Meloncino was the best Italian meal they had had in South Africa, and for that matter as good as what they would find back home, if not better.  A high compliment from a discerning Italian!  As such a few months later we went down to try it out.  Being a bit budget constrained at the time – we simply shared a pizza and a salad.  It was nice, but did not blow us away completely.  We however absolutely loved the chic setting of the restaurant – funky couches outside and slick design.  As such we have been back a couple of times for drinks.

Daisy Ions (from www.whatsonincapetown.com, the definitive guide to Cape Town) and I returned for dinner at Meloncino in the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, on Monday the 4th of April. I was completely blown away by all aspects of the evening – which does not happen often!   The host Alberto di Grisostomo, a former Italian diplomat, adds genuine Italian warmth to the restaurant.   For anyone who finds the menu daunting (all the dishes names are in Italian – but are combined with great English translations) – simply tap into Alberto for recommendations on the menu – and you won’t go wrong. He was an extremely friendly and charming host.  Simply follow his advice  and you will have one of the best Italian meals you have ever had in Cape Town.  Our waiter for the evening was Dingani. He is extremely proud of the food at this restaurant – we had excellent service all through the evening – he was knowledgeable, passionate and inobtrusive – the perfect combination.

We started with Pizza Focaccia e Sale – this is made by hand.    This we paired with Prosciutto Con Gelato – small cones of Parma ham wrapped with a filling of marcapone and parmesan cheese. It was a delicious taste sensation and I would highly recommend visiting just to taste it! This was followed by a second course of the artichoke salad (which we shared) – this was an explosion of colour and beautifully presented and plated. We then shared a main course of Spaghetti Scoglio con pomedori pachino Gamberi. This was a spectacular dish. It is presented in a bag! So it almost feels like a present arriving at the table. With a sense of ceremony it is opened and placed on the plate. This was the best seafood pasta I have ever eaten – despite having been to Italy at least 10 times! Amazing! Note that they make their own fresh pasta on the premises and have Italian chefs – the difference is in the taste – sensational! We ended with the sorbets – a trio of fruit flavours – once again spectacular flavours and made on the premises. A great ending to a great meal. Meloncino also boasts one of the best views of the Waterfront Harbour, and has a feeling of being seperate from the shopping mall – a formula that works for me as I hate eating in a shopping mall!   So the moral of the story is – don’t visit a place once to eat and not pop back again – you may have missed one of Cape Town’s gems – and Meloncino is definitely a gem!

Clearly the combination of having an Italian as one of the owners, 3 Italian Chefs which are all from different regions in Italy, importing the best ingredients and having a formula of making everything that they can from scratch is a winning formula.  I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone – even extreme foodies from Italy!

Contact details: Location V&A Main Mall upstairs facing the harbour, V&A Waterfront,  Tel +27 21 419 5558.  Make sure you book – they were busy even on a Monday night!  www.meloncino.co.za

 

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BABEL – A DELIGHTFUL FRESH FOODIE PARADISE IN THE CAPE WINELANDS

Posted on February 15, 2011 by

I am completely in love with this new addition to the winelands.  I am firstly going to let the pictures speak for themselves ………

For the last two years the property Babylonstoren has been growing an organic garden that features over 300 different vegetables, fruits and herbs.  Each morning they harvest for the restaurant and the new hotel.  The restaurant offers the most fantastic innovative salads – chose a Red, Green or Yellow salad that will contain what is freshly harvested that day.

THE YELLOW SALAD

THE RED SALAD

THE GREEN SALAD

My recommendation is to take a couple of friends and to order all three salads as a starter.  Each is unique and bursting with fresh flavours.  In South Africa we rarely get to taste food that was only harvested a few hours before, a double whammy comes from the fact that the gardens are fully organic.  This is vegetarian heaven!  One can order the salad as a main and add various items such as trout.  However – with the main courses being so delicious – it makes sense to have these as a starter!  This way you will get to sample more of the flavours!

THE GARDENS:

Note that Babylonstoren has opened their gardens to the public – for a small contribution of R10 you can come and walk around the organic gardens – the setting is beautiful.  If you are a plant enthusiast, it is worth booking to do a walking tour with the resident botanist in the morning (approx. 10am) or afternoon (around 3pm) – contact them to book and they will confirm the time of the walking tour.  I really enjoyed it and if you are an enthusiast, you will pick up tips on organic gardening.  (Access to the garden is free if you have booked for lunch – so make sure you plan enough time for a walk after lunch!)

THE MAIN COURSES:

The concept for the main courses is to offer one trout, one fish, one lamb and one beef option, combined with whatever flavours are fresh from the garden and inspire the chef.  The menu will change regularly.  The dishes come with either chunky home made chips (delicious) or fresh veg (excellent) – so get half the table to split the orders so that you can taste both!

THE SHOP AT BABEL:

There is a little shop across the courtyard that is beautifully put together.  Here they sell fresh produce in season and have a few quirky things for sale as well as a few foodie items such as a very delicious raspberry vinegar.

Website:  www.babylonstoren.com/food/    Tel no number for the restaurant: + 27 (0) 21 863 3852

BABYLONSTOREN – the foodie retreat in the countryside:

I found a little piece of foodie paradise staying here a few weekends ago.  I stayed in one of the one bedroom cottages overlooking the gardens and the mountains.  While they don’t call themselves “self catering” the kitchen overlooks the gardens and comes stocked with a beautiful tray of fresh vegetables.  For those who are not foodies – this would look like part of the decor – for those who love to cook – this is inspirational!  You can also head into the garden and harvest what you would like for dinner.  The other alternative is the one we went with – we ordered the “snack platters” – a feast arrived – roast aubergine pate with roast aubergines, roast corgettes, peppers, fresh baked farm bread, sliced ham, smoked Franschhoek trout and smoked chicken marinated in chunky mustard – YUM!!

A weekend here would be an excercise in relaxation.  You can walk the farm, swim in the farm style pool  (which was great!), read one of the many books that have been thoughfully chosen for the room, relax with a great bottle of wine and your own freshly cooked Brinjals (South African for Aubergine) or go and explore the surrounding wine region.  However if I was able to spend a few days here – I would simply exhale and not leave the property!

Location: A farm between Franschhoek and Paarl

For more information,visit the Babylonstoren website www.babylonstoren.com

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Life of the Rich & Famous – a boat cruise to Clifton – followed by a crayfish braai when you stop!

Posted on January 30, 2011 by

My idea of paradise in the Cape would be a wonderful calm day where you take off on a boat, head off to one of our gorgeous beaches where you can enjoy the view of our mountains, drop anchor and then with a glass of champers in your hand watch them start up the braai (BBQ) and start cooking crayfish (lobster) for dinner.  This week we were invited to experience the boat cruise, but will need to return to enjoy the lobster BBQ!   We got lucky – perfect weather – glass of champers in hand we set off for Clifton beach.  We dropped anchor and enjoyed the most amazing views of lions head and table mountain.   The Nautilus will be doing two sunset cruises a week from the V&A Waterfront, the standard sunset cruise includes delicious snacks such as salmon wraps, salmon sushi, interesting spring rolls, biltong (the South African version of beef jerky), wasabi nuts………etc.

Once a week – weather dependent, they will be doing the crayfish BBQ on board the 35 foot Nautilus boat.  As a “foodie” the idea of this boat cruise really appeals to me!   Eating Crayfish is an integral part of our Cape Town foodie culture – it simply is however one that is always hard to access.   You need friends who go out and catch it during season in order to be able to enjoy a Crayfish BBQ.

This boat has 6 luxury bedrooms and can sleep 12 people at sea.  The Nautilus is beautifully decorated and it would be absolutely no problem for me to settle in for a week at sea!  It is also available for parties while in the harbour or for charter to head out to sea for either a party or for a few days of cruising.  For more information, visit their website - www.thenautilus.co.za.  The Crayfish (lobster) cruise is R999 per person – leaves on Sundays from 14h00 to 18h00 (4 Hours).  The Sunset Cruise leaves on Tuesdays from 17h30 to 20h30 (3 Hours) – R699 per person.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

A day out in the Cape’s oldest Wine Regions

Posted on December 27, 2010 by

My company Cape Fusion Tours focuses on offering wine & gourmet experiences of the Cape region South Africa.  As all of my tours are private, each day tour gets tailor made to the client’s interests.  Last week I had returning clients who had booked to do two more wine tours with me on their stay in South Africa.  It is great fun to have guys who have been before as it takes the preassure out of having to go through all of the history and the background of our country.  We can just focus on the vino and the stories behind each of the estates.  Sharon and Dave have a passion for great red wine and the brief was to introduce them to some more of the Cape’s top wine estates and to also include a gourmet lunch with a great view.

I am adding their experience to the blog in order to give some inspiration to those who come and explore our winelands on their own, as well as for those who are planning to do a wine tour.  In addition I have also done a listing of some of my favourite wine farms and added it to this site – this will assist you in selecting which estates appeal to your interests.  To link through to Pam’s favourite wine farm’s – click here.  It is always best to plan your day out in our wine regions – if you just drive, you will only experience a very small part of what we offer over here!  So print out the maps and get plotting!  Note that on most days out in the wine regions, you will manage to only get to 3 or 4 estates.

Sharon and Dave’s day out:

De Toren (Stellenbosch)

We started our day with an appointment at De Toren.  De Toren is one of the top wine estates in South Africa.  They focus on producing two red blends – the Fusion V and Z.  De Toren welcome wine enthusiasts to make an appointment and come and experience their wine philosophy and their wines.  Each visit is supervised by either the owner, the wine maker, the assistant wine maker or the viticulturist.

Today we were hosted by Charles – the assistant wine maker.  Charles had just returned from working on the California wine harvest and it was good to see him home again.   De Toren are extremely passionate about using minimum intervention in their cellar and as such their wine making philosophy is to not use pumping – they have a lift tower which moves the wine up so that gravity can be used for moving the wine.  In addition they use a large amount of labourers to do the harvest by hand, sort extensively by hand and then use a basket press.  On the viticulture side, they are following the guidelines of BWI (The Bidiversity wine initiative).  This initiative aims to make the wine industry “more green” ie move away from indiscriminate use of large amounts of chemicals in farming.  This looks at using alternative methods where possible.  Through this the farmers are starting to see life returning to their soils – the earthworms are back!  De Toren are also extremely careful about checking the “vigour” of their plants. Through aerial photography they can tell where vines are struggling – possibly due to slight soil differences.  This allows them to replant where plants are struggling using different root stock.  All of the tours I have experiences at De Toren are fascinating and are fairly technical.  Across all those that do it – their pride in where they work shines through – as does their passion.  It is well worth making an appointment to visit them.  Visit www.de-toren.com for more information.

Grangehurst (Stellenbosch)

Next we moved onto a small volume boutique winery – Grangehurst.  Grangehurst specializes in producing red wines and to me it feels like you can taste Jeremy Walker’s passion in every bottle.   You are warmly welcomed to the small tasting room on the estate.   Note that as they are very small they do not open their entire range every day – it is however well worth while stocking up on their wines – even if you can’t taste them all! This is a little gem and is slightly off the beaten track – but it is well worth deviating to experience them!  For more information visit:  www.grangehurst.co.za

Neil Ellis New Tasting Room and Cellar – Hellshoogte Pass Stellenbosch

My clients had been enjoying Neil Ellis’s wines in the UK and as such requested a visit to this estate.  I knew that Neil Ellis was busy moving premises and as such had been keeping a beady eye to see whether it would re-open prior to their visit.   Happily it did re-open.  The new cellar’s appearance is extremely severe – almost a cross between industrial and modern.  The tasting area is right next to the reception – as such you get to experience every incoming call while tasting – I found it a bit distracting.  In addition the tasting staff do not give a very big description on each wine.  On arrival you are presented with a list and told – select 5 wines to taste.  This is always my pet hate – how would someone who is not very familiar with an estates wines know what to chose??  Surely it would be so much better to chat to the clients and discover what they enjoy and then recommend which of your wines would be to their taste – most people would not taste more then 5 anyway!!  In addition Neil Ellis’s top wines are not available for tasting – this does not differ from their last tasting room – but is still a disappointment anyway.  I understand the logic as these are produced in small quantities – however – how about charging a higher fee for wine enthusiasts who are keen to try them.  I found the experience cold, the building cold and the clients were in and out of there within 10 minutes.  Sadly I don’t think this was a brand building experience.  This does not distract from the fact that Neil Ellis’s red wines are terrific and that I love his cab.  So perhaps include this as a stop if you want to stock up on wine.

Our next stop was lunch at Delaire-Graaf estate. Note the pictures at the top of this post are of the view from Delaire – which is gob smacking!

Delaire-Graaf

The Delaire estate was purchased by billionaire Laurence Graaf in 2003 (of Graaf Jewellers fame and fortune).  His aim was to turn this estate into one of the leading wine farms, restaurants and hotels in South Africa.  Substantial investment has been made in all three areas and the results are incredible!  The estate reopened to the public again last year with the launch of the new Delaire Graaf restaurant.  The estate is located on the mountain pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek and has one of the prettiest views available.  If you wish to spoil yourself or to have a romantic lunch in the winelands – this is a special treat. (http://www.delaire.co.za/experience.html)  A renowned British interior decorator did the decor for the restaurant, the gardens were landscaped by Keith Kirsten – South Africa’s top landscape architects and a top South African chef was appointed to run the restaurant.  Add to this a substantial investment in top local artists, a tasting room that boasts incredible views, awesome interiors and a real ceremony when presenting its wines and you have a winning visitor experience!   A few months ago the hotel opened its doors.  The hotel boasts beautiful modern suits overlooking the valley on the Stellenbosch town side.  Incredibly beautiful with really warm and passionate staff – if you are a 5* budget – this is worth checking out!  In addition a new restaurant called Indochine has opened in the hotel.  This is also open to the public subject to availability.  Here the South African chef is inspired by Eastern flavours – the portions may be small – but each mouthful is a taste sensation!  The view here is also absolutely amazing.

Sharon and Dave got a front table at the main Delaire restaurant – they loved the view and really enjoyed their meal.  For locals we find the restaurant a little bit on the expensive side.  When questioned on how they found the prices – they advised that it was the same as eating out at one of their local restaurants on a Saturday night in the UK – so they felt it was excellent value for money!

As they enjoyed the view and relaxed into lunch, dessert and coffee – we did not have time to do much more in the afternoon.  As such we stopped for just one more tasting.

Warwick Wine Estate:

Warwick will always be a favourite of mine due to its history.  It is owned by Norma Ratcliffe who was one of our country’s first female winemakers.  Norma is of Canadian origin and faced an uphill battle entering into what was a “male” dominated industry.  When South Africa was able to start selling its wines overseas again after 1990 – her wines were the first South African wines to score more then 90 points in the US wine spectator magazine.  A position that Warwick’s Three Cape Ladies (a “Cape” red blend that includes the local varietal pinotage) and Trilogy (a Bordeaux Style red wine blend) have managed to pretty much maintain since then.  Today Norma is mostly retired and her son Mike heads up the estate.  He has turned the estate into a really worthwhile experience to stop and spend some time.  They offer picnics, games for kids to play while they are there, games for adults to play too – like Boulle -a Big 5 wine safari that takes you through the different wine varietals on the farm on a game drive vehicle and stops at a high point to enjoy the view and a taste of their wines….so take the whole family!  www.warwickwine.com

I hope the guidelines inspired you – there is lots to do in our wine regions – so check out my list of favourite wine estates on my website!






 

 

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cafe Paradiso is fabulous again! Great courtyard for relaxing and kids cooking/entertainment

Posted on December 23, 2010 by

Cafe Paradiso used to be one of my absolute favourite spots in Cape Town.  We used to spend many many afternoons there relaxing and getting a little intoxicated in the sunshine.  This spot had a magical combination of a large outside area, lovely buzzy setting and fairly good food.  It was sold and rapidly the food went downhill and so did the service.  I had two bad experiences and had not been back there for at least 3 years.   While enjoying coffee further up Kloof Street I heard the news that Richard Griffiths, from Madame Zingara fame,  had taken over Cafe Paradiso.  He has a magical touch at creating ambiance and warmth within any restaurant he touches.  Many years ago he had a the slightly eccentric Madame Zingara restaurant.  This one burnt down and he then launched Madame Zingara theatre shows, followed by in recent times venturing back into restaurants.  He took the little Sidewalk cafe in Vredehoek that was always desserted, added a few extra items into the decor mix, changed the menu to a bistro style and it is now a very firm local favourite.  Next he opened The Bombay Bicycle Club at the top of Kloof Street.  This one is full of dramatic decor and even includes a table where there are swings instead of seats – if you are looking for a fun venue for dinner – I can highly recommend this one.  Note book well in advance as it is extremely popular.  Also note that the Ribs are amazing and that the chocolate brownie is HUGE – so you will be prepared to share it!!

Back to Cafe Paradiso.  The Madame Zingara group have revamped it and it is looking gorgeous – it now has a relaxed Mediterranean feel, the food had a distinct slant towards this direction too.   Everything we ordered was delicious from the cheese and meat anti pasti platter to the black risotto.  Once again the magic of the courtyard is back.  I would highly recommend a visit – they will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and it is a kid friendly environment.  I am sure that once word gets out about it, it will become necessary to book in advance.

Note that Cafe Paradiso offers fun cooking opportunities for kids – for R45 the kids are whisked off to make their own pizza or cupcakes or ginger bread men.  They also have colouring in books and books for the kids.  Kids are also welcome to go and watch the baking in the bakery kitchen at the back of the shop.  Although they say it is not necessary to book for the kids cooking activities – I have a feeling that during busy times you will have a better chance of making sure they are whisked off by booking in advance!

Cafe Paradiso Tel +27 (21) 4238653  bookings@cafeparadiso.co.za Address: 110 Kloof Street, Cape Town

Visit www.madamezingara.com for more info on all of the restaurants.

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Muizenberg Cape Town – a surfer’s paradise….and a slightly eccentric spot to explore

Posted on December 22, 2010 by

Boasting over 36 km of white sandy beach this has got to be one of the prettiest spots in Cape Town.   It is also home to the oldest Surf shops in out city.  So, if you are into surfing, or learning to surf, or simply watching others surf……..this is the corner of Cape Town to head to.  For those who are interested in surfing lessons check out www.learn2surf.co.za or www.garysurf.com.   Note that the water is warmer here then on the Clifton/Camps Bay side of the mountain – making it a good stop for a dip in the ocean en route to Cape Point.

Muizenberg was originally a cattle farm and later become a VOC military outpost.  The railway finally reached Muizenberg in 1822 leading to more development in the area.  In 1795 the British invaded in Simons Town and this would lead to the Battle of Muizenberg in 1795 – a battle that the British won.  After the discovery of Gold in the Witwatersrand in 1886, Muizenberg become a famous holiday resort for the wealthy Rand Lord.  It is really interesting to visit Muizenberg to check out the architecture. Much of which today is a slightly faded grandeur.  In more recent times, Muizenberg become quite a mixed area with many immigrants.   Crime moved in and prices dropped.  Today the prices of property in the area have been steadily rising and with it  has come a reclaiming of the properties – renovations, painting, new stores, new restaurants…..etc.  It is still one of the most cosmopolitan areas of Cape Town, it is still mixed, still quirky and attracts quite an artistic community to it.  Yes, it is still slightly eccentric which is what makes exploring the area really fun.  On the left is a picture of one of the gardens in the area around the main village.

Another reason to visit Muizenberg  would be to explore the many quirky eccentric shops in the area and to stop for a bite to eat or simply to have a coffee, relax, watch the view and watch the people.  Some ideas for places to have a bite would be:

The Empire Cafe – This is a quirky little cafe just across the railway lines from the sea.  The secret is to secure a table upstairs so that you can enjoy the view of the ocean while you enjoy your coffee.  To me this little spot sums up the slightly eccentric feel of Muizenberg.  It offers a simple setting, with simple and delicious meals that are chalked up on their blackboard each day.  www.empirecafe.co.za  It is open 7 days a week during the day.

Carla’s - This little restaurant is directly next door to the empire cafe.  It is owned by Carla who is only open in the evening and is famous for the most delicious prawns in Cape Town.  Don’t take any friends who are not into prawns as her menu does not offer a lot of variety.  The Prawns of from Mozambique (you do not find prawns off our coast  - and Mozambique has the reputation for the best prawns in the Southern hemisphere) and are prepared in her secret and very delicious sauce.  This is a popular local favourite – so it is essential that you book.  Never just turn up – you will not get a table.  They do not do a second seating – so an attempt to beg to wait for a table will definitely NOT be accommodated. Note that their winelist is limited – so you are welcome to take a bottle of something special along if you would like to.  The corkage charge is not very high! Address: 7 York Street, Muizenberg. Tel no: +27-21-7886860

Knead Bakery - this is such an exciting new addition to Muizenberg.  There is currently a trend in Cape Town of artisinal bakeries opening up around the city.  Knead was born in Wembley Square just above the city and has been one of my favourite haunts for buying bread since it opened.  The concept is to sell their bread as well as to present dishes for breakfast and lunch that use their products.  The new store in Muizenberg is a wonderful spot to pop in for coffee, breakfast or lunch.  The decor is glitzy and glam and lots of fun and the spot always has a vibe.  It is located in one of the renovated buildings along the beachfront and is  definitely worth a pitstop if you are in the area.   Tel no: +27 (21) 788-2909   Location: On the beach in Muizenberg next to the parking lot.

Casa Labia Cultural Centre – Casa Labia was designed for Count Natale Labia as a Cape version of the gorgeous Palazza Labia in Venice.  Over the years the family gathered a large art collection which was bequeathed to the City of Cape Town by the family as an art gallery for the people.  A few years ago the city closed the museum and discontinued maintenance on the home.  As such the Labia family decided to fight to get the building back and to re-open the gallery to the people of the country.  After a revamp the building is looking fantastic.  As such this is worth a stop on a visit to the peninsula to see the art and to visit the cafe in the building.  Friends have all reported that the little cafe is fantastic and that the visit was a real highlight.  The venue can be also be used for functions.  The cafe runs daily specials that feature Italian classics made with fresh local ingredients.  The menu changes regularly based on what is fresh and seasonal. Address: 192 Main Rd Muizenberg.  Tel no: +27 (21) 788 6068

Finally – I would advise you to not just stay in the beach area – head off and try and find the little village centre of Muizenberg.  Here there are little bars and cafes where you can stop for a beer and mix with the locals.

Enjoy your visit to the beach.  A reminder to try and stay away from the area around 26 December and New Years day – it just gets too busy!!





Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Origin Coffee in Cape Town – a must stop for coffee and tea lovers!

Posted on December 14, 2010 by

I cannot believe that this week was my first visit to Origin Coffee in De Waterkant in Cape Town. Ridiculous – or redonkeyless as my sister would say. Someone a year or two back told me that they had not enjoyed it as it was too dark inside.  So this thought sat at the back of my head and I did not enter.  I simply walked past it or drove past it a thousand times.  Oh boy was I missing out big time!

 

 

 

On arrival I was warmly met by the waitress who exercised great patience as I asked her to explain to me about their coffees that they are selling.

 

 

 

I knew the basics – ie that they source their own beans, they are a micro roastery, they roast daily and they sell their blends that they have grinded on the day of purchase…….but how do they extend this into their shop.  She explained that they serve their preferred blend unless you specify.  With their single bean roasts – you are very welcome to chose any of them and work your way through each time you visit.  Fantastic!  I think I will have to return to do my homework at least once a week!  The interior is dark – but the decor is sexy and the aroma is enough to make you want to just settle in and stay for a very very long time.  The staff are really lovely.  The food menu looked rather simple – however the proof is in the delivery – so I cannot comment until I have returned to try it out!  I can however comment on the coffee – it was fantastic – the perfect temperature – not too hot, not too cold.  The blend was also not too strong and not too weak – yes, I know it sounds strange – but weak coffee kills me, burnt coffee upsets me and when it is too strong – I can’t drink it – but it takes a lot to get to that point – as I really like strong coffee!  From a coffee lover perspective – head straight to De Waterkant if you enjoy good coffee!

PICTURE: ORIGIN TEA WALL

An interesting side to this coffee bar is that it has a separate tea section.  To me the tea guys in the world have fallen way behind coffee as they have not marketed and turned it into a cult like they have with coffee.  It is almost impossible to find a pure tea garden where you can go and try specialist teas.

Here you will find over 100 loose teas for sale.  You can also book to do the tea ceremony with the staff that are experts on tea.  They will tell you all the secrets about the world of tea.  I can’t wait to do the tea ceremony – even though I don’t enjoy tea.  I just think that this is a wonderful angle and would love to learn more about tea.  The ceremony takes about 1.5 hours and is about R150 per person.  It must be booked in advance.  There is a separate room at the back where this is held.  Visit their website: www.originroasting.co.za Address: 28 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town.  Tel no: 021 421 1000. Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

Almost next door is another firm little favourite of mine – Loading Bay.  This little coffee bar, come clothing shop, come people spotting, come trendy in a slighly manly way is a great spot to simply come and enjoy breakfast (really good!) and relax.  I have spent many lazy weekend mornings here and have always enjoyed it.  As such it is worth popping into if you are visiting Origin!

Around the corner from here is the Old Cape Quarter and the New Cape Quarter.  Both are great to explore the shops and to once again stop and people watch in the squares!  Note that this area is also our gay heartland – but certainly not exclusively so!  Many of the gay bars are in the neighbourhood and if you wish to go gay people spotting during the day pop into Lazari in the new Cape Quarter and also try Beefcakes for dinner.  Beefcakes is the first pink gay burger bar in Cape Town and it is fantastic!

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Constantia Valley Cape Town – a little piece of paradise

Posted on December 8, 2010 by

For wino’s and foodies in the know – this has always been a little piece of paradise.  There were numerous reasons to visit:

  • It is renowned as one of the best regions for sauvignon blanc in the country due to the cool sea breezes it gets from False Bay.  All the more reason for you to hotfoot it down to Steenberg, Klein Constantia and Buitenverwachting wine estate
  • It is one of our oldest wine regions and for anyone into history – it is well worth a visit to the old Cape Dutch Manor homestead at Groot Constantia (very cool to combine this with breakfast under the oaks at Jonkershuis on the estate)
  • It is a foodie haven – you should not leave Cape Town without dining at La Colombe (one of the best fine dining establishments in the Cape), Constantia Uitsig (also fine dining and sheer bliss sitting outside there on a beautiful day), The River Cafe – for lighter gourmet little lunches – this is where the locals dine.  Oddly enough all three are on the same wine estate – Constantia Uitsig
  • Lastly – this little wine region is only 15 minutes from Cape Town city in off peak traffic.

Yesterday I went to investigate three of the smaller wine estates in the Constantia Valley.  Access to these guys has been limited until now as they did not have tasting facilities.  All three have now opened access to their estates.  This is great news for wino’s and also for us locals! It means we now have enough wine farms to spend an entire day in this little region – with a great excuse to do a gourmet lunch in the middle.  The thought makes me happy!

I started yesterday at High Constantia www.highconstantia.co.za

This estate is easy to find – it is on the road leading into Groot Constantia and is a simple little sign and gate on the right hand side of this road.  We did a tasting with Sannelie who has been in the wine industry for 20 years.  The estate is owned by David van Niekerk and this man is truly talented at making champagne.  In South Africa we cannot refer to it as champers – as such we have come with the name Methode Cap Classique (MCC).  This is quite a mouthful – however – we need something to distinguish between the stuff that simply has a hose pipe and adds bubbles to the wine!   The tasting room is small and looks over the garden and we very diligently worked our way through the wine collection.  The MCC was outstanding, this was followed by the sauvignon blanc 2009 which I found to be a little flat – surprising in a valley where the sauvignon blanc is one of its most outstanding features.   I thoroughly enjoyed the viognier.  This was followed by a journey though various single variety reds – in this the cab frank stood out as clearly the most delicious.  The flagship red blend was served last and it is fantastic!  The Sebastian is a blend of 45% cab frank, 45% cab sav, with the remainder being merlot, petit verdot and malbec.  It is a complex blend and is fantastic.  At R212 it is a bit pricey – but if I could afford it I would have stocked up with a large amount of it, plus a few cases of the champers!  Instead I left with a bottle of the MCC for new years eve.  Note that David from High Constantia is also making Terra Madre on behalf of some friends of mine.  This is an apple champagne made the same way that you would make it from wine.  It is unlikely that you will be able to taste it – however I would strongly suggest asking if they will sell you a bottle as it is delicious and a fantastic drink for a hot summers day.

Next we moved onto Eagles Nest.  There new tasting room was supposed to open last week – however due to the unexpected rain all of the terracotta tiles got wet and they are waiting for them to dry before opening.  We were warmly welcomed to Eagle’s nest by Kaylee, the daughter of the owner.  Kaylee has just finished her degree at Stellenbosch university and is ready to get started in the family business.  As such you may find her in the tasting room on weekends during the year as she has now enrolled in a marketing course for next year to get ready to start in the business.  She is wonderfully warm and bubbly and did a great job in making me fall in love with the estate and the wines there.  The reason to do the visit to the estate is to taste the Shiraz – it is one of the nicest I have ever tasted – spicy, smooth and delicious.  They also do a great red blend and a very good merlot………….so our little valley is now starting to do exceptional reds!!

I forgot to mention to get to Eagles Nest and Constantia Glen, you need to head up the mountain in the direction of Hout Bay,  about 100m before the traffic circle at the top of the mountain you will see the entrance to both estates on your left.

Constantia Glen is directly next door to Eagles Nest.  This tasting room is magnificent – it is located high on the mountain and boasts the best views out of the three.  It is a lovely little house with a terrace and you can sit outside.

They are also renowned for their reds.  Sadly yesterday I was wined out by the time we got there – so I abstained from a full tasting.  I would highly recommend a visit to them on a day out in Constantia.

Yesterday I finally saw the need for a wine guide for tours – yikes it is hard to do much when you hate spitting out delicious wines!

So, if you need a designated driver for a wine tour when you are in Cape Town – get in touch – the world of wine and food are my passion!

Ps note that it has been an excellent year for Klein Constantia who was recently awarded 3 five star accolades in the John Platter wine awards.  Check out the list of awards recently achieved.

The full list of this year’s accolades is below:

Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show:
Gold and Trophy for the best Riesling on show- 2009 Klein Constantia Riesling.

Veritas Awards:
Gold Medal for the 2008 Klein Constantia Marlbrook

South African National Terroir Awards:
National Winner, best Cabernet Sauvignon- 2008 Klein Constantia Cab’ Sauvignon;
National Winner, best Natural Sweet Wine- 2006 Vin de Constance.

International Wine Challenge:
Gold Medal for the 2005 Vin de Constance

The Wine Spectator
94 Points- 2005 Vin de Constance

The 2011 Edition of the Platter Guide (www.wineonaplatter.com)
5 Stars: 2006 Vin de Constance, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 Perdeblokke Sauvignon blanc
4,5 Stars: 2010 Sauvignon blanc, 2008 Marlbrook

Our website: www.kleinconstantia.com

Our Blog: www.kleinconstantiawines.com

 

Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hmmmm! Perhaps the world of blogging could become addictive! A gem to know about when visiting the Cape – PAUL CLUVER WINE ESTATE.

Posted on December 6, 2010 by

Paul Cluver Wine Estate.

Last night we headed through to the Paul Cluver amphitheater to watch a wonderful South African band called the Parlotones.  Picture a rustic theatre in the middle of a Eucalyptus forest and one of South Africa’s best and up and coming bands combined with one of South Africa’s top wine estates (note to self – you have to enjoy the Paul Cluver wine while you are there and may not smuggle in other brands.  Second note to others – there wine is amazing as this is one of the coolest wine producing areas in the country – so one should definitely try it and support them!)  We were so lucky – my friend knows the family and as such we were perched on a platform high in the trees.  She is also a very talented cook – so our picnic was a gourmet delight! What fun we had.  As the sky turned from day to night – the crowd started dancing in the moonlight – the music is amazing – check out their website and if you are in the Cape Town area on 09 January – be sure not to miss the Parlotones at Kirstenbosch at the summer sunset concerts.  We were lucky enough to meet the band afterwards and they were all wonderfully down to earth guys!

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRESH RESTAURANT (LUNCH RESTAURANT ON PAUL CLUVER WINE ESTATE – ELGIN)

A few weeks ago I was treated to lunch at the new restaurant at Paul Cluver estate – Fresh! This is a wonderful new addition to the Elgin region which does not have a large number of restaurants.  Fresh is an absolute treat as it focuses on using what is fresh from their extensive gardens and herb garden.  It is the baby of Joan who is madly passionate about it and extremely creative in the dishes she comes up with everyday.  Be sure to contact Joan before you go if you would like her to take you for a walk in her herb garden before lunch.  If she is quiet she will definitely take you for a stroll or will point you in the right direction.  The restaurant is wonderfully rustic and has a long table inside and some smaller ones outside.  This needs to be a definite stop if you are in the region or are en route to Hermanus.  The Cluver family wines are incredibly good and as such I would highly recommend you stop for a wine tasting and lunch.

Fresh’s details:

Tue-Fri 09h00 – 16h30 & Sat..08h30-16h00.

071 563 6020 JOAN

Below are some pictures of Joan and her garden and her wonderful new restaurant:


Posted in Cape Town 4 Foodies and Wino's | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A launch into the world of Blogging!

Posted on December 6, 2010 by

Today is my first attempt at figuring out how to go about blogging! Why does the age of nearly 40 make me feel like I have been left behind by the teenagers – it all feels a bit like Greek to me! Do I really think that I will be dedicated to sitting and doing a blog regularly?? Chances are extremely small! Where do people find the time? To me life just seems to always be frantically busy! So why am I venturing into this world? I have a small company that focuses on my passions – I live in Cape Town, I adore finding delicious wines and searching for gourmet delights. I have found my groove in Cape Town – each day I wake up here and realize that I am living in one of the most special places on earth. I am surrounded by mountains, see the sea everyday, can escape to beaches within ten minutes, can be a wine region in 15 minutes (yes it is true!) and live two minutes from the inner city. I have watched this city transform from a chilled out beach town where patrons often did not wear shoes into the restaurants, into an international playground. As such there is always something new and changing and the city not only has a vibrating pulse, but a wonderful peaceful energy due to Table Mountain and the beach culture. Over my next blogs (indeed if I ever manage to figure out how to save this to my current “new blog”) I will start exploring the jewels that make up Cape Town and make sure you fall in love with it too!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment