Category Archives: Banting

The Crypt Jazz Club reopens in Cape Town as restaurant, cocktail bar, and jazz club, with new owners and energy!

Last night I attended the reopening event of The Crypt Jazz Club, located below St George’s Cathedral on Wale Street in Cape Town. It is the only live jazz venue in the city centre, and is a manifestation of Cape Town’s reputation as a Jazz City, through its home-grown jazz talent and its annual Cape Town Jazz Festival. Continue reading →

Haus & Laib Deli, Speciality Butchery, and Bistro opens on Loop Street, sells Raith cold meats and other German Treats!

Yesterday I went to pop in at the new Haus & Laib Deli, on Loop Street opposite the back entrance to the St Martini Lutheran Church. I received a warm welcome from co-owner Cheryl Hauslaib, whom I had got to know from my shopping at Raith, now renamed Hartlief, over the years, before she and her husband Hans left to start their new venture. Continue reading →

Summary of #JAN TV series on viaTV episode 6: ‘Jack and the Bean Stalk, the sky is not the limit’!

Episode 6 of JAN, the TV series about one Michelin Star JAN restaurant in Nice and its owner Chef Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen, was dedicated to the chef’s mother, despite being filmed in an Italian village called Castel Vittorio, in Pigna, and also in Apricale, where I wrote The Book in August this year. Continue reading →

WineMag Merlot Report 2017 presented, call for Merlot to be made ‘sexy’ again!

Yesterday afternoon WineMag presented its first Merlot Report in a number of years, an evaluation of 67 entries. It was motivated by the Merlot Forum, and the results of the Report reflected that wines in the category are ‘good‘, but can improve greatly, according to WineMag Editor Christian Eedes. The ceremony was held at Asara wine estate outside Stellenbosch. Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Lily’s in Mouille Point has teething problems, staff have ATTITUDE!

I admire Paul Kovensky and his Kove Collection, for his energy in continuously opening new restaurants, his Lily’s in Mouille Point being the newest to open, a mere ten days ago. I have heard about a new one he is working on in the V&A Waterfront, where the Classic Car Bar pop-up restaurant is currently.  Continue reading →

Las Paletas launches largest most colourful artisan ice lolly range!

‘Refreshing’ is a word one associates with Las Paletas artisan lollies, not only with its range of fruit and chocolate lollies, but also how it hosted its media event recently.  Las Paletas has attracted the attention of the Cape, and is now stocked in all Pick ‘n Pays in the Western Cape. The range will soon be exported to Holland, and is already sold in Colombia!  Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Melissa’s Mantra Café in Camps Bay magnificent view, new concept!

imageAbout a month ago I bumped into the GM of the new Melissa’s Mantra Café in Camps Bay, which has a magnificent location above The 41 restaurant, overlooking the beautiful Camps Bay beach. The restaurant opened on Tuesday, and I went to try it out, knowing that its GM Ian Smith would be there. The new Melissa’s outlet connects original founder Melissa van Hoogstraaten to her Camps Bay origin.
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Helen Zille launches autobiography ‘Not without a fight’ at Buitenverwachting!

imageThursday Club organizer and PR Consultant Sandy Bailey invited me to attend the launch of Western Cape Premier Helen Zille’s autobiography ‘Not without a fight‘, at a sold-out lunch at Buitenverwachting in Constantia last week. The highlight was being seated next to Ms Zille. Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: The Village Tart Patisserie & Café in Franschhoek offers tarts and more!

imageThe Village Tart is Franschhoek’s newest restaurant, having opened two months ago on the main road, where the Pancake place used to be.  It is a friendly restaurant, offering the best baking in Franschhoek, but serves lunches and breakfasts too.  Continue reading →