Tag Archives: Groote Post

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 95 of Level 1, 24 December 2020

 

Thursday 24 December 2020, Day 95 of Level 1, Day 274 of Lockdown đŸ˜·

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for so much rain overnight until early this morning ☔, cooling things down to about 21C today; for a second short deep sleep this morning after not sleeping much last night; for a quick walk through Bakoven with my cleaner Imtiaz, John having left our team, and Carmen not coming to work today; for a busy morning preparing for the Status meeting with my Client; for leaning something new in marketing a restaurant; for picking up a last Mohnbrötchen at Dinkel Bakery, and receiving excellent service there; for a quick pop in at Peppertree CafĂ© to buy Mince pies; for collecting cold meats at the Continental Butchery on Kloof Street; for a lovely tea with a view and cookies and a chocolate coated coffee bean spoil at the home of Gary Peterson and Thomas Hohnke 🙏, allowing me to relax completely after my hectic morning before going to my client meeting; for a very good client meeting; for spoiling myself at Fideli’s (next door to Pilcrow & Cleaver), also belonging to Chef Judi Fourie, whom I had just missed; for another refreshing walk through Bakoven, the suburb being deserted, as was the city where I drove today; and for being happy and healthy 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Harbour House Kalk Bay Winter Menu offers excellent value, stylish and scenic setting!

Harbour House View on Kalk Bay harbour Whale CottageIn compiling the Cape Town and Winelands Winter Restaurant Specials list last week, I was invited by Harbour House Kalk Bay owner Michael Townsend to try their Winter Special Menu. My friend Bettie Coetzee Lambrecht and I enjoyed a very special pre-Mothers Day lunch Harbour House Bettie Whale Cottageat the restaurant yesterday, on a lovely sunny day, at the water’s edge.

I had not been to Harbour House in years, located at the Kalk Bay harbour. We had to ask which road to take, and the gentleman at the cones demanded payment as we drove through, telling us that the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries had instructed him to collect monies, as they are not paid.  When we had parked outside the restaurant his colleague approached us for payment too, but through her Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 28/29 June

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The price of petrol is to increase by 29 cents a litre on Wednesday 2 July.

*  Fox recommends seven things to do in Cape Town that will make you feel like a local: understanding the struggle by visiting Robben Island; meet the people of Cape Town in the townships; get to know the Cape Malay culture and cuisine in Bo-Kaap; shop at the V&A Waterfront, Chandler House, Merchants on Long, Olive Green Cat, the Woodstock Exchange, and Old Biscuit Mill; chill at the beach in Camps Bay or Hout Bay, and eat there; do a wine tour in Franschhoek, including La Petite Ferme, Haute Cabriere, and MĂŽreson; and eat out at The Test Kitchen, the Pot Luck Club, Bizerca, and Charly’s Bakery.

*   Bruwer Raats wines have scored well in the Tim Atkin Report, due to be launched on 1 July:  the MR de Compostella 2012 scored 95 out of 100; Raats Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2012 and Family Cabernet Franc 2012 scored 93; Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2012 and Family Red Jasper 2012 scored 92; and Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2012 scored 91. (received via media release from Peridot Communications) Continue reading →

Franschhoek celebrates ‘Magic of Bubbles’ at Cap Classique and Champagne Festival!

Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne FestivalOne of Franschhoek’s most popular annual events is the Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival, which will be held this coming Saturday and Sunday.  Close to 50 top Champagnes and MCCs (MĂ©thode Cap Classique) will be available to taste, as is food supplied by Franschhoek restaurants.

The theme is ‘Black and White‘, with an emphasis on spots and stripes, and bubbly fans will be enjoying ‘The Magic of Bubbles‘ on what is forecast to be a perfect weather weekend. Not only will MCCs from Franschhoek be on show, but top sparkling wines from other regions  and Champagnes will be too.

Veuve Clicquot winemaker Pierre Casenave will be at the brand’s stand between 12h00 – 13h00 on both days. Other Champagne brands available for tasting are Billecart- Salmon, Champagne Guy Charbaut, Claude Beaufort, Follet-Ramillon, Piper Heidsieck, Thierry Lesne, and Tribaut.

The 40 well-known MCC producers pouring their bubblies are Pierre Jourdan, Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: La Parada Bar de Tapas Bree Street is Español puro!

La Parada Kitchen with Bull head Whale Cottage PortfolioOn Thursday the massive new La Parada Bar da Tapas opened on Bree Street, the second outlet with this brand name in the Harbour House group. It is a restaurant and bar that will attract custom due to the extraordinarily low prices of its food and beverages, in a block that now includes Africa Café, Bistrot Bizerca, HQ,  Awestruck, Simply Asia, The House of Machines, &Union, and Birds Boutique Café.  La Parada means stop or standstill, a clever name for one to break away from a busy day, even though one can imagine that it will become very noisy as it becomes popular due to its low prices.

La Parada is in a building that has been extensively renovated, and La Parada has taken the ground floor.  A night club is set to open in the basement in two weeks, I was told by a waiter, and a glass floor in one section will attract attention to what will be happening below.   One cannot help but notice the restaurant on Bree Street, diagonally opposite &Union, as it has windows opening along almost all of the street frontage, with counter seating inside and outside.  It was very cold yesterday, and there was no place to hide from the cold wind inside the Continue reading →

Beerhouse Cape Town: largest ‘hub’ of local and imported beers in Africa!

Beerhouse Bottled Beers Whale Cottage PortfolioThe largest selection in Africa of beers on tap (16) and bottled beers (99) is available at newly opened Beerhouse, on party mile Long Street in Cape Town.  The Beer List states that ‘we see ourselves as (part of) the world beer revolution’, and Beerhouse plans regular events to ‘incubate the ideals of craft’ and to celebrate the world’s oldest and greatest beverage’!

One cannot miss the strong beer yellow painted building exterior opposite Mama Africa.  The Beer Hall is upstairs, once a bead outlet.  The decor of the beer hall  is quite plain, with some TV screens, and framed pictures of dressed up beer bottles in felt, representing traditional dress from around the world. The backs of wooden benches are painted beer yellow, and banquettes have been upholstered in the same colour.  Beerhouse on Long Exterior Whale Cottage Portfolio While they were renovating the building, they found attractive raw brickwork, and left some of it at the top of the walls.  Lovely wooden floors had to be tiled, as the dust was affecting shops downstairs. Interior decorator Justin Plunkett of Joom came up with the theme of 99 beer bottles, after the well-known song ‘99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. Take one down and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall’.   Continue reading →