Tag Archives: Katie Friedman

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 44 of Level 1, 13 April 2021

 

Tuesday 13 April 2021, Day 44 of Level 1 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for the perseverance in spending almost all day writing the lengthy Review of the new Grand Pavilion, at which Gary Peterson and I ate yesterday; for a quick walk to Pick n Pay to post my SwitchBitch book to TJ Strydom, he writing the Koos Bekker biography; for a quick shop at Woolies, where the Wifi didn’t work, but one of the Manager gave me a Wifi hotspot from his phone 🙏; for a spontaneous small Pedi at Sorbet, having a gap; for early dinner at Anatoli Turkish Restaurant with Katie Friedman, to try its Restaurant Week Menu, running until 2 May; for the surprise in bumping into Jürgen Muess once again at the restaurant (Donoven Hammond Gloy can you believe this?) and for a Facebook Friend Sarie Spryt from the Garden Route dining there too and recognizing me 😱; for getting home just before Loadshedding started; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

NV-80 Bar & Grill pays tribute to two Gonçalves brothers and their restaurant history!

 

NV-80 Grill & Bar has an unusual name, the two letters representing the brothers Naldo and Victor Gonçalves, and the 80 for the year in which they started restauranting together in Johannesburg.

My visit to the restaurant was in the worst of restaurant times last month, a few days before our President lifted the alcohol ban, with fewer persons than normal in the restaurant, we were told by Manager Shaun Gonçalves, son of owner Victor Gonçalves.
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Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 27 of Level 3 Adjusted, 23 January 2021.

 

Saturday 23 January 2021, Day 27 of Level 3 Adjusted, Day 304 of Lockdown. 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a wonderful day, my most sociable and restaurant dining day since the start of Lockdown; for a lovely cool start to the day, not becoming warmer than 24C today, and ending with a drizzle; for a huff and puff quick walk up to midway Geneva Drive, to show my cleaning team a project to tackle, only having an hour for them, giving me 300 Discovery points; for a delicious Breakfast at Quentin at Oakhurst; for a late lunch with Stuart Bailey at Utopia; for an early dinner with Katie Friedman and her son Iggy at NV-80, my first visit to the Sea Point restaurant; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 74 of Level 1, 3 December 2020.

 

Thursday 3 December 2020, Day 74 of Level 1, Day 253 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a special day of being cared for and spoilt by two lovely ladies, Jenny Stephens and Chef Judi Fourie, taking my KitKat heartache away a little 💙💙; for a busy short morning, preparing for my weekly client status meeting; for a clean-up walk with my team in Bakoven this morning; for a good Earl Grey tea and croissant at Origin Coffee Roasters in De Waterkant, Jenny entertaining me with her stories since we last saw each other; for my client status meeting going well, so happy to hear that they have been fully booked last night and tonight, and the weekend looks busy too; for popping in at the first Thursday Night Market at the Old Biscuit Mill; for a spontaneous treat dinner at Pilcrow & Cleaver, Chef Judi giving me the whole bottle of The Valley Pinot Noir to take home when I was happy to just have a glassful, and for comping the meal too, such amazing kindness 🙏; for meeting artist Benjamin Salvatore at his exhibition at Speakers’ Corner, across the road from Pilcrow & Cleaver, having been invited by Katie Friedman, and being offered a Cointreau & Tonic, very tasty and refreshing; for the good news that the Western Cape is not affected by the tighter Lockdown regulations announced by our President this evening; and for being healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 23 of Level 1, 13 October 2020.

 

Tuesday 13 October 2020, Day 23 of Level 1, Day 201 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a very sociable day, with good food; for a lovely sunny day, following a rainy night; for having time to do a quick Camps Bay morning walk; for an easy drive to Diep River, to the home of Michelle Fioroni for lunch, with Brian Van Hansen (an amazing photographer) and Florence Poretti (aquarobics instructor and hike leader) to thank us for our Facebook posts during Lockdown, such a lovely gesture ❤️; for a quick visit to Fat Harry’s in Kenilworth, which Stuart Bailey has taken over and is opening shortly after an extensive renovation; for another walk in Camps Bay and a chat to Law Enforcement Officer Ivor Ramsay; for a lovely catch-up dinner with Katie Friedman, visiting from Durban, at Utopia; for receiving a Discovery Car Insurance premium Cash Back; for a call from Carte Blanche about a possible interview about one of my Blogpost legal victories; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 9 of Level 2, 27 August 2020.

 

Thursday 27 August 2020, Day 9 of Level 2, 154 days and 5 months of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for all your lovely messages and encouragement after my downer last night, amazing how an early night can make one feel better the next day ❤️; for a busy day, making a Cabin Fever Plan about visiting five of the Women Restaurateurs this afternoon, to bring them their gift of ADHARA extra virgin olive oil, being inspired by each of these hardworking and dedicated women, and having lovely chats with each 💙; for Venishree Mayer winning two Silver and one Gold SA Olive 2020 awards for their ADHARA olive oils this evening 👏👏👏👏 ; for a spectacular weather change from a warm morning until lunchtime, I leaving home in shorts, to chilly by the time I got back home just over three hours later, and the rain falling now☔️; for being so spoilt on my restaurant delivery trip; for dancing to Kfm to make up my step goal; for the feedback about the Homeless cleaning beggar Michael being made unwelcome by Camps Bay Law Enforcement for harassing the local residents for donations; and for being happy and healthy again. 🙏💙 Continue reading →