Tag Archives: Manna Epicure

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 80 of Level 1, 19 May 2021.

 


Wednesday 19 May 2021, Day 80 of Level 1 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a fabulous day, being organized, getting my work done in good time; for a lovely sunshine day before the rain clouds rolled in over Lions Head, our rain sign; for Earl Grey surviving a little accident at home; for having time to do a rain soup ingredient shop at Woolies, with the R100 Woolies voucher I earned with 2 Discovery Gameboard plays; for a quick shop at Continental Butchery at Kloof Street; for my first Status meeting with my newest client at Manna Epicure, outside on their sunny terrace; for a productive Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 34 of Level 3 Adjusted, 29 January 2021

 

Friday 29 January 2021, Day 34 of Level 3 Adjusted, Day 310 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#grateful for a fabulous day; for 24C which felt warmer, and no wind ; for a visit by Melanie Davidow, helping her with Facebook and less so with an Instagram challenge, spoilt with a most beautiful heart and a chocolate slab from her ❤️; for getting my work done on time; for a good walk with Imtiaz to show him an open field and a stream to clean on Fullham Road, the steep uphill gaining me 500 Discovery points 😱 ; for a good meeting with my prospective luxury guest house client in Camps Bay, with the good news message when I arrived home that I have been appointed to handle its Communication, as of Monday 🍾🥂; for a stop at Carne on Kloof Street for a delicious Tiramisu, because next-door Manna Epicure was closed already; keeping it Italian, for another fun bubbly dinner with Nick and Charlotte Zachariou, tonight at Villa 47, with an excellent 2 course special at R265 and good service, being spoilt by them yet again; for a lovely sunset as I drove through Mouille Point, having to stop to take photographs; for having such a good day that I danced in my car whilst driving home; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 63 of Level 1, 22 November 2020.

 

Sunday 22 November 2020, Day 63 of Level 1, Day 242 of Lockdown . 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a very relaxed day, after sleeping late due to watching German TV too late last night; for a lovely laidback Brunch at Manna Epicure with Vivian Warby, both of us wanting to get out of the Camps Bay busyness; for a walk through Camps Bay, reasonably busy, but the wind picking up sent some visitors packing up and returning home earlier, sadly with litter left behind; for very courteous service by a new cashier at Pick n Pay when I went to buy the Daily Maverick 168; for a long birthday call to my cousin Ulrike Payne in Germany; for a chat with Stuart Bailey, so happy that his new Fat Harry’s restaurant is doing so well; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 30 of Level 2, 16 September 2020.;

 

Wednesday 16 September 2020, Day 30 of Level 2, Day 174 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for another rainy day, not too cold at 16C; for giving myself this morning off, a rare treat, meeting Isabella Niehaus for coffee/tea and a treat at Manna Epicure, personally looked after by owner Agnes Renault; for a special lunch at the brand new Oxalis Restaurant, which is owned by four former female staff of Janse & Co; for a productive afternoon writing replies to lost baggage and flight cancellation customer complaints, the first in German and the second in English, for a potential airline call centre job application; for a longer call to my Alex, doing better and better career-wise; for a walk through Camps Bay, a refreshing break after being indoors all day; for two Discovery Gameboard plays making 330 Miles; for Discovery Cashbacks for Healthy Food purchases and for one-third back on the Adidas shoes I bought at Sportsman’s Warehouse last month; for the interest rate remaining unchanged; and for being much happier and healthy today. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 17 of Level 2, 3 September 2020.

 

Thursday 3 September 2020, Day 17 of Level 2, Day 161 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a beautiful day of sunshine 🌞🌞🌞, feeling so much more cheerful; for getting my work done this morning before Loadshedding hit us the first time at midday, an opportunity to go for a Camps Bay walk; for receiving more financial Information from a Sandak-Lewin Accounts person super efficiently today 🙏; for a quick break, sitting at a table in the sun, to enjoy a slice of the super moist Carrot Cake at Manna Epicure, seeing owner Agnes Renault briefly; for friendly service from the German Butcher across the road; for meeting Jenny Stephens for tea at the recently reopened Woolworths WCafé in the Waterfront, seeing the team of René, Tracy and their male colleague, not having seen any of them in the past five months; for some walking steps on the way to Jenny’s car; for a one-hour wonder of having a chipped tooth fixed and topped with a crown 😊; for being able to dance 💃💃💃 again, first with the lovely DJ Candice Heyns, and then at La Parada Bree Street; for bumping into Gary Peterson and Thomas at Chefs Warehouse & Canteen; for getting home just in time to eat something quickly before our next load of Loadshedding at 20h00; and for being happy and healthy, a fabulous day. 🙏💙 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 →

A Women’s Day salute to Women Restaurant Owners and Top Chefs in Cape Town and the Winelands, sadly only a handful!

 

Since having created a Facebook Group for Food Delivery and Collection during Lockdown, I have become aware of women restaurant owners, something I had never written about or even thought about, only being aware of female chefs in our part of the world. For Women’s Day I planned this article, to profile the female restaurant owners in Cape Town and the Winelands, sadly only finding a small handful of 12.

I have also compiled a list of the Top 13 women Head/Executive Chefs in Cape Town and the Winelands.

Continue reading →

Paul René MCC bubbles in Robertson, innovative packaging!

On Monday I stopped at the Robertson Small Hotel for a bite to eat and a cappuccino, where Monica van Niekerk of Paul René MCC came to greet me, she having been surprised at the hotel with a stork party for the imminent birth of her daughter. She contacted her husband Henk, and he in turn contacted me, inviting me to a tasting of their sparkling wines. Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Carne Bistro on Kloof Street a piccolo mix of Mozzarella Bar, Caffe Milano, and Carne!

Carne branding Whale CottageSerendipity led me to Carne Bistro on Kloof Street last night, bumping into the Friedman family, which was eating there while I was heading to Manna Epicure next door. An invitation to join their table led me to experience the new Carne Bistro, which opened in September. The space was previously Caffe Milano, which was a favourite for their Eggs Benedict, and for the excellent service from its previous manager Charlene, who now works at the main Carne on Keerom Street.

I had not been back to the original Carne restaurant, after the exposé on this Blog about owner Giorgio Nava’s misleading claims about his beef, lamb and game being organic and coming from his Karoo farm.  Nava saw the light, and removed the claims from his menus and website a year later.   The restaurant (with 95 Keerom) has never made the Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant shortlist since then, despite being one of two favourite chefs (with Chef Luke Dale-Roberts) of Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly!  Nava wins a more recently created Eat Out Carne Bistro Interior Whale CottageBest of Award every year, alternating between Best Italian for 95 Keerom, and Best Steakhouse for Carne. This yearshould be a 95 Keerom year!

Some interior changes were made to the restaurant, but not really visible nor obvious. Wall shelving has been removed, and the wooden buttermilk vessels which were used as decor at the Mozzarella Bar Continue reading →

High Chef turnover in Cape and Winelands restaurants, new restaurant openings continue!

Foliage Chef Chris Erasmus at table Whale CottageFor the first time in many years Cape Town has seen barely any restaurant closures this winter. There have never been so many chefs leaving their employers to start their own restaurants, or to join other employers! An unusually high number of new restaurants have opened or will do so in the next month or two.

This list of restaurant openings and closings, restaurant staff movements, and winter holiday closures, is updated continuously, as we receive new information:

Restaurant Openings

*     Chef Chris Erasmus has opened his own restaurant Foliage in Franschhoek, having previously been at Pierneef à La Motte.

*    Chef’s Warehouse & Canteen has opened Street Food below the neighbouring hotel, offering Deluxe coffee, pastries, and Asian-inspired lunch take-outs. Operates from 7h00 – 15h00 Monday – Friday.

*   Idiom Wines is said to be opening a restaurant.

*   The Butcher Shop & Grill is opening next to Sotano in Mouille Point.

*   Michael Townsend (La Parada, Lucky Fish, Harbour House emporium) is Continue reading →