I had not been to Stellenbosch since the beginning of Lockdown in March 2020. Last week I spent a day in the town, to walk through its centre, and updating my information of restaurants that have opened and closed in the town since my last visit.
I discovered multiple new coffee shops and informal eateries, and a growing number of wine bars. And the start of a challenge to Chef Bertus Basson’s dominance of the university town as far as fine-dining goes.
Despite the dreadful impact on restaurants of Level 4 during July, no restaurants appeared to have closed. By the end of September Chef Luke Dale Roberts will have closed all his restaurants. He will consult to Ethos in Johannesburg.
Chef Bertus Basson is on a continuous Restaurant opening spree, having opened Geuwels at Vergenoegd Löw in Stellenbosch at the beginning of this month, with Chef Drikus heading up the kitchen. It is open Wednesdays to Sundays, for Breakfast and Lunch. Continue reading →
Wednesday 17 March, Day 17 of Level 1, Day 357 of Lockdown 😷
Corona Gratitude 🙏
#Grateful for a beauty of a day, summer coming back at 26C and not a breath of wind, with hordes of beachgoers in Bakoven; for getting the bulk of my writing work done when Loadshedding hit us at 12h00, a critical time for me as I had a client meeting this afternoon; for a good client meeting, loving the brainstorming every week, and excited about our very humble Chef Jacques du Toit likely to soon becoming famous; for a lovely energetic walk on my new Bakoven walking way; for a lovely sunset; for Minsky coming home safely this morning, after a night out on the town 💙😻; for gaining two Discovery Gameboard plays, enabling me to buy a Woolies R100 voucher; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →
Yesterday Fat Harry’s reopened in Kenilworth as a transformed Restaurant with a Bar, with new owners, a new chef, a new menu, and a complete makeover. Co-owner and restaurateur Stuart Bailey, who has many years experience of opening and running Restaurants, including Hussar Grill, Slug & Lettuce, the Harbour House Group, and Cowboys & Cooks restaurants, has created a new quality neighbourhood eatery in the Southern Suburbs, with a brand new bar.
Last week I was invited to try some of the dishes at Fat Harry’s, and I invited Eugene van Eck, who lives a block away from the restaurant, to join me for dinner.
At the end of a Garden Route tour with my Parisian friend last week, we spent one night at Temenos in McGregor. As Tebaldi Restaurant at Temenos was fully booked, we chose to eat at Open Kitchen, a restaurant which opened in winter last year, but which I had not experienced previously. It serves good steak and Tapas, but the service is very slow! Continue reading →
When I visit Franschhoek, I love to revisit the shops in the village, and am always on the lookout to see what is new. A surprise discovery was the new Café Roca in the village, a hidden gem tucked away behind an art gallery, formerly the home of the now defunct Melissa’s. I loved it so much, that I went back on three consecutive days, Continue reading →
This afternoon Eat Out announced its list of the Top 30 restaurants in our country for this year. The Top 20 restaurants will be revealed at the Awards ceremony on 18 November at GrandWest, and the Top 10 list within that ranking. There are some surprise inclusions and exclusions in this list. Continue reading →
A year ago I posted here on my Blog that 2016 was the best year of my life. Looking back on 2017, I can echo this sentiment about 2017, surpassing what was already a fantastic 2016! The year was crowned by the publishing of my first book, and I plan to write two this year. I discovered my Self-Love, and now can truly stand on my own two feet! Continue reading →
I was grateful to be able to interview Chef Brad Ball at La Parada Bree Street last week, in preparation for the announcement of his appointment as the new Harbour House Group Executive Chef, given my (then) forthcoming trip overseas. Continue reading →
On Thursday evening Llewellyn Lambert and I attended the media launch of the HQ World Class Cocktail Menu, the theme of the event being Wild West. We tried five of the six cocktails on the HQ cocktail menu, developed by Warren Cowdy, the HQ General Manager. Continue reading →