Tag Archives: Allee Bleue

Many restaurant openings in Cape Town and Winelands contrary to past winter trend!

Chef's Warehouse Street Food logo Whale Cottage PortfolioCape Town is seeing an amazing number of restaurant openings in mid-winter, a time during which one expects the opposite, it being usual to see restaurant closures.  Although a concern to some, we are seeing a rise in restaurant entrepreneurs, opening more than one restaurant in Cape Town, including Neil Grant with business partner Barry Engelbrecht (opening on Bree Street, as well as at the former River Café; Michael Townsend of the Harbour House Group, who must be the fastest restaurant-opener at the moment, also bringing star Chef Andres Conde from Michelin star restaurants in Spain to Cape Town; and grumpy Giorgio Nava, who is opening two Carne restaurants shortly! This list of restaurant openings and closings is updated continuously, as we receive new information:

Restaurant Openings

*    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.

*   Idiom Wines is said to be opening a restaurant.

*   Lucky Fish & Chips has opened on Bree Street, on Regent Road in Sea Point, on Long Street, in Kalk Bay, and in Muizenberg, belonging to Harbour House group.  

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

*   Ragafellows has opened on Main Road in Hout Bay.

*   The Dogfather has opened in Sea Point.

*   The Restaurant at Cape Point Vineyards has opened, with Chef Clayton Bell of the former Constantia Uitsig Continue reading →

Cape Town Hotel School Sweet Service and Department of Public Works Sour Service Awards!

Hotel SChool Silver Fish Whale Cottage PortfolioiThe Sweet Service Award goes to the Cape Town Hotel School Restaurant in Granger Bay, and its soon-to-be-departing GM Alan Romburgh and Executive Chef Jerome Peters. With the help of Manley Communications, wines supplied by Allée Bleue, and 3 year old brandy from KWV, they had invited a number of writers to a seafood lunch on its terrace to launch its new Summer menu.  We were sent home by Chef Jerome with dinner as well, being West Coast mussels with coconut milk, lemongrass, fresh ginger, and coriander. 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 (Méthode 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 →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 23/24 November

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The Garden Route has been named as the best golf destination in Africa and the Middle East.

*   Solms-Delta is one of only 15 recipients  (one of three from South Africa – Bushman’s Kloof Wildlife Reserve and Camp Jabulani) of the Travel + Leisure Global Vision Awards 2013, ‘all of which ‘embody the extraordinary ways that travellers can give back to the places we visit’.  Solms-Delta empowers its workers through profit-sharing, equity, land-ownership, educational scholarships, music-based heritage projects, and other socially and culturally uplifting programmes. (received via media release from Paula Wilson Media Consulting)

*   Tim James of Grape blog has won the inaugural Du Toitskloof Wines Wine Writer of the Year competition, of which the theme was Climate Change and its effect on the South African wine industry.  The prize value is R30000. (received via media release from De Kock Communications)

*  Neil Ellis Sincerely Sauvignon Blanc is recommended for Continue reading →