Tag Archives: Delaire Graff Estate

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 45 of Level 3, 15 July 2020.

 

Wednesday 15 July 2020, Day 45 of Level 3, after 66 days of Levels 5 and 4. 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a beautiful sunshine day, with a nippy start, putting a lift into everyone’s step, and happy that we will have another 7 days of sunshine before the next rain arrives; for getting my writing done in good time; for being spoilt by a lunch invitation at Latitude CafĂŠ in Sea Point, a lovely setting in the 9th floor on the Latitude ApartHotel, connecting with two acquaintances; for donating blood 🩸, Rita Rodrigues being the nicest staff member there, always a pleasure to give, for being offered tea and biscuits afterwards, and receiving a present; for the amazing generosity of Discovery Vitality today…. not often experienced; for picking up two desserts on the Pilcrow & Cleaver menu this week in town, and meeting owner Chef Judi Fourie, only having messaged each other up to now; for a walk through Camps Bay, no clearing up of storm debris done yet, so I’ve booked Joel for tomorrow so that we can start with clearing the pavements, so that locals can walk again; for a walk through Bakoven at sunset time; for missing out on Loadshedding today; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 5 September

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   Is it the right thing for Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom to feature in an ‘advertorial’ for Uber, (boringly) showing him booking his ride via phone in his Parliamentary office, and then being driven to the Cape Town International Convention Centre, where he addressed the eTourism Africa Summit as keynote speaker?

*   Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2009 has won World Champion Cap Classique, Best in its Class, as well as Gold in the 2014 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships in London, with 650 wines from 16 countries evaluated.  Klein Constantia MCC Brut 2011 won Gold too, while Simonsig Cap Classique Kaapse Vonkel 2010 won Silver.  A total of 185 wines won a Gold or Silver medal.

*   Yuppiechef.com has been named the Best eCommerce Store in South Africa for the fifth year running, winning ahead of Continue reading →

Are there enough top chefs left to make up a credible 2014 Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant list?

Chenin Blanc Top 10 Huguenot Cheese Brulee Whale CottageIn the past week three further Top 20 Restaurant candidate chefs have announced their resignation, making the restaurants at which they work ineligible to be nominated for the 2014 Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant shortlist.  This year is the most volatile we have ever seen as far as top restaurant chef departures go, opening up the opportunity for a fresh 2014 Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards list.

The latest chef resignations are the following:

*   Chef Oliver Cattermole left Mondiall Kitchen & Bar two weeks ago, today joining the Leeu Collection as its Executive Chef for its five star Dassenberg Estate hotel and Leeu Restraurants Oliver CattermoleRusthof Country House in Franschhoek, both opening next year.  Chef Oliver has worked locally at Dash at the Queen Victoria Hotel, the Le Franschhoek hotel, and Mondiall, as well as internationally at Ivy Restaurant, La Gavroche, Novelli, and at Cannizaro House hotel.

*   Chef Brad Ball, who helped open Bistro Sixteen82 at Steenberg, leaves in two weeks to start up what sounds like a collective of three restaurants at Pedlars on the Bend in Constantia

*   Chef Christiaan Campbell leaves Delaire Graff Estate, after opening up the main restaurant more than Continue reading →

Arrival of winter likely to freeze Cape Town and Winelands restaurant income!

The first taste of the Cape winter this weekend is likely to be felt by the restaurant industry, which will see hard times in the next two months, if close to zero accommodation bookings in the Cape are anything to go by.  Other than Hermanus FynArts and the Wacky Wine Weekend kicking off next week, ‘Cook Franschhoek‘ running over the Youth Day long weekend, and the Bastille Festival weekend on 13 – 14 July, no significant events are planned to attract visitors to Cape Town and the Winelands.  A number of restaurants are closing for an annual break in the next two months.

This list of restaurant openings and closings isupdated continuously, as we receive new information:

Restaurant Openings

*   The Crypt Jazz Restaurant has opened below St George’s Cathedral.

*   Frères Bistro has opened next door to Col’Cacchio on Hans Strydom Continue reading →