Doodles’ mid-week winter specials and sunsets over the sea

We’ve both been battling a Winter cold this past week so when not at work, we mainly stayed home to avoid the rainy weather (at last!) You’ll also notice this week’s selection of pics strongly features snaps of the doggies watching us eat…

Friday, 8 June 2018: Raisin scones drop-off

I worked from home last Friday to skip the long commute in to the office, and mum popped in with a homemade treat – raisin scones, fresh out the oven. So yum!

Saturday, 9 June 2018: Reading on couches with dogs

We breakfasted at our local Lacomia’s Cafe in Builder’s Warehouse of Saturday morning, as Husband had all sorts of odds and ends to purchase and tick off on his DIY list. See my cafe mocha and toasted chicken mayo, as well as Husband’s cappuccino, his cola in the background and his sloppy joe eggy mince on toast.

I spent most of my Saturday afternoon reading on the couch with the doggies. You can just see Bassie, popping up behind my legs. They’re such sweet snuggle buddies.

Mmm, soup! We were both feeling quite under the weather that evening so soup with rolls in front of a roaring fire seemed the best idea for dins. It was.

Sunday, 10 June 2018: Reload dog park breakfast, Limnos treat

We had Sunday breakfast at Reload at the Leadville dog park in Sunningdale (our not-so-social doggies stayed at home, though). See my Mediterranean bagel topped with hummus, onions and avo, as well as my peppermint-choc latte and Husband’s ‘trim’ bacon and bockwurst open omelette.

The peppermint-choc latte is delicious and sweet enough that you don’t need to add any sugar.

Here is Husband, tentatively sipping on a triple cappuccino. We had initially sat outside to watch the doggies play in the park but the wind soon proved too gusty, especially given our compromised immune systems.

Our breakfast table looked like this.

Then it was time for some weekend admin. When we saw Limnos had finally opened in the Table Bay Mall, of course we stopped in for a look and take-home treat. I went for a salambo eclair, which is just delicious – choux pastry with vanilla cream piped in through the base, and topped with syrupy almond slivers. Yum! See Bassie pretending not to watch me eat it in the last photo.

This is post-salambo, pre-coffee. Bassie was happy to snuggle with me on the couch while I convalesced with a new book.

Mum made a lovely trifle for Sunday lupper-dessert.

You can just see the doggies watching their granny eat hers in the background here.

Tuesday, 12 June 2018: Monthly radio recording at 2OceansVibe

On Tuesday, my colleague Angie and I popped in at the 2OceansVibe recording studio in Cartel House, Loop Street for our second show. We stopped in for a post-show coffee and caught up on emails at Cafe du Cap downstairs.

We were careful not to ‘drop the mic. Lol.

Wednesday, 13 June 2018: Mid-week winter dins at Doodles

We stopped in for dins at Doodles on Wednesday to celebrate both finally feeling a bit better from this change-of-season cold. Husband had the winter bangers and mash special for R59, plus a glass of red to wash it down, I had the Wednesday burger and chips special (it’s another R59 meal, but I ordered a latte instead).

The cold front was due to hit the following day so watching the sun setting over the sea after dins seemed extra special as we’d be stuck indoors for the next few days.

Bertie was happy to snuggle with me again that eve in front of the fire.

That’s all, folks! Stay warm and well, and have a happy Father’s Day weekend 🙂

Mother’s Day treats, Terra del Capo antipasti and sunset jacuzzis at The Peninsula

Last Friday’s weather was just the wintery perfection required to review the new winter menu at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, and we had the most wonderful night away at the Peninsula All-Suite Hotel in Sea Point…

Friday, 11 May 2018: Winter antipasti menu at Terra del Capo

After a quick few hours in the office it was time to Uber to the Radisson Blu Hotel at the Waterfront to meet the shuttle taking us to Anthonij Rupert Wyne in Franschhoek. We sipped flutes of bubbly amongst all the blue and green shades.

The hour-plus trip out of the CBD into the winelands soothed us into a relaxed state of excitement, if there’s such a thing, and before we knew it, we were making our way down the driveway and into the tasting room area…

Look at that loveliness! View of the wintery outside, bread board with porcini truffle butter, carrot arancini, and grapefruit salad.

Just look at the way those colours sing – each bite was bursting with flavour, too. This is just a small sample of the four antipasti courses. Crisp veggies, creamy dips, salty meat and warm cheesy bites. Yum!

And then, dessert. See various stages of devouring the chocolate cream tart with tiramisu macaron and capuccino, as well as bowl of citrus and the potent, fruity L’Ormarins digestif.

Presented with bottles of the Pinot Grigiot and the Sangiovese wines we’d enjoyed over lunch, we happily posed outside the impressive doors before heading back onto the shuttle. Most of us were lulled to sleep by the slow rain that fell as we made our way back through the traffic. “Magies vol, ogies toe!”

Saturday, 12 May 2018: Pre-Mother’s Day breakfast and checking in to Sea Point’s Peninsula Hotel

We decided on a pre-Mother’s Day breakfast at News Cafe with both sets of parents. See all parties present and accounted for, as well as various forms of eggy breakfast.

I also had some pre-Mother’s Day snuggles with the doglets as would only see them again the following day. Such cuties!

Next stop, Sea Point! The Peninsula All-Suite Hotel towers above the Queens Beach corner of Sea Point, and is impressive from any angle.

A quick explore of The Peninsula’s grounds revealed a pool out back, this one ‘slightly heated’; as well as classy navy decor; views of Lion’s Head; and the poolside dining options.

Various snaps shot between the foyer and our room – see Husband attempting the ‘Star Wars mirror finger-click’ move, also the striped awning and Pacman-walled games room.

And then! Our suite! The colour scheme was bright and just screamed ‘holiday’, while the complimentary bottle of MCC and view of the sea and the private jacuzzi instantly reset our buttons.

We’re both Aquarian water babies, so after an intense sport massage carried out in our suite, we spent absolute hours in the jacuzzi – we had a dip at sunset, another after dinner, and one more before checkout the next morning. Bliss!

Is there anything prettier than the sun setting over the sea? (No, there’s not.)

View from our room of the sea-facing main (cold) pool below.

Next stop, dins! This is the stylishly renovated Sunset Restaurant, warmly situated in the belly of the Peninsula Hotel. See the moreish farm-style bread, my ultra-chocolatey milkshake, Husband’s pan-seared Norwegian salmon mains and my chicken ballantine. This really hit the spot after all that soaking in the jacuzzi!

Dessert! See my strong cappuccino and ‘death by chocolate’ ganache-y mousse bomb with espresso-creamy centre; as well as Husband’s lemon tart and Irish coffee. Perfect end to the meal.

See the craft gin and brandy trolleys rolled out at dins, and the Faces Bar and Strolla restaurant outside areas, popular with walk-ins from the beach front. We took a quick stroll outside but it was cold and dark, so the warmth of our suite beckoned.

This time, we posed the ‘hotel gown photo’ in the lounge. That carpet was so fluffy!

Sunday, 13 May 2018: Oreo sugarcones from the Dairy Den

The next morning, I opened the curtains and saw just what I’d been hoping for – a pastel pink, cloud-streaked sky over softly crashing waves. Insert heart-eyes emoji!

View from our balcony after we’d woken enough to wish our moms happy Mother’s Day over the phone, then a quick coffee in room… and another at the jacuzzi. Best!

And then, breakfast! We saw the buffet winding all around the extremities of the Sunset Restaurant and found ourselves drawn in again. See the sheet of honeycomb hiding various cold meats, cheese and fruits, as well as waffles with strawberries in syrup and super crispy bacon.

More breakfast! Assorted juices; cold meats, fruits and cheeses; the egg and omelette station; and Husband’s plate, including kipper.

And just like that, our time at the Peninsula was over. Keen to extend the ‘holiday’ feel of the weekend, you can just see Husband almost out at sea here on the right, exploring the rocks at the Sea Point Contact after our speedy check out.

Then it was just a hop, skip and a jump to the Dairy Den on Main Road, where I’d heard about the wonderful ice cream specials and ‘Doh!’nuts. Still full from breakfast I didn’t have space to try a doh!nut too (sob), so will have to return! See various stages of eating my ice cream on the Sea Point promenade.

The ice cream is worth the distance! After much deliberation I decided on the half-and-half – chocolate swirled with strawberry, served with a chocolatey biscuit in the hundreds-and-thousands-dipped Oreo sugarcone.

Husband decided on fish and chips from Snoekies at Eden on the Bay for Mother’s Day lupper at my mum’s, all enjoyed (especially me with my vinegar-soaked chip roll).

Mum and I had both just read the ‘Me Before You’ trilogy by Jojo Moyes, so we watched the movie with assorted snacks for Mother’s Day. Such a good idea!

Tuesday, 15 May 2018: 2OceansVibeRadio segment recording, family wors rolls

On Tuesday afternoon, my colleague Angie and I recorded our first-ever live monthly radio show segment on 2OceansVibeRadio.com, with host Nadia Hearn. Will add a link to the podcast of the show soon! Look at the cosy co-working office space they record from in Cartel House in Loop Street.

Radio show bits done, we stopped in at the Cafe du Cap coffee shop downstairs in the Cartel House building for a quick treat while waiting out the traffic. The iced latte isn’t on the menu, but they will whip one up for you if you ask. T’was just what we needed!

Our friend Gords was down from Joburg on business for a few days so we hosted the whole family for a wors-roll dins once all were done with work. Spec drove up from Fish Hoek, slept over and left before 6am the next morning for work. Lots of laughs were had!

Precious doglets spent some quality time with their granny and grampa on the couch that evening.

That’s all, folks! Click here for my full wordy review of the Terra del Capo experience on Bizcommunity, and keep an eye out for the Peninsula All-Suite Hotel review, coming soon. Here’s to another relaxing weekend ahead…

*Disclaimer: Our meals and accommodation at Anthonij Rupert’s Terra del Capo and The Peninsula were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.