Chef’s trio special at Eat at Perdeberg

This past week has been busier than usual as I’ve been in Durban covering the Loeries Awards for work since Wednesday. But lots happened before then…

Friday,  16 August 2019: Bus station walkies

When I got off the bus from work last Friday, all the male members of the household were at the MyCiti station to greet me. Bertie was a very good boy on his walkies while Bassie stayed home with her granny.

He (Bertie, not Hubcap) stopped to sniff at things and rustle in the shrubbery along the walkway, but didn’t bark at anyone or anything – a different doggie to the shouter on car trips!

Saturday, 17 August 2019: Roadtrip to Paarl, to Eat at Perdeberg

We breakfasted at Reload, Flamingo Vlei on Saturday and sampled their ‘breakfast bun’ special. Husband had a flat white with his, I went for the peppermint-choc latte.

We had an open road on our way to Paarl to review the winter ‘chef’s special trio’ at the new ‘Eat at Perdeberg’ restaurant.

It was perfect weather for sitting outside, so sit outside we did. See the main Perdeberg Cellar building, as well as their grape juice bottles, my strawberry shake and the wines Husband sampled.

Some of the deliciousness of Eat at Perdeberg – see the bobotie springrolls, served samoosa-style with the most delicious homemade chilli, tomato, coriander and ginger jam; the braai boxes for two; their strawberry shake, the chef’s trio special of oxtail, venson pie and chicken curry with veg and chips on the side; and Husband’s glass of red. Read all the words in my review on Bizcommunity!

Husband looking pleased with the lay of the land at our Eat @ Perdeberg table.

We passed such pretty scenery on our way home from Eat at Perdeberg – field of sunny yellow canola, cows grazing and more.

Later that afternoon we visited the beach. We called these pics ‘calm before the storm’ – see the waves crashing on the rocks in the background! Husband also had his customary weekend dip in the sea.

By Saturday evening we were a little peckish again so see the Otomi (chilli con carne, coriander, spiced yoghurt) pizza we shared at Col’cacchio, Seaside Village. Also see the sunset over the sea.

Sunday, 18 August 2019: Bica brekkie, Burger King lupper and sleepy dogs

Breakfast is served! This is what we ordered from Cafe Bica in Bayside Mall on Sunday morning. See Hubcap’s chorizo-egg croissant, as well as my banana pancakes and one of our flat whites.

Hubcap and baby dogs napping in various spots around the house.

Mum was a little under-the-weather on Sunday, so we opted for Burger King takeaways for lupper. See our extra-long chilli cheese burgers and cans of ‘coffee Coke’.

Tuesday, 20 August 2019: Tribe coffee break, family dinner at Rocomama’s

I met Husband for a quick coffee at Tribe, across the road from my offices on Tuesday. See our nice strong flat whites.

Gords was in town for the night on Tuesday, so we dined at Rocomama’s. Spec also drove through for the ‘family dins’.

Hubcap and Dad enjoying themselves at Rocomama’s.

That’s all, folks! Watch for my ‘Loeries pics’ update this coming Friday and click here to recap my full Eat at Perdeberg review on Bizcommunity. 🙂

*Disclaimer: Our meals at Eat at Perdeberg were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.

Mid-winter sea dips and lots of warm dogs

This past weekend was chilly so we spent lots of time at home with the doglets, as you’ll see from the pics below…

Friday, 19 July 2019: Rocomama’s dins

Little girl wrapped up in her blanket on the bed while watching me work from home last Friday.

Husband felt for Rocomama’s for dins last Friday evening, so we headed out as soon as he got home from work. See my creme brulee shake, his very hot chicken wings, and a cute bumper sticker we spotted on our way back home.

Superdogs! These two are so funny. they insist on being wrapped in blankets, then drag them on the floor behind them like superhero capes when they go explore an interesting noise elsewhere.

Saturday, 20 July 2019: Limnos brekkies, Doodles nachos and angel fish

We started our Saturday with some mall admin so stopped at Limons Bakery for a bite to eat. See my grilled ham-and-cheese croissant and Husband’s cooked breakfast – our cappuccinos were effectively free.

We were a little early for our movie at GrandWest casino on Saturday afternoon so stopped at Vida e Caffe for a coffee first. See my standard cappuccino and Husband’s triple.

We stopped at Doodles on the beachfront for an early dins that evening. See the sunset, as well as Husband’s glass of red wine and my plate of cheesy nachos – free as we used an Entertainer voucher.

More snaps of the sunset, also see Husband’s angel fish with veggies. Yum!

Such a pretty girl! Sitting in her granny’s arms, of course.

Sunday, 21 July 2019: The Daily breakfast and a mid-winter sea dip

We breakfasted at The Daily at Seaside Village on Sunday, with Husband’s parents. See my tin cup (condensed milk coffee) as well as banana-bread French toast top right, as well as Husband’s potato waffles topped with poached egg and Hollandaise sauce, a chicken-mayo sandwich with side salad for his mum, and Father-in-Law’s basic brekkie with decaf cappuccino.

Travel-inspired decor at The Daily in Seaside Village.

Proof we were all there.

We stopped at Husband’s favourite swimming hole later that afternoon so he could have a dip in the sea. Spot him in the three pics around me.

Little Miss sitting neatly tucked up in her doggie bed by the fireplace that evening.

Mum’s delicious chicken parm for Sunday lupper.

That’s all, folks! Stay well and tune in for my update next week – same time, same place.

Winter lunching at Balducci and 67 Minutes for Madiba, the Bizcommunity way

This past weekend we ate winter-warming food and tried to fit in a spot of relaxing, as you’ll see from the pics below…

Saturday, 13 July 2019: Ou Meul Bakkery brekkie and Balducci lupper

We started our weekend with breakfast at Ou Meul Bakkery in Willowbridge last Saturday. See my red-velvet latte.

See our breakfast bowls and happy faces.

Bright bunches of wild flowers on display in the eating area of the Willowbridge market.

Our sun-dappled garden that afternoon. Not seen: Bertie running around like a wild thing trying to bite the sprinklers and becoming sopping wet in the process!

We were invited to review the new winter lunch specials at Balducci’s in the V&A Waterfront that afternoon. See my Amarula Colada shake and Husband’s salt-and-pepper squid starter.

For mains, we went for the gnocchi carbonara and lamb shank respectively. Click here for my full, wordy review on Bizcommunity.

We were full to the gills by then, but couldn’t pass on dessert. See my ‘white Lindt chocolate’ cheesecake slice, and Husband’s ‘white Nile chocolate martini’.

As seen during our post-meal walkies around the Waterfront. Note Husband’s one-leg-up ‘pirate pose’ as we stood near the pirate ship.

Palm trees at Woodbridge Island at sunset, as seen on our way home that evening, always make for a pretty photo.

Table Mountain standing guard in the background.

Low-flying birdies over the water at sunset, just past Dolphin Beach.

Sunday, 14 July 2019: Breakfast at Kauai, Eden on the Bay

We met Husband’s parents for breakfast at Kauai in Eden on the Bay on Sunday morning. Chilly air meant long sleeves and scarves all round…

Tuesday, 16 July 2019: R59 pizzas at Panarotti’s

When I got home from work on Tuesday, Mum quickly whipped up a batch of crumpets and served them piping hot, with syrup and coffee. Yum!

On Tuesday night we ventured out to Panarotti’s at Table Bay Mall for their R59 pizza special. See our four different pizzas here as well as a Belgian waffle to end the meal.

Dad and me, enjoying our Amarula hot chocolate and Nutella mikshake accordingly.

Wednesday, 17 July 2019: Briyani and doggy jerseys

Wednesday was another cold one, as you can see here, with Bassie wearing her jersey. It was a briyani dins night, with flavoured milk to ease some of the burn.

Thursday, 18 July 2019: Bizcommunity’s 67 minutes for Mandela Day CSI outreach at Manenberg Primary School

A bit of rain didn’t stop the team’s 67 Minutes for Mandela Day activities. We delivered sweet treats and bookmarks to all the kiddies of Manenberg Primary School, and read to 70 learners from the grade 1 and 2 classes. Also see the pretty birdie painted on one of the exterior classroom walls, and our quick team pizza lunch at Ashley’s Family Restaurant post-event. Team pics snapped by Gail and Bardo.

That’s all, folks! Click here to recap my Balducci review on Bizcommunity. We hope you have a warm, restful weekend ahead.

*Disclaimer: Our meal at Balducci was part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.

July 2019 Staycation: Fairview goats, Tasha’s waffles, and rainy day pasta

I was on leave for the start of this week, recovering from the usual mid-year work stresses, so there are few more pics to scroll through below than usual, even though Husband didn’t take any time off…

Friday, 28 June 2019: Creative Mornings, burny bunny chow and pastel sunsets

I made my way to AAA School of Advertising again last Friday, as it was time for the next Creative Mornings Cape Town event. See some of the sights, and click here for my overview of the event.

Pinky-purple sky, as seen from home that evening.

We opted for burny bunny chows from Tandoor Palace for dins last Friday, to end the week on a spicy note.

Saturday, 29 June 2019: Cocktails and taco bowls at El Barrio

We had a spot of mall admin to sort out first thing on Saturday, so breakfasted at Bica Cafe in Bayside Mall. See our cappuccinos as well as my early bird special with scrambled eggs and Husband’s croissant with chorizo and egg.

We’d not been to El Barrio in Eden on the Bay for a long time, so that’s where we had our Saturday lupper. See my coco-pina frozen margarita and his ‘little mamasita’, as well as my carnita (pork) and his ‘carne con chile’ taco bowl.

Proof we were both there.

Sunday, 30 June 2019: Pork and potatoes for Sunday lupper

We met Husband’s parents for breakfast at the Pink Olive in Stark Ayres nursery last Sunday as it’s walking distance from their home – Spec had slept over at their house the night before, so he joined us. See everyone except for Husband’s dad (he was off blowing his nose when these pics were snapped). Also see my French toast with cooked banana, syrup and cream cheese, as well as our flat whites.

We stopped in at MIlky Lane in Table Bay Mall for our Sunday afternoon treat. See Husband’s Crunchie whizzer and my ‘Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup & Crunchie creamy coffee’ shake. Yes, really.

The cold weather has really set in, so Mum’s roast pork, potatoes and zucchini was perfect for Sunday lupper!

Bertie promptly hopped in when we put Bassie’s day bed in front of the fire on Sunday evening. Such sweeties.

Monday, 1 July 2019: Roadtrip to Stellenbosch, Doodles dins

On Monday, my parents and I took a little roadtrip to Fairview in Stellenbosch. If you look closely you’ll see a squirrel in the tree, top-right.

Various shots of our Monday lunch at Fairview’s Goatshed.

Mmm! We had a light lunch of gammon sandwiches and cured fish platters, with lovely cappuccinos. We left with full bellies.

Of course we also stopped to look at all the goats before leaving. They slowly made their way up and down their tower and stopped for a snack.

The goat tower, as seen from the Goatshed restaurant.

Mum stopped to smell a rose in the garden on our way out.

Husband wanted an adventure when he got home that evening so we headed off to Doodles on the beachfront, just in time for sunset. Also see my caramel shake and Husband’s snail starter. For mains, we had the chicken schnitzel Monday special and pork-bangers-and-mash winter special.

Such a pretty sunset over Table Mountain, as seen from Doodles.

Tuesday, 2 July 2019: Rainy day pasta at 95 at Parks, waffles at Tasha’s

After a lazy start and attending Mum’s weekly Ageless Grace seated fitness class, Tuesday afternoon was rainy and cold, perfect pasta weather. We went to 95 at Parks for some of the ‘pasta ripiena’ Mum and I had sampled at chef Giorgio Nava’s masterclass the week before. See the rainy setting and lovely breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to start our lunch.

Our pasta bowls. All was delicious and just what we had hoped for! See my butternut-filled ravioli, Dad’s seafoody spaghettoni and Mum’s gorgonzola-nutty gnocchi. Mmm!

Pasta perfection – the cappuccino was also a win.

Next stop, waffles! We needed something sweet to end the meal so went to Tasha’s Waffles in Constantia for waffles and coffee. Just the way to spend a Tuesday afternoon!

Everything is so bright and beautiful that we wanted to add it all to our waffles. In the end we both had a scoop of caramel ice-cream, with a Smarties-Astros mix on mine and Turkish Delight for Dad.

Wednesday, 3 July 2019: Pie, chips and gravy at Limnos Bakery

On Wednesday, my last day of leave, we popped in at Limnos Bakery in Table Bay Mall for their ‘pie, chips, gravy and cappuccino’ lunchtime special.

The doggies spent much of the week wrapped in blankets and getting snuggles, as seen here.

That’s all, folks! Stay warm and dry, we’ll see you same time, same place next week. 🙂

Discovering where pineapple belongs in the Italian kitchen at 95 at Parks

This past week has been another busy one packed with events and delicious food, as you’ll see from the snaps below…

Thursday, 20 June 2019: Kantar’s ‘Innovation for Growth’ workshop

Last Thursday, I attended Kantar’s ‘Innovation for Growth’ workshop, at their photogenic offices on the Foreshore. Click here for a reminder of my event overview article.

Friday, 21 June 2019: Orange sky before the storm

A line of orange clouds last Friday, before an enormous storm that evening.

Cold weather means lots of cold doggies snuggling up under blankies. And watching the rain from between the curtains.

Saturday, 22 June 2019: Munching at Trecastelli and Colala on Marine Circle

See our breakfast at Trecastelli on Marine Circle last Saturday morning. Flat whites and the cooked breakfast for Husband (it’s not on the menu but quite a popular choice), while I had the cappuccino-croissant special.

I was in dire need of a coffee refill when we were at the Mall later that afternoon. Nothing a R10 dirty chai latte from Xpresso can’t fix!

On Saturday afternoon we popped into Colala on Marine Circle for an early dins – they serve Asian fusion food, so you can have sushi and a creamy curry like Husband, or chicken cashew nut with egg fried rice like me. They also serve milkshakes like this caramel one, yay and bonus, they’re on the Entertainer app – we’ll be back!

Sunday, 23 June 2019: Reload Leadville breakfast

Sunday was a ‘Reload Leadville’ kind of morning, so we popped in for breakfast. See my mashed avo bagel and peppermint-choc latte, as well as Husband’s ‘trim’ mince, cheese and onion omelette. We also gret numerous happy doggies having walkies with their owners.

Coffee on our pretty new coffee side table.

Homemade creme caramel for dessert at Mum’s on Sunday. Yum!

Sweet, sleepy doglets as seen throughout the week.

Wednesday, 26 June 2019: Pasta Ripiena master class at 95@Parks

On Wednesday, I attended a ‘pasta ripiena’ master class at 95 at Parks, where chef Giorgio Nava shared tips and techniques to make his legendary stuffed pasta dishes. Mum came along too! See her with chef Nava, as well as the delightful setting.

I also had my pic snapped with Chef Nava, of course! See the delicious cheese we snacked on, the cosy setting, our first course of spinach and butternut ravioli, and the deep-fried Pasta Montenara.

The master class in action! Chef Giorgio Nava, with his two ‘helpers’, Giovanna and Jonas. All three showed us various aspects of the filled pasta creation process.

See the pasta ripiena menu, on offer until end-July, as well as the pea-and-ham cappelletti, pineapple sorbet (this is the answer to where pineapple belongs in the Italian kitchen – certainly not on pizza). Also see our espresso and cappuccino to end the meal. Click here for my official review on Biz, as well as to download Chef Nava’s pasta recipes from the master class!

Thursday, 27 June 2019: Surprise 50th office birthday party

We surprised our CEO with a birthday party a day early on Thursday. See some of the decorations and snacks.

Happy birthday! See Andre in white, just to the left of the gold ’50’ balloons, with the rest of team Biz gathered around.

We had pots of delicious Thai curry and rice, as well as stacks of sweet treats – always doughnuts for Andre – to celebrate.

That’s all folks! I’m taking a few days’ leave next week for a ‘digital detox’ of sorts, see you for next Friday’s update. 🙂

Father’s Day 2019 lunch buffet at the Italian Club

This past week I’ve had my annual ‘Cannes Lions cold’, and it was also Father’s Day and the Youth Day public holiday (though I worked throughout), as you’ll see from the pics below…

Tuesday, 11 June 2019: Spark Media’s Roots 2019 launch

Last Tuesday, I attended Spark Media’s Roots2019 research launch at the River Club. See some of the intriguing displays made from Lego – behind glass so they wouldn’t be messed with (and snacks, meant for eating!)

Thursday, 13 June 2019: Sunrise over Woodstock

I had a super-early start at the office last Thursday, and remembered to pause to catch the sunrise out the window.

Friday, 14 June 2019:  Syrupy crumpets and sunsets

Mmm! When I worked from home last Friday, Mum whipped up a quick batch of crumpets – best enjoyed with tea and syrup, yum.

Pretty as a picture sunset caught in the phone wires, as seen from our lounge that evening.

Saturday, 15 June 2019: Beef roast and potatoes, Weber-style

We decided on a slightly different breakfast on Saturday, at Primi on Marine Circle – see our coffees (flat white cappuccino for Husband, Mocha Forte for me), as well as our breakfasts – the berry pretty super protein bowl for me, the full Primi Power for him. Pricy but filling (I brought half of mine home for the next day).

As it was a long weekend and we’d be having a special Father’s Day lunch with all the parents the next day, Spec slept over at ours on Saturday night. Husband Webered a roast beef, Mum supplied the potatoes and peas – dinner, sorted!

Sunday, 16 June 2019: Father’s Day lunch at the Italian Club

We arrived at the Italian Club at the same time as Husband’s parents, so took a few snaps outside before heading into the big hall for lunch.

The inside was festively decked with balloons and crisp white tablecloths and chair covers.

Look at all those drinks! The craft beers were handed to all the menfolk on entry, with the mini gins waiting on the tables.

Cheers! We brought our own bottle of bubbly along with us, to toast all the dads at the table.

Me with our dads. Lots of love!

Buffeting! Finally, the tables were ready for us so we queued up for all the Italian food you can imagine. See some of the selections here.

Some of the desserts on offer. I may or may not have eaten all of this.

I’ve been to the Italian Club so many times, yet never been out the back to see the view of the mountain. It’s lovely!

Sweet little Bassie warming herself in front of the fire that evening.

Monday, 17 June 2019: Youth Day public holiday

As it was a public holiday on Monday, we slept in a bit then headed to The Daily at Seaside Village in Big Bay for breakfast, once I’d done some work. See Husbands tasting tray coffees, my Tin Cup and our breakfasts.

See my thick, puffy jacket (Winter is truly here), as well as close-ups of the food – my banana-caramel waffle pop and Husband’s full brekkie (he saw another plate go past with those sausages and promptly changed his order, teehee). This was my only outing for the day.

Tuesday, 18 June 2019: Wintery work-from-home lunch

I worked from home again on Tuesday and stopped for a quick soup-with-toasteds break. Just what I needed!

Teehee! So many funny faces. Snapped when we had curry takeaways at Mum’s on Tuesday evening – Gords was in town for business again so stayed the night with us.

Various sleepy doglets, snapped trying to stay warm throughout the week.

That’s all, folks! I’m looking forward to switching off completely this weekend and recovering from this cold. May your weekend be warm and relaxing, too.

Voting day 2019 thumfie, ribs and gnocchi at the Italian Club

We had yet another day off work this week as it was national voting day on Wednesday – the last public holiday for a while, so we made the most of the chance to relax…

Saturday, 4 May 2019: Braai at Husband’s parents

We decided on a little bit of a road trip for our Saturday breakfast, eventualy ending up at Melkbos Kitchen. The coffee was delicious, as was the food. See Husband’s salmon-eggs benedict, as well as my bacon-egg buttie.

The doggies enjoyed running around and taking in their other granny’s garden, as their last visit was the day we moved – Bertie’s birthday, on 1 March.

Results of all the braai-ing effort.

Sunday, 5 May 2019: Kauai breakfast and honeyed lupper

We wanted something on the healthier side of the street for Sunday breakfast, so went to Kauai at Eden on the Bay. See the lovely view as well as my almond oat pot and Husband’s Mexican egg bowl. Not pictured: Our strong flat white coffees.

Mum made a delicious honey-mustard chicken meal for Sunday lupper, as we still have lots of honey from our bee hive removal. Click here if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

Mini doughnuts for dessert!

A beautiful sky at sunset, as seen from home.

Tuesday, 7 May 2019: French toast breakfast treat

I worked from home on Tuesday as I had a very late night of work the night before so opted to skip the commute into the office. Added bonus: homemade French toast with bacon, syrup and honey, made by Mum.

Wednesday, 8 May 2019: Voting day in South Africa

We slept in a little later than normal then headed to Wimpy at Bayside Mall for breakfast. See Husband winking without his streaky bacon breakfast (plus cheese griller), and me with my regular Wimpy coffee and Bar-one waffle.

We kept an eye on the queues outside the voting stations all day, then decided on lunch at the Italian Club before making our mark. See the ribs and chips, red wine, gnocchi bolognaise and my coffee shake.

A group ‘thumfie’ as proof that we all eventually made our mark that afternoon.

Sweet, sleepy doglets as snapped throughout the week.

That’s all, folks! Tune in next week – same time, same place for my next update…

Easter weekend 2019: Bee hive removal, caramel-choc hot cross buns and fondue

Last weekend was longer than usual as it was the Easter weekend, and we took an extra day’s leave on the Thursday…

Monday, 15 April 2019: After-work book launch in Woodstock

I popped in at the Test Kitchen in the Old Biscut Mill after work last Monday, for the launch of Sandalene Dale-Roberts’ latest cookbook, The Inside Job. See some of the decor and food that we sampled from the book.

Couldn’t resist snapping this wall art outside the Old Biscuit Mill, on my way home that evening.

Wednesday, 17 April 2019:  Start-of-weekend dins at CTFM

Our gardener pointed out an enormous beehive in a corner of the garden, which we had removed. The bees were taken to safety, and we were left with lots of honeycomb!

Bee rescue complete, we headed to CTFM in Seaside Village for a ‘welcome to the long weekend’ meal. See the parents’ prawns, my beef burger, Husband’s Teriyaki salmon and the top of my berry bomb gourmet shake.

The whole family, enjoying our CTFM dins – especially as we used our Entertainer vouchers for added value!

Thuesday, 18 April 2019: Car service day, swing benching with Bassie

We had taken Thursday off from work as our car was booked in for a service, walking distance from home. That was our first stop on Thursday…

Breakfast is much more satisfying if you’ve worked – made that walked – for it! See the lovely sun-dappled path, and our breakfast at Reload, Flamingo Vlei. Husband had the Turkish eggs and a double flat white, I had a peppermint-choc latte and the chicken-mayo bacon bagel. Just right, before the walk back home.

Bassie loved sitting on the swing bench with me on Thursday evening.

The tree is quite a sight when it’s all lit up! We ate outside that night.

Friday, 19 April 2019: Good Friday hot cross buns, Irish nachos and jalapeno poppers at Saint’s

We all breakfasted together at News Cafe on Friday morning. See my early bird full English breakfast.

Sweet little Bassie was Very Interested in my chocolate hot cross bun, especially as I’d filled it with Caramel Treat. Caramel-chocolate hot cross buns were advertised anywhere, but none were in stock, so I made my own.

We stopped in at Saint’s for a late-afternoon treat. See my cafe Capri – a latte with chocolate and coconut, as well as Husband’s spiked shake with black beer, Irish whiskey and Nutella, his ‘green hot’ jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon and my ‘Irish nachos’. Yum!

It was cold enough that evening for us to put our new fireplace to use for the first time. Bassie enjoyed it but Bertie LOVED it. See various phases of his evening enjoyment here.

Saturday, 20 April 2019: Velvet Cake Co’s Easter slice

Makro was our first stop on Saturday, so we ate at the in-store restaurant, Cafe De La Fe. See my toasted chicken mayo and Husband’s full cooked breakfast, as well as his large cream-topped cappuccino – my latte is just out of sight.

Sweet Bertie boy stretched out to fully enjoy the Saturday sunshine.

We popped in at Husband’s parents for a quick pre-Easter visit on Saturday afternoon. See the delicious slice of ‘Easter cake’ from the Velvet Cake Co top right.

Beautiful citrussy skies at night.

Sunday, 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday fondue fun at home

We had a mall admin morning on Sunday, so breakfasted at Woolworths Cafe. See my vanilla-cinnamon cappuccino and poached egg bowl, as well as Husband’s chilli omelette and double flat white.

Husband made friends with what the Robben Island website tells us is a Cape Dwarf chameleon that had been exploring the garden. Much larger than the little guy from a few weeks ago, so it’s probably his dad or older brother. Click here if you’ve forgotten!

Happy Easter! See our pretty pink roses, Dad with leafy ‘bunny ears’, and our lovely pork and veggies fondue.

Monday, 22 April 2019: Easter Monday breakfast at On the Rocks, lupper at Rocomama’s

It was a crisp but beautiful day on Monday, so we started ours with breakfast at On the Rocks. See our cappuccinos as well as Husband’s croque Madame and my French toast with berries and ice cream.

After much lazing around, we had an ‘end-of-the-holiday’ treat visit at Rocomama’s that afternoon. See our smiles and my espresso shake. Not pictured – our delicious burgers and Husband’s draught beer.

Tuesday, 23 April 2019: Chocolate bunnies to get back into work mode

The return to work on Tuesday was sweetened by the Lindt bunny waiting on my laptop.

Wednesday, 24 April 2019: Pre-work coffee treat at Tribe

Husband had a work meeting in town first thing on Wednesday, so dropped me off at work on the way. But first, coffee! We love the blend at Tribe, which is over the road from my office, and all coffees are R15 if ordered before 9am. See our tall flat whites, the wall mural outside and some literal spilt milk on the steps outside. We didn’t cry over it.

That’s all, folks! We hope you have a restful weekend ahead 🙂

Father-in-Law’s 76th birthday, a rainy stay at Franschhoek’s Akademie Street Boutique Hotel

Last weekend was cold and rainy – perfect for a weekend away in Franschhoek! But first, we had some family celebrating to do…

Friday, 12 April 2019: Father-in-law’s birthday dins at Portalia

Saturday was Husband’s father’s 76th birthday, so we all joined him at Portalia last Friday evening to celebrate. See the fairy lights in the outside seating area, proof we were all there, the dads having a drink together, my dad’s flambeed chorizo meal and some of our pizzas, and my Amarula coffee.

See the boys’ end-of-evening whisky dom pedros.

The weather was quite wintery when we got home that evening so we snuggled with the little doggies and noticed a rainbow just after sunrise the next morning.

Saturday, 13 April 2019: Lunch at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, night stay at Akademie Street Boutique Hotel

We started our Saturday with breakfast at Mugg & Bean in Bayside Mall. See my peanut-butter latte and avo-rainbow slaw toast, as well as Husband’s egg-and-bacon toast, Coke Zero and cafe crema.

Next stop, Husband treated us to a couple’s massage at Aiyara Thai Spa in Eden on the Bay. We were prodded and pummeled with Tiger Balm for a good 45-minutes, to ease the stresses of the first quarter of the year.

Next, road trip! We stopped at Anthonij Rupert Wyne on the very outskirts of Franschhoek’s main road on our way into town for lunch. Once our appointment was ticked off at the gate we parked and made our way into the tasting area, all decked out for Easter.

See Terra del Capo’s fresh-out-the-oven breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in upcycled Protea wine bottles, Husband’s Franschhoek trout and smoked salmon antipasti dishes, and the ‘digestifs’ trolley with cocktail options.

Mmm. My sweet-potato gnocchi with hazelnuts, pancetta and Tallegio cheese was the highlight of the meal at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, as one of the handful of warm dishes on the summer menu.

We’re yet to sample the high tea at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo, but if the desserts are anything to go by, they’re a must! See my cappuccino – Terbodore’s hazelnut blend, with a sweet iced bunny biscuit, as well as the berry-topped chocolate torte and the mini ‘crossover cake’ – a mix of cheesecake and carrot cake. We just managed to finish these between the two of us.

Cheers! There was a roaring fire blazing in the upstairs wine-tasting room, a quaint car waiting down below, and delicious wines to imbibe. Click here for my full review on Bizcommunity!

Home for the night – Akademie Street Boutique Hotel in Franschhoek. Perfect for a winter stay, scroll through to see why!

Some of the eye-catching things in and around Akademie Street Boutique Hotel. That’s Husband with a Bluetooth-activated gramophone, so you power your choice of songs from your phone. The ‘Africa’ art bottom right comprises booklike paper folds.

Views of windows, from windows and the cute hand-drawn map from Akademie Street Boutique Hotel.

The main pool – bottom-left – has a jacuzzi at one end. Also see the private pool and jacuzzi outside out cottage’s suites in the top-left and bottom-right. Consider us two waterbabies delighted!

We stayed in Gelatenheid A. Some of the sections of our suite: See the wall of books and mirrors, freestanding bath tub and heated towel rails – not used, balcony as seen from the hot tub and bed at the centre of the suite.

One of my favourite labels ever: “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars.” This MCC Brut was a lovely welcome treat – thank you Akademie Street!

There’s nothing nicer than hot-tubbing when it’s bucketing down outside. As the barrel-shaped hot tub is wood-fired, we were happy and toasty all afternoon.

As sunset started to streak the sky, we reluctantly got out of the hot tub for a spot of exploring.

The gardens are quiet and filled with pretty things, like these statues and wooden works of art. Take a stroll around the grounds, weather permitting!

See Husband strolling down from our suite to the Orangerie area for pre-dinner drinks, snacks and games. He also played the piano for a while.

For dins, we walked down to the Elephant & Barrel Village Pub on main road around 7pm. I had a delicious coffee shake, Husband had a Castle Lite draught, and as we were still so full from our lunch at Terra del Capo, we shared the potato wedges with sour cream, guacomole and curry mayo. Yum!

Lol! This night’s stay featured straw sun hats in the standard gownie photo. See four of the numerous attempts at this photo.

Our full bellies and the sound of rain outside meant we slept very well that night.

Sunday, 14 April 2019: Doggy beach walks at Kreeftebaai

Scenes from breakfast on Sunday morning. See the pastry selection, platter of fruits, granola, yoghurt, smoothies and honey on each table, as well as the Le Creuset coffee carafe and our hot orders – eggs benedict with bacon for Husband and pancakes with bacon and honey for me.

Husband walking with an umbrella to our checkout on Sunday morning. See the nice sign at the empty bicycle rack – “I don’t ride a bike to add days to my life, I ride a bike to add life to my days.”

Terbodore coffee’s Big Dog Cafe was closed as we made our way out of Franschhoek on Sunday, but the Terbo Truck looked inviting – will try stop in on our next visit!

We took the doglets for nice long walkies at the beach that afternoon. See Bertie and his dad in the sea while Bassie steered me toward the safety of the dunes.

More beach walkies at Kreeftebaai.

That’s all, folks! We hope you’re having a relaxing Easter long weekend. 🙂 Click here for my full review of our lunch experience at Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s Terra del Capo on Bizcommunity, with my review of Akademie Street Boutique Hotel to follow soon. Tune in for my next update next week – same time, same place. 🙂

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

Seafood and steak at Belthazar and Tabasco’s 12th birthday

Last weekend we lunched at Belthazar at the V&A Waterfront. We also celebrated little Bassie’s 12th birthday on Monday, as you’ll see from the pics below…

Saturday, 30 March 2019: Succulent steak lunch at Belthazar

Mmm. It was a Pulp Kitchen breakfast kind of morning on Saturday as we were in Willowbridge Centre. See our flat whites as well as my coffee-dipped French toast and Husband’s ‘Mexican standoff’ mince on toast, with a poached egg rather than the scrambled standard.

Next stop, Belthazar at the V&A Waterfront for lunch. See Husband’s wine with a handy tag explaining exactly what he was imbibing, as this is the largest ‘by-the-glass’ wine bar in the world, offering 250 options. Also see the lovely view across to a cloud-covered Table Mountain.

Husband opted for the Belthazar-style avocado Ritz starter. See the bright pops of colour. He said it tasted just as good as it looked.

Husband starting on that starter. Also see the lovely ‘bread board’ complete with sausage in Napoletana sauce, Husband’s Madagascan green peppercorn-topped saucy flambeed steak, his side of baked potato and creamed spinach, and my steak roll with hand-cut chips. All lip-smackingly good!

See Husband’s glass of red book-ended by my delicious Kahlua dom pedro. Highly recommended as a drink or dessert!

A Waterfront view not often seen: Eye-catching staircase up to the castle-like Somerset Hospital.

Cupcakes galore! We popped in at my Uncle Al’s house that evening, just up the road in West Beach, to celebrate his retirement. There were yummy cupcakes everywhere we looked!

The full family contingent, celebrating Uncle Al’s retirement.

Pretty skies when we left Uncle Al’s for our own home that evening.

We celebrated little Bassie’s birthday with the cupcakes we took home from uncle Al’s, as well as a new box of baked goods from our local Spar during the week. Also see our pretty ‘housewarming sunflowers’.

Sunday, 31 March 2019: Cup & Cake breakfast and sunny skies

We started our Sunday with breakfast at Cup & Cake in Eden on the Bay. See my three cinnamon-sugar pancakes and butterscotch latte, as well as Husband’s Eggs-purtly done (bread with Marmite, avo spread and poached egg). Yum!

View of clouds over the mountains while out and about that afternoon.

Mum made pork steaks with various veggies for our Sunday lupper.

Monday, 1 April 2019: Bassie’s 12th birthday

Various stages of Bassie’s birthday celebration – snuggling under duvets and on blankets with her brother, and eyeing the cupcake I ate in her honour.

The standard family birthday shot, with the birthday girl trying not to pose under the birthday hat. Happy 12th birthday, Bassie!

That’s all, folks! Click here for my full review of our lunch experience at Belthazar on Bizcommunity and tune in for my next update next week – same time, same place 🙂

*Disclaimer: Our meals and drinks at Belthazar were part of our review package. All else came from our own pockets. All enjoyed equally.