Mother City Magic ~Cape Town

Mother City Magic ~Cape Town
Written and edited by Veronica Clark

Friday 22 July 2011

Goats do Roam at Fairview....

Good morning friends.  A few weeks ago I came upon a post from a fellow blogger on the tipple she was enjoying at that time. Apparently the label on the bottle seduced her and she had to have it and you will see why in a minute. Have a look at her post here!

Did you see that amazing spot she calls home and the goats. Not the ones on the label of the bottles, but the others. And did you catch a glimpse of Henry? The wine is from a local winery  here in the Western Cape not far from Cape Town called Fairview and since she lives way over in the Pacific North West of Canada, I promised to visit Fairview and give her a closer glimpse into where her tipple came from...

And what a pleasure it was... So her goes Pondie especially for you but you are all welcome to join the tour with us as I show her around...



 Welcome to Fairview





Where, Goats do Roam....






...and eat...of course!


The Goats do Roam Label's first red wine was inspired by the Fairview goats' fondness for the grapes from the vineyard near their tower. Hence the quirky packaging and name!



First , lets visit The Goat shed, the restaurant...Named after the farms cheeky herd of 700 goats, bred for their milk!



...for a glass of wine and a cheese platter to start the meal with! Yes back to front but that's they way we like it! We shared a platter of  cheese and bread while contemplating the menu and the fine winter's day of sunshine!


 


Upon arrival you are given a leaflet with the cheeses available and a a pen and you select the ones you would like on your platter. At this point there is normally a lively debate and discussion  increasing in decibels, of who wants what on the cheese platter, naturally fuelled by many sips of sauvignon!




 After demolishing the cheese platter  and bread we moved on the menu and had a feast!  The order was: Chalmar beef fillet topped with a paprika and black pepper Chevin, wrapped in black forest ham and served on pesto drizzled roast potatoes, vegetables and peppadews. Then there was  Fragrant Lamb Curry with Basmati rice, fresh coriander, caraway yoghurt and Manganello seed bread and lastly I had to have the duck liver pate served with beetroot. All totally delectable! Naturally tasters were circulated.... have a look...all patiently waiting while the crazy blogger gets a pic of every one's meal. Note the folded hands...

 


Have a look at the complete menu here . Of course it does not include the daily specials, which on this day had  another of my favourite dishes namely French Onion Soup with Parmesan Toasties.


 
With  a stunning winter's day we opted to sit outside in the sun ....




Below, is the inside of the restaurant...

 

 

...decorated with vintage finds...


After lunch you can head over to the shop. Grab a basket...



 
...and fill it with,  wine, bread, cheese and olive oil.




 



There is a cheese room.




And, of course you have to taste the wine...








...and have a peek at all the awards, meet the friendly staff and take a closer look at the terroir...












This is where it  all happens and matures....




I just had to show you one of my favourite wine labels ever...




Take a close look here at the background...a goat with a barrel on his back, the globe and so on and so on. I love it !








So I hope you enjoyed our little tour of Fairview!





Take a seat in this lovely nook  while I say my goodbyes....





Please Click here to view Fairview's website but before you do pour yourself another glass of Goats do Roam because there is loads to look at and explore and some recipes to drool over as well.

Check out the rest of the La Carpa Ranges' labels,  they are a treat!


So that's it from me

Live well Live the Cape Town vibe

Cheers

Veronica

xxx

all images are my own except the label from La Carpa which is from the website.

Please regale me with a comment and your tipple tales or email me at mothercitymagic@gmail.com



Saturday 16 July 2011

The Hussar Grill in Stellenbosch

I stumbled upon a new restaurant in Stellenbosch quite by accident when our regular lunch spot was closed for their annual winter break. We were sorely disappointed having anticipated our al fresco luncheon spot all the way from Cape Town! Anyway we were in dire need of the bathroom and after some rude treatment at another establishment I noticed  The Hussar Grill on the Square and the delightful staff were more than happy to assist us in our hour of need.

Emerging refreshed I was able to take in the ambiance of the new establishment and was instantly captivated! The decor is a delight and creates a cosy ambiance. The tables are decked out in white with napkins. Whilst my son availed himself of the facilities I asked to see the menu and we decided to have lunch!

Mighty happy that we did!  We ordered a glass of wine each and while we waited we received a gorgeous bowl of olives (they were excellent) and a bowl of veggie crisps.




Now... what to eat...?





Whenever I find myself at a restaurant  that I have not yet visited and they have chicken livers on the menu it trips me up!! I just have to try it to see what the chef does. So my mind was made up quite quickly and I snapped away with my camera whilst my son read the brand new leather menu from cover to cover with intriguing squeals of ..ooh the have .... or ooh they make!!

You can have a peek at the full menu Here on the website for The Hussar Grill (click please)






I love the way they used object for interest and to add detail....very effective in this space....






Byron did pause from his menu reading to inform the waitress not to worry about me that I took pictures wherever I went for my blog









He had a hamburger of course and it was beautifully presented with the sauce served on the side.






My chicken livers were superb! Compliments to the chef!

















The Bar Area









Alfresco  dining on the square




The service was impeccable, the staff delightful and the food was great. We will definitely be returning. I imagine that it would be a good idea to book for dinner as it is not very big and bound to be very popular. Here are the details

The Hussar Grill
23 Plein Street
Stellenbosch

(021)882 8088




Bon Appetit


Veronica

xxx

Thursday 14 July 2011

Tribal Trends

Just of Greenmarket Square I stumbled upon a gorgeous shop called Tribal Trends.  Here is the address: Winchester House, 72-74 Long Street, Cape Town  Tel no +27 21 423 - 8009.

Now that  the details are out of the way and you know where to find it, lets do some swooning... Eugene at Tribal Trends very kindly allowed me to take some photos. Let me say this to you. It is one of the most beautiful shops I have been into in a long time...take a look





All the merchandise is from Africa and much of it from South Africa. Everything has been arranged so beautifully and looking at these images, I am afraid it does not do justice to all the eye candy on offer and I think it calls for another visit to capture more of this lovely space for you.



Needless to say this cushion and shiny red ostrich eggs stopped me dead for a shot. They are gorgeous. I did not think that I could incorporate Africa into my space but these cushions, and for that matter, this entire shop, has changed my mind! I will show you in a minute what is on my list of 'Must haves " from here apart from those shiny red eggs!!





The colours are amazing...as are the artful displays....






And here it is " The Lamp" !!! Feathered lampshade atop a horn!! Flamboyant yet understated elegance and I need it!! Check out the face with helmet bottom left hand corner...lol..






Honestly, this little arrangement above would be perfect in my den adding texture and interest! and have a peek at the Nguni Rug...

 




Stunning, isn't it just! I want to take the whole setting home...The pot with the feathers to the right ~ gorgeous...

 





For Dining in the wild above... and whimsical below..take your pick....







Ugh, me and pots and feathers... lethal combo! I find them totally irresistible...






How about this table setting? " Give me a crocodile sandwich and make it snappy!" comes to mind!
Cool setting! Wonder if the guests gets to take Snappy home?






Love love love!







I bet you have never seen Louis chairs look so vibrant and ethnic. Who would have thought? I adore them and of course need I have to point out the lamps... Gasping in delight at this setting. Note the horn door handle on the left.







Look up close and what a wonderful idea those large beads are for display..





Beautiful ...




Of course, the wall colour is right in my colour palette so I had to capture it....






Feathered scatters....adore them, besides the daybed...





There literally is something for every taste in decor and these are so elegant with tiny detail





Ahh, and here...another of my loves... roosters! um , and of course the lamp...but you saw it, didn't you?






 
Textures...







Me and them feathers... You can see that they captivated me....







So there you have it. I could take home the whole shop ... starting with that lamp...

Gorgeous, isn't it...

Please go for a visit to appreciate it up close... I certainly need another visit with my camera and more time to capture the beauty of African  Art and Tribal Trends.

Thank you to Eugene. See you soon again.

Sharing Mother City Magic...

Veronica

xxx


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