The Shack Bistro and Sports Bar

There was nothing more exciting to me when I was teaching in NY than to wake up on a cold, blustery winter morning and find out that school was cancelled for the day due to outrageous amounts of snow that had fallen overnight.  An unexpected day off.....woohoo!!!  That same feeling of elation swept over me when I arrived at The Shack on Thursday for the Coffee Crawl.  Upon meeting The Shack's owner, Ingrid Saunders, she informed me that since Friday was a public holiday (making for a long weekend) things would be quite hectic at the shop on Thursday.  WHAT??? ...a public hiloday???... an unexpected day off???... a long weekend???? WOOHOO!!!!!  Well, that set the tone for this week's Crawl.

The Crawlers met Thursday morning at The Shack Bistro and Sports Bar.  As the name implies, The Shack is a coffee shop/bistro by day and a sports bar (to go to watch your favorite rugby/soccer/cricket teams) by night.  The bar side has been under the present management for about six months while the coffee shop side has been open for only six weeks.  The Shack is situated in the Lorraine Plaza (Gardens Shopping Centre) on Circular Drive in Lorraine.  I frequent the plaza (and drive past the new coffee shop) as it is where the Virgin Active gym is located.

The Shack has a relaxed atmosphere with a sublte African decor.  There is seating for approximately 50 people inside the shop where patrons are totally removed from the hectic pace of the plaza/parking lot.  There is also outside "sidewalk" seating for about 20 customers who enjoy people-watching.  The Shack features a daily breakfast special which includes a full English breakfast with free coffee.  The shop has a full lunch menu as well. 

Meet the Barista
Patience

LavAzza brand coffee beverages are prepared by barista Patience.  She certainly needed all that and then some as she filled orders of tea and coffee from Thursday's Crawlers, Margaret Zoetmulder, Colleen LeRoux, Fran de Beer, June Nash, Leanne Waller, Beth Vieira, Nomusa Nkomo, and Stella and Beryl Dawson, and Gail Darne.  My cappuccinos were excellent... I think I had three!  And Patience is a real sweetheart... she made us all feel like she was entertaining guests in her own home.  Thank you, Patience, you're awesome!   Camera-shy owner, Ingrid, stopped by the table a few times to make sure all was well and that we were enjoying ourselves.  Needless to say, considering the hospitality shown to us by the staff, The Shack is a definite return-to spot for me!




This Week's Crawlers
Gail, Fran, June, Stella, Nomusa, Beryl, Leanne,
Margaret, Beth, Colleen



So, as for the National Holiday.... Friday, Dec 16 was the Day of Reconciliation, and the "unofficial" start of the summer season in SA.  The Crawlers discussed the background of this holiday which is way too complicated to get involved in here, but if you're interested, google it.... fascinating stuff!  As the Il Divo Christmas CD played in the background we then got to talking about old age and being old.  With Thursday's Crawlers ages ranging from 20s to 80s there were certainly differing perspectives on the subject.  In the end we all agreed that we liked the quote stuck to Elaine's (my sis) fridge, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?"

Speaking of age, I'd like to take this opportunity to send Happy Birthday wishes to my sisters, Carol in Millersville, PA (Dec 16) and Mary in Edinboro, PA (Dec 17).  Hope you both had fun on your special days.  A huge Happy Birthday #1 on Dec 19 to my beautiful granddaughter, Mia, in Cleveland, TN.  Can't wait to see you, your parents and brother next week!

So, what did Lou and I do on our unexpected day off?  We wasted the day away... which reminds me of another quote stuck to Elaine's fridge, "Time spent wasting is not wasted time."  That quote has become my mantra!

~Thank you to Ingrid and Patience for making the Crawlers feel quite at home.  Great coffee, too!

~MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL!!!!

Until next week,

Ellen                                                                

Dessie's Mad Hatter Tea Garden

I was grocery shopping one day last week and enjoying the Christmas tunes playing in the background.  I had to laugh when I heard those familiar lyrics, "Oh, the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"  I happened to have a tee shirt, shorts, and flip flops on at the time.

 

 

 With PE having some beautiful summer weather recently, I've been struggling to get into the Christmas spirit.  Thursday's Crawl site was just what I needed to remind me that Christmas is just around the corner.  Dessie's Mad Hatter Tea Garden is located within The Christmas House, a temporary, seasonal shop that opened for business on Oct 8 and runs through Christmas Eve.  The Christmas House is situated inside the Moffett on Main Lifestyle Centre in Walmer, and has just about anything you need to decorate for the holiday season.

Meet the Barista
Patricia

 Thursday's Crawlers, Margaret Zoetmulder, Beth Vieira, Leanne Waller and her son, Daniel, Nomusa Nkomo, Gail Darne, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Fran de Beer, and June Nash, spent some time perusing the nativity sets and the decorated trees then headed to the back of the store where the Mad Hatter Tea Garden staff greeted us and pushed some tables together to accommodate our group.

This Week's Crawlers
Nomusa, Gail, Beryl, Fran, Leanne, June, Daniel,
Stella, Beth, Margaret



Zimbabweans Nomusa and Gail having tea at the
Coffee Crawl



The Tea Garden serves Ciro brand coffee and has a full breakfast/lunch menu along with a variety of cakes and cookies.  My cappuccino and Americano prepped by barista, Patricia, were very good but the small cups were only half full when served.... a bit disappointing, but the festive ambience, complete with snow-related background music, more made up for it.  Everything considered, the Mad Hatter Tea Garden certainly put me in a holiday mood and I'll definitely head over to the shop should I feel the need for a Christmas booster over the next week and a half.

Talk of Christmas preparations abounded at the table.... real vs artificial trees, e-cards vs snail mail cards, and turkey vs ham.  The next topic of conversation centered around baby African animals... giraffes, ellies, zebra, and PE's version of Santa's 8 tiny reindeer.... 7 tiny impala babies!  The community where I live in PE has a herd of impala on the premises, and within the past few weeks there have been 7 new additions to the herd.  The babies a so cute prancing about!  As I was busy prancing about snapping pics for the blog, the subject of mergers came up.... not the corporate variety, but photographic mergers.  Mergers happen when separate items in our 3-dimensional world merge into one item through the 1-dimensional perspective of a camera lens.  A couple of examples... two animals standing close to each other may look like one animal with two heads in a pic, or it may look like a background plant is growing out of someone's head in a pic.  I've seen numerous intentional merger pics of people holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa!  Check out the merger of Daniel with a Santa hat!

As I write this I know that where many of my fam/friends live in the U.S. the "weather outside is frightful."  Here's to wishing you all a "White Christmas!"  Enjoy!!!

~Thank you to The Mad Hatter staff for putting me in the Christmas spirit!

~Thank you to my son, Jeff, for posting all our U.S. bound snail mail Christmas cards from Atlanta!

Until next week,

Ellen

                                                                             

                                                                        

Catwalk Caffe

I happened to stumble upon this past Thursday's Crawl site a few months ago while doing some errands on Westbourne Rd.  The Catwalk Caffe was added to my ever-growing list of PE coffee shops.  As the name implies, a dress/accessory/fashion boutique is the premise for the shop.  Needless to say, none of the gentlemen Crawlers joined us for the Dec 1st Crawl!

My twofold plan for Thursday was 1) to enjoy some great coffee and 2) to find something to wear to Lou's Dec 3rd company Christmas party.  Well, I managed to accomplish No. 1 as the PuroFairtrade cappuccinos prepared by barista Jenny was very good and really hit the spot on a blustery, rainy day.  As for No. 2 of the plan, I had no luck finding a dress for the party, though doing the whole "catwalk" thing for my brutally honest SA friends was a good time.  I learned one thing from my brief modeling experience... keep my day job!  Oh right, I already quit my day job when I moved to SA!

Meet the Barista
Jenny

The Catwalk Caffe is presently located at 37 Westbourne Rd. in Central.  However, after almost two years at this address, owner, Johan Blom is planning to relocate the shop to 3rd Ave. in Newton Park at the end of December.  The Crawlers will have to make a visit to his new digs when he gets settled.  All aspects of the Westbourne Rd. shop, including light meals, main meals, the boutique, special events catering, and Wednesday pensioners' specials, will carry over to the Newton Park site.  Catwalk Caffe's hours are M-F, 8-5 and Sat, 8-2, and will be open for business on Westbourne Rd. for the next few weeks.  Ladies, if you're looking for something glitzy to wear for that special New Year's Eve party, check out the Caffe's sale on evening wear and cocktail dresses.

This Week's Crawlers
Leanne, June, Gail, Stella, Nomusa, Beryl, Fran

So, I wasn't the only one who modeled some of Catwalk's fashions on Thursday.  Leanne Waller and Nomusa Nkomo also braved the critical eyes (and comments) of fellow Crawlers, Stella and Beryl Dawson, June Nash, Fran de Beer, and Gail Darne.  Both ladies were successful in finding something that met the approval of the Crawlers.

"TIA - This is Africa," a frequently quoted phrase made popular by the movie, Blood Diamond, dominated the conversation at the table on Thursday.  In response to my comments about a two and a half hour oil change last week and the numerous power outages at my house recently, the Crawlers replied, "This is Africa, Ellen!"  I then told everyone about a book (SA author) I read a while back where two pages are dedicated to "TIA."    Funny stuff......   I've been told many times here that anything and everything that goes awry or is confusing can be explained away by "TIA."  So, the next time I'm behind a donkey cart at a traffic light (robot) or am following a herd of cattle down the road to my house, I'll remind myself, "TIA!"

~Thank you to Johan and Jenny--we'll be checking out your new shop in 2012.
~Thank you to this week's Crawlers for braving the weather to join me at Catwalk Caffe!

Until next week,

Ellen

Ellen's Thanksgiving Crawl

Lou and I have lived in SA for almost a year and a half.  Last Thursday was the second Thanksgiving we've spent here and I have to say that, for me, Thanksgiving has been the most difficult holiday to be abroad.

Thanksgiving is the last Thursday in November, and with the Coffee Crawl falling on a Thursday each week I started back in October to think of which PE coffee shop would fit the bill for the holiday.  It was then that I decided to have the Thanksgiving Crawl at my house and, in the spirit of the holiday, would be breaking the No-Food-On-The-Crawl rule big time.  Seeing that the Crawl is in the morning I certainly wasn't going to do the whole turkey thing, though Lou and I had a nice turkey dinner (minus the fresh cranberry sauce) when he got home from work.  I did, however, spend all day Wednesday baking pies, 3 apple, 2 pumpkin, 2 pecan, and 1 mincemeat for the Crawl.  Fran and Keith stopped by to drop off their coffee maker that I was borrowing, and found me up to my elbows in flour and the kitchen quite a mess!

The plan for Thursday morning was to have everyone sit outside at the picnic tables but it rained Wednesday night (so much for the drought!) and everything was soaked in the morning.  Oh well, I hoped there would be enough room inside for everyone.  June and Leanne came a little early with their coffee makers to help me get set up.  I couldn't have asked for two better baristas!

Meet the Baristas
Leanne and June



Meet the Owner
Lou (second from right)



Three Masterton's coffees (Blend 81, Out of Africa, and Cameo on Black Velvet), an assortment of teas/cookies/chocolates, and the eight pies awaited as the Crawlers arrived.  The Thanksgiving Crawlers included Beth Vieira, Sandy Venter, Fran and Keith de Beer, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Gail Darne, Gail Taverner, Jenny Aubin, Nomusa Nkomo, Les Baldwin, Ellen Kock, Margaret Zoetmulder, Colleen LeRoux, Dierdre and Clary Hurter, Fr. Dominic Griego, June Nash, Leanne Waller, and my husband, Lou.




This Week's Crawlers
Ellen, Gail T., Sandy, Jenny, Nomusa, Beth, Gail D., Fran, June, Leanne, Stella, Beryl, Margaret, Colleen



More Crawlers
Fr. Dominic, Deirdre, Clary, Keith, Les

Let the celebration begin!  Friends, food, conversation, laughter... and some awesome coffee.... truly a Thanksgiving to remember!  All I can say about the hours spent Thursday morning with my SA friends is that I am blessed.  I have been made to feel welcome and at home by all who joined me on Thanksgiving morning.  Many, many, many thanks to all of you for making my holiday away from my NY home very special.

More thank you's
~ to Fran, June, and Leanne for letting me borrow your coffee makers
~ to my sister, Elaine in Erie, PA and my bff, Jackie in Tucson, AZ for the Thanksgiving napkins you sent--
   very festive!
~ to Splendour Fine Imported Foods on Buffelsfontein Rd for having Crisco on your shelves-- I can't make
   pies without it!
~ to all who sent Thanksgiving wishes our way

A quick anecdote:
     Back in 1994 when our family was moving to Illinois from New York, our kids were sad because they said they would miss their NY friends.  I told them, "You're lucky because now you will have NY friends AND Illinois friends."  The two years we spent in Illinois flew by and when we move back to New York the kids were sad because they said they would miss their Illinois friends.   .... Just sayin'....

One last note- Keith's useless Thanksgiving fact - A turkey could drown if it looks up into to sky when it's raining.  I'm pretty sure that's not how our Tom bit it!

Until next week,                                                     

Ellen

Conyngham's Coffee Shop

I was completely bowled over by my Coffee Crawl experience last Thursday.  So much so that I have been at a loss for even how to start this posting.

The Crawlers met Thursday at Conyngham's Coffee Shop located at the Ray Mhlaba Training Centre on Conyngham St. in Glendinningvale.  Let me start with some background on the shop. 

Conyngham's Coffee Shop is a result of the partnership between two organizations, the Ray Mhlaba Training Centre and Umzi Wethu Training Academy for Vulnerable Youth, an iniative of Wilderness Foundation South Africa.  The mission statements of each organization are as follows: Ray Mhlaba Training Centre- "The vision of the Training Centre is to contribute towards the alleviation of poverty, and job creation in the Nelson Mandela Metropole by offering fulltime training to the unemployed in the community."  Umzi Wethu- "The goal of Umzi Wethu is to fulfil the employability potential of resilient motivated youth displaced by HIV/AIDS and poverty by using the power of the wilderness, promoting personal wellness in a nurturing home context, providing credible training, and securing sustainable job placements in hospitality and eco-tourism establishments - while extending the program's social outreach to others."



Meet the Baristas
Vuyiseka and Luthando

In this, the sixth year of the partnership program, there are presently sixteen students in residence who are being trained in hospitality, hairdressing, woodworking, needlework, housekeeping, and early childhood development.  Funding is provided by individual and corporate donations along with the proceeds from the sale of woodwork and needlework items, the coffee shop, and the rental of the  200 person capacity conference/event center.  The goal of the students, upon completion of the year-long program, is placement in secure, well-paying hospitality and eco-tourism jobs at rural game lodges and urban hospitality establishments.  The first five years of the program has seen over 85% of the students successfully placed.




This Week's Crawlers
Les, Leanne, Keith, Beth, Nomusa, Stella, Tolla, Maureen, Beryl, June, Annette, Fran



As this week's Crawlers, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Fran and Keith de Beer, June Nash, Leanne Waller, Annette Tyropolis, Tolla and Maureen Kotze, Beth Vieira, Les Baldwin, and Nomusa Nkomo, entered Conyngham's Coffee Shop, we were greeted by two of this year's hospitality trainees, Luthando and Vuyiseka, and shop manager, Claudette van der Merwe.  The decor of the shop is classic, with beautiful wood furnishings along with African animal prints adorning the walls.  Claudette told us that the first year woodworking students made the tables and chairs for the shop.  The aroma of  fresh Masterton's special blend coffee and the display of baked goods completed the perfect coffee shop scene.

Fran admiring a table runner in the Needlework shop



Day students





As for the service and coffee.... incredible!.... personable and talented waitrons/baristas and excellent Americanos and cappuccinos all around.  No-Food-On-The-Crawl rule-breaker, Leanne said the food was excellent as well!  We were all thoroughly impressed.

After a few relaxing hours of coffee and conversation, Paul Longe, Academy manager of Umzi Wethu, took a number of us on a tour of the facilities.  What an amazing place!  The energy and optimism is palpable!  At one point in the tour we dropped in on a group of day students taking part in a 10-day employment class/seminar.  We concluded the tour back at the coffee shop where there continued to be a steady stream of patrons coming in for breafast/lunch/coffee.  The shop is open Monday-Friday, 8-4 and for special functions off-hours by request.

Mee the Manager and Barista
Claudette and Vuyiseka

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Conyngham's is Number One on my list of all the coffee shops we've visited on the Crawl.  Tremendous effort resulting in excellence from the staffs and students/ trainees of Ray Mhlaba Training Centre and Umzi Wethu.

~Thank you to Claudette, Luthando, and Vuyiseka - your coffee shop is awesome!!!!!
~Thank you to Paul Longe for the tour and the info!

~Happy Thanksgiving to all in the U.S.A.
~A special Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends
~Good luck in the Turkey Trot to Jeff, Liz, Elaine, and Roger

Until next week,

Ellen

For more info:  Google - Ray Mhlaba Training Centre
                       web-  http://www.umziwethu.org/

"Understand Your Place in the World"

Deli Street Cafe

I can't tell you how many times Deli Street Cafe comes up when people are "talking coffee" in PE.  So, the Crawlers decided it was finally time we visited the cafe located at 24-26 Stanley Street.  Lou and I frequent the many restaurants situated on and around Stanley Street.  It's a fun little area in Richmond Hill.



Meet the Owner and Barista
Tristan and Daniel



My initial impression as I entered Deli Street Cafe on Thursday was that if I had to choose the set for Act II of Puccini's La Boheme this would be it.  Seriously, that's really the first thing that popped into my head.  I've had visions of Mimi and Rodolfo et al being all bohemian at the cafe ever since!  The eclectic decor and furnishings, a small clothes/accessory boutique within the cafe, and a display of freshly baked artisan breads combined to create a busy, fun, and very "chill" atmosphere.  Owner, Tristan Tait told me that he has regulars at the shop who find a spot and spend hours either on their computers, reading, or hanging out with friends.  He loves this relaxed feel of his shop and welcomes everyone to come in and enjoy spending some down time there.  I had the opportunity to meet numerous staff members including baristas, Daniel and Luthando, and first-day-on-the-job waitress, Jess.  What a great group!  They'd all be awesome extras on the La Boheme set! 

Deli Street's hours are Mon, 7:30-2:30, Tues-Sat, 7:30-10:00pm, and Sun, 10-2.  In keeping with the coffee shop style, the daytime and evening fare is light and casual.  If you're out late and don't want a heavy meal this is the perfect place for something light to eat and topped off with a night cap.

Meet the Barista
Luthando



Meet our Waitress
Jess

Aside from being the owner, Tristan is a barista with nine years experience who has trained Daniel and Luthando.  With that in mind I put them to the test by ordering three rounds, an Americano, a cappuccino, and a machiato.  In return I got three excellent Urban Espress beverages..... and some hard-core coffee jitters (the latter being my own fault!).

While this week's Crawlers, Les Baldwin, Nomusa Nkomo, Leanne Waller, June Nash, Beth Vieira, Angela Caldeira, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Annette Tyropolis, and Fran and Keith de Beer, settled in, ordered, and were served their coffees many took the opportunity the check out the boutique and the bakery.  The scarves, dresses, hats, and accessories were very cool however, I went straight to the breads and purchased what ended up being THE BEST CIABATTA I've had in PE!  If you haven't tried it, it is well worth making a special trip to get a few loaves.




This Week's Crawlers
Beryl, Stella, Annette, Fran, Keith, Beth, Angela, Les, Leanne, Nomusa, June



The Best Ciabatta in Town!!!



Restoring and distressing furniture was one of the conversation topics at the table.  My only two attempts at restoring furniture were an upright piano and a vanity/chest of drawers.  Both turned out beautifully but what a lot of work!  The Crawlers then talked about the coffee shop Drive-Thru.  I mentioned that Heavenly Cup, a wonderful coffee shop in Painted Post, NY where my son, Jeff, got his barista training, had a drive-thru window for those on-the-go.... quite popular and a real money-maker from what I gather.  Starbucks, I hear, doesn't do the drive-thru thing because "it ruins the atmosphere."  My thoughts on the subject..... hey, if the coffee is good who cares if it's in a to-go cup?  But, to each his own.

Boutique Manager
Erranae

Keith's useless fact-of-the-week and I quote.... "I am led to believe that the first tea bags were patented in 1903 in NY and were made of silk."  I didn't check on this, Keith, since you started your statement with something sounding like a disclaimer!

One last thing - If anyone knows where a performance of La Boheme is playing in South Africa please let me know... I suddenly got the opera itch!

~Thank you to Tristan and staff for running a coffee shop with real character
~Belated Veteran's Day wishes to all military veterans around the world
~A big Hello and shout-out to the Heavenly Cup staff in Painted Post, NY!!!

Until next week,

Ellen

Sage Coffee Shop

The last few coffee shops the Crawlers and I have visited have left me somewhat uninspired.  I was needing to get to a shop that would "Wow" me.  Well, the blog and coffee gods must have sensed this and sent this week's Crawlers, Fran and Keith de Beer, Beth Vieira, June Nash, Leanne Waller, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Gail Darne, and Luanne Curren (a friend from the U.S.), to Sage Coffee Shop, #3 Pickering Park in Newton Park.  I loved everything about Sage, from its friendly staff to its sage green/black decor to its excellent Masterton blend cappuccinos prepared by barista, Ntosh. 

Sage is owned by Lindy Walker, cousin of Lise Sponneck, owner of The Picket Fence Coffee Shop (see May 6 post).  At the time we visited Lise's shop the Crawlers voted for The Picket Fence as having the "Best Coffee Deal" in town.  Lise now has to share that honor with Lindy, as Sage's coffee quality, beverage size and price make for an equally great deal! 

Meet the Owner
Lindy Walker



Meet the Barista
Ntosh



Sage Coffee Shop's hours are M-F, 8-4 and Sat., 8-2.  Lindy informed me that she will also open for private functions for up to 50 people.  Everything on the menu, including the extensive variety of baked goods, is prepared on site.  Lindy is proud of the home-cooked quality of all the meals served at Sage which includes daily lunch specials and an afternoon coffee/cake special.  The shop was quite busy while we were there but with the three-way combination of smart table/booth placement, a relaxed but efficient staff, and the calm, herbal (sage) atmosphere, we never felt cramped or rushed.  When I asked Lindy about how she chose the shop's name she said that while going through a book of baby names she came across "Sage"...not something she would name a daughter, but a really cool name for a coffee shop (w/implicit decorating ideas!!).  I'm a fan of Sage Coffee Shop and will definitely be a return customer.

The Crawl started with me delivering two messages from absent Crawlers to the group: 1) a text from Les and Nomusa saying hi, they're hiking in Cradock and will see everyone next week, and 2) Liz's reiteration of her comment on Deli Biscotti (Nov 2 post) where she blames the PE Coffee Crawl for her decision to quit her part-time barista job at Starbuck's...says her job hasn't been the same since the Crawl!

This Week's Crawlers
Ellen, Keith, Fran, June, Leanne, Stella, Beth, Gail, Beryl,  Luanne



 

As for conversation, Leanne entertained us all with stories (including phone pics!) of recent fire incidents at her house... harrowing at the time and (as long as everyone is okay) hilarious in retrospect.  In keeping with the fire theme, the bulk of the discussion centered around Guy Fawkes Day.  I was totally unfamiliar with this "celebration" and so was given the low-down on Guy Fawkes.  In 1605 he and 12 cohorts planned to blow up the Parliament buildings in England.  The plan was thwarted, Guy Fawkes was caught and executed for treason.  In memory of this event, Bonfire Night (November 5) is celebrated in England, and recognized in other countries as well.  Wow, the things you learn over coffee!  Oh, and one more tidbit of info... Keith's useless fact-of-the-week... a group of rhinos is called a "crash."  I saw a big group of rhinos on a game drive a while back... they were all nibbling peacefully on some grass (no crashing involved).

Check out the pic of a coffee shop that the de Beer's friends, the Adcocks, took on a recent trip to Taiwan!

The shop is the machine!

 

One last note- I realized this week that the only time I use sage is when making the stuffing for my

                      Thanksgiving turkey.  That reminded me to give a heads-up to watch for a special

                      Thanksgiving Coffee Crawl post at the end of November.

~Thank you to Lindy, Ntosh, and the Sage staff... everything was excellent...great Coffee Crawl venue!

~A belated wish for everyone celebrating Guy Fawkes Day.  I found Guy Fawkes e-cards and am making

   my card list out for next year!

Until next week,

Ellen