The Rose Garden Tea House

I awoke this morning to howling winds and a torrential downpour and thought, "Yep, if it's raining, it must be coffee crawl day."  Rain is one thing, but PE has been experiencing constant winds of 25-30 mph with 40 mph gusts since Monday, earning it the moniker "The Windy City," putting Chicago to shame.  These winds coupled with the rain made for a chilly autumn morning so I expected only a few crawlers to join me at The Rose Garden Tea House for coffee.  In all, though, we numbered thirteen who braved the elements for a cappuccino, with everyone in good spirits despite the weather.  Today's crawlers included  June Nash, her daughter, Leanne Waller, and her grandson, Luke Waller, Beth Vieira, Prudie Brown, Fran deBeer, Stella and Beryl Dawson and their niece, Jenny Fowler, Margaret Zoetmulder, Colleen LeRoux, and Elize Potgieter.

Though the tea house looked cozy, especially with a cheery fire blazing in the wood-burning stove in the corner, we were met by the staff and manager with a chill that rivaled the temperature outside.  I will chalk up this less-than-warm reception to the staff having to work after an extended holiday weekend which included Easter and two national holidays.  The weather probably didn't help either.

The Rose Garden Tea House is situated at Floradale Nurseries on William Moffett Expressway in the Overbaakens area.  The shop's decor is somewhat like a Japanese tea garden with pale blue-and-white Japanese themed wallpaper and coordinated framed pictures, blue-and-white checked tablecloths, and assorted bamboo bird cages hanging about.  Lucky for me the cages were lightweight and birdless because I hit my head on one of them about six times during our visit.  It's a wonder I'm even coherent right now!  Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to stroll around the gardens and nursery due to the rain.  Note: There will be no Meet the Owner / Meet the Barista pictures this week as we were asked not to take pics or reveal the identity of any staff.

The coffees were very good but it's hard to go wrong with a Masterton's blend.  Fran finally jumped back on the cappuccino bandwagon, Jenny and Stella ordered caffe lattes which presented beautifully (see pic), and three-year-old Luke got a "babycino" (hot frothed milk to which his mom added some sugar!).  After the coffees were served there was some discussion about tomorrow's royal wedding.  Most everyone is planning to watch the nuptuals while donning their own millinery couture.  I will be sporting the white Esprit baseball cap I won at the Splash Festival this past weekend.

A sad farewell goes out to Prudie Brown.  Prudie left for the airport right after the crawl today to head back home.  Thank you, Prudie, for joining us the past few weeks while you were in PE visiting your sister.  We all hope you got home safe and sound.  The next time you're in town please come crawl with us.

Some recent follow-up visits:  Lou and I went to Shelly's (the site of the first coffee crawl!) for Easter brunch.  The food was great!  Shelly was glad to see us and has been reading the PE Coffee Crawl blog to keep up with our adventures.  We also stopped by Cobblestone, on the way home from a Masterton's run, to pick up some of those awesome bagels I wrote about last week.  We will definitely become regulars there!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all of this week's crawlers.  You guys are the best and have made this blogging experience a real treat for me!!!

Until next week,

Ellen



Leanne, Luke, Fran




Say, "Cappuccino!"






This Week's Crawlers
Prudie, Stella, Beth, Jenny, June, Leanne, Fran, Beryl, Colleen, Margaret, Elize





Cobblestone Bakery

Okay, so I got a late start on this week's posting, and the president of my blog's fan club (that would be my father-in-law) has really been putting the pressure on!!!  Well, Easter is fast approaching and I have been busy about the task of scouring the city for jelly beans, chocolate rabbits, Easter lilies, and an egg coloring kit.  Needless to say, this week blogging has taken a back seat to playing Easter Bunny.

Holidays are special times to spend with family and friends.  This week's coffee crawl visit to Cobblestone Bakery definitely got this Easter season off to a great start!  Crawlers on Thursday included two sets of sisters, Stella and Beryl Dawson, and Prudie Brown and Fran deBeer.  Also joining us this week was The Crawl's first 3-generation group, Barbara Horwood (who plays drums in the PE Caledonian Bagpipe Band), her daughter Melanie Morgan, and her granddaughter Zoe Morgan.  Six-week-old Zoe has officially replaced Fr. Dominic Griego as the youngest coffee crawler, though I think Fr. D can argue the point as Zoe didn't order coffee.  Rounding out the group was June Nash, Sylvia Mynhardt, Beth Vieira, and Colleen LeRoux.

Barista, Phumelelo (aka Phumi) made Caffe Molinari Americanos, lattes, and beautiful cappuccinos for everyone.  Oh, except Barbara, who stepped out of the box and ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee.  This was quite new to me so I watched intently as Barbara poured hot Vietnamese coffee over sweetened condensed milk on ice... interesting... I'll have to try one someday.

Now, in keeping with the family theme, Cobblestone Bakery, located at 40 6th Ave. in Walmer, is owned by Sean Brice, while the paintings on the walls are compliments of his brother, Brent Brice.  Sean oversees the baking of fresh breads and pastries (and bagels!... more about that in a minute...) and Brent sells his amazing paintings of local scenes.  Brent, if the Lighthouse painting wasn't already sold I would have purchased it on the spot!  Brent is quite the talented artist, so, stop by the shop, have a pastry, and check out his artwork.  Also for sale at the shop is fantastic jewelry made by a local woman.  It is displayed in a glass case near the baked goods and, like the pastries, looks too good to pass up!

Now, about those bagels.  I have been in search of a bagel here in PE that comes close to Wegman's (in the U.S.) bagels but with no luck...until Thursday!   Thank you, Sean, my search is over!  In Sean's words, "They are proper bagels; they're boiled."  I bought a few to take home.  Lou and I are in agreement that these bagels are the best we've tasted...ever...move over, Danny Wegman!  Sean, I'll definitely be back for more!!!

From the outside Cobblestone appears small with limited parking, but there is a back lot with extra parking and, once inside, the bakery is quite roomy with plenty of tables for breakfast and lunch patrons.  The staff is very pleasant.  I must give extra kudos to our waiter, Louis, who was extremely patient as our group outgrew our chosen table. 

During our visit, Colleen met up with an acquaintance who happened to be having coffee with her "Friendship Group" at another table.  (Cobblestone was hopping that day!)  I chatted with the group for a bit, they posed for a pic, and then even chose next week's PE Coffee Crawl site!  I gave them a choice of two and the decision was unanimous.  Perhaps we'll see a few of the "Friendship Group" ladies there.  Remember, Thursday, 9:30 am.  You are all most welcome to join us.

On returning to the table I found the discussion to be about the crawlers' favorite board games.  As I write this I get a bit sentimental because holidays and board games go hand-in-hand in my family.  This Sunday I am sure I'll miss sitting around the dining room table playing a rousing game of "Apples to Apples" with everyone.  Just know that I am there in spirit.  I guess I'll just have to spend Sunday kicking Lou's butt in "Scrabble" or "Backgammon!"

As for my search for the Easter items mentioned earlier, I thank June for bringing Easter joy and jelly beans for all the crawlers...I couldn't find jelly beans in the stores.  I was, however, able to get a chocolate rabbit and some Easter lilies, though the egg coloring kit eluded me.  So, I bought some beets and am planning to boil the eggs right in with the beets.  Considering the eggs are brown to start with I'm not really sure how all this will work out!?!  I'll keep you all posted.

To everyone reading this posting, enjoy your holiday with family and friends and I wish you all a Happy and Blessed Easter season.

Until next week,

Ellen




This Week's Crawlers
Stella, June, Colleen, Beth, Fran, Beryl, Sylvia, Prudie, Barbara, Melanie



Meet the Owner
Sean Price



Meet the Barista
Phumelelo





Melanie and Barbara breaking the No-Food-On-The-Crawl rule



The Friendship Group

Vovo Telo

There are many things people equate with PE: wind, Nelson Mandela Bay, drought, host city of Ironman South Africa (held this past weekend) among numerous others, two of which I encountered on Thursday.

The first encounter occurred early in the morning.  I was in auto-pilot mode making a pot of coffee and some toast for Lou.  In my bleary-eyed, half awake state I spotted one, then two, then an army of ants..."THE MARABUNTA!!!"... attacking the toaster!  It could well have been the opening scene of a very "B" horror movie we saw years ago where killer ants ravaged a city in Alaska.  I saw the ending and it wasn't pretty, so armed again (see March 3 posting!) with my trusty can of insect spray, I set about the task of saving PE from the "Killer Ants!"   Later, when I saw June she told me very matter-of-factly, "That's typical of PE this time of year."  So much for my self-proclaimed super-hero status.

The second encounter, on the other hand, was at the site of this week's coffee crawl.  The mere mention of Vovo Telo Bakery and Cafe brings a smile and a contented sigh from PE residents.  Vovo Telo, located at 16 Raleigh St. in the Richmond Hill area, is "the place where the locals go," so you know it's gotta be good.  The shop has quickly become a PE institution and a favorite of PE dwellers since its opening in 2007.  The building is unremarkable and unassuming but the wonderful aroma of freshly baked artisan breads and other goodies emanating from it waft in the breezes to be sensed blocks away.  Upon entering the shop the display of baked goods looks as good as it smells.  I've eaten lunch at Vovo Telo a few times and the food is amazing...no need to ask what's good on the menu... order anything and you won't be disappointed.  Unfortunately, the "No Food On The Crawl" rule was to be strictly enforced this week.  Otherwise, I would have had one of each!

We did get a pleasant surprise when barista, Wandile Vuba, knowing our crawl group was there, sent two lattes (on the house!) to the table in order to show his mad skills.  Wandile is an artist... check out the pics I took!  He has coached competition winning baristas!   I vote that he should be competing... what do you think?  My son, Jeff (retired) and my daughter, Liz, are my two favorite baristas, though neither one has made a cappuccino for me (nepotism at its best!).  They will be dethroned by Wandile, though, if they don't step up their game!

Our crawl group this week included June Nash, Fran deBeer and her sister, Prudie Brown, Stella and Beryl Dawson, and Colleen LeRoux.  June ordered a double shot cappuccino because she's taking care of her two grandsons this week and she needs all the help she can get!  June's order, coupled with Vovo Telo's unique atmosphere and Wandile's amazing lattes, convinced us all to jump on the double shot bandwagon.  Everyone, that is except Fran, who ordered black coffee...c'mon Fran, get with the program :) !

So, they say there are only two certainties in life... death and taxes.  Well, I have a third to add to that list...bad driver's license photos.  Somehow, our conversation about the Illy brand coffee we were enjoying changed to passport and driver's license pics.  Before you could say, "Cheese," we were circulating our driver's licenses and commenting on bad hair and goofy glasses, while wondering where those years went since the pic was taken.  All that "fun" was broken up when waiter/photographer extraordinaire, Zimbabwean, Wade Armstrong JD. came over and showed us the PE coffee crawl blog he had brought up on his phone.  Wade then took some great shots of our group.  Wade, if Will and Kate are still looking for a good photographer for their upcoming nuptuals, you'd be a shoe-in!

Unfortunately, Vovo Telo's owner, Matt Repton, was not in the shop during our visit.  He was probably at the Vovo Telo Newton Park shop or at Vovo Telo Pizza a few blocks away.  In either case, thank you, Matt, for providing PE with a super bakery/cafe!  With an accommodating, skilled, good-humored, and upbeat staff along with great food and coffee, there is no wonder Vovo Telo is a local favorite!  Thanks to all!

The jury is still out on whether to divulge the identity of the next week's coffee shop visit.  I've received mixed comments on this issue.  In light of this, I will not reveal next week's shop at this time.  If you have a thought on this, please let me know.

As for the brigade of appliance attacking ants, I stopped on the way home to buy more ant spray and some traps.  That may be a little over the top, but if left to their own devices, who knows?...this week, the toaster, next week, the coffee pot?!?

Until next week,

Ellen




Meet the Awesome Barista
Wandile Vuba



This Week's Crawlers
Stella, Beryl, Fran, our waiter Wade, June, Prudie, Colleen





Foong's

If you are new to PE, here on vacation, or just passing through, a visit to Foong's will make you feel like a long time resident and old friend.  Grant Foong, the owner of Foong's, personally welcomes all patrons, and is sure to visit every table for a quick chat.  The positive energy in this shop is a result of Grant's hospitable manner as well as that of the whole staff, including Luvuyo, the barista, and chefs, Nina and Adrian.

Foong's is a long time family owned and operated business located in the Emerald Square Shopping Centre on Buffelsfontein Rd. in Mount Pleasant.  Traditional and Asian style breakfast is served all day.  Lunch with an Asian flair is served from 11:00 a.m.  Pastries made on site or provided by other local businesses as well as packaged Asian food products are available for sale.  Keeping in line with supporting local businesses, Foong's uses a "secret" coffee blend supplied by Masterton's with Foong's specifically in mind.  According to Grant, Foong's and Masterton's have had a decades long relationship that is mutually beneficial.  We have had a variety of different brands of coffee since "The Crawl" started and I have become a real fan of Masterton's.

Grant seated this week's crawlers at his "Cherry Blossom" mosaic tile table.  (This is the closest I'll get this year to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC.  Word has it that this is peak week for the blossoms.  So, to Liz, Amanda, Marleah, and Chris... enjoy and take lots of pics!)

Foong's barista, Luvuyo, delivered cappuccinos to crawlers June and Howard Nash, and Stella and Beryl Dawson, and black coffees to Fran and Keith deBeer.  I got my usual cappuccino.  Grant stopped by the table bearing trays of bowties and low-fat cheesecakes (check out the picture, I'm not convinced about the low-fat part!).  Fran and I broke the "No Food On The Crawl" rule and sampled the bowties; everyone else showed a little more restraint.  I even bought some bowties to bring home for dessert.  I may have to employ my Dad's MO tonight.... "the heck with dinner, let's go straight for the good stuff!"

Fun and good conversation (though, for some reason, the subject of brothels kept popping up) was had by all.  Foong's is a bright and happy place for both the patrons and staff... a great combination that made for a very successful coffee crawl.  Thank you to Grant and staff for making us feel at home!!!

By the way, you should definitely check out Foong's very cool and user friendly web page at:  http://www.foongs.co.za/
I went on the site...it is awesome!...includes cooking tips, recipes, history of Foong's, and complimentary games! ... I love "Simon," "Pacman," and the others... now, I'm hooked!!!
"FOONG'S - FOREVER AND INTO THE FUTURE"

A few notes -
* In the intro to my blog, I mention that writing this blog may improve my computer and photograpy skills.  That is yet to be determined..... Little did I anticipate, though, what an impact it would have on the drought that has stricken PE for years!  It seems that almost every Thursday since The Crawl started the area experiences rain... today being no exception.  Whatever works!!!
* Some people here have requested that I mention in my posting where I'll be "crawling" the next week in case they would like to join me.  So, at the expense of giving away secrets, but for the benefit of potential crawlers, I will be at Vovo Telo next Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m.  See you there!

Until next week,

Ellen










Meet the Owner
Grant Foong







Meet the Barista
Luvuyo



Thiw Week's Crawlers
Howard, June, Stella, Beryl, Ellen, Fran, Keith