La Boca

To our friends at La Boca.... I did not forget about you.  The day after our November 15 Coffee Crawl Lou and I, Liz and Rebecca left for a little vacation to Hermanus and Cape Agulas to bid farewell for the year to the Southern Right Whales as they pass the South African coast on their annual migration to the Antarctic waters.  We returned from our Western Cape respite just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Now, here I sit with the weekend well upon us and the La Boca post way past due.

I first heard about La Boca right after it opened a few months ago from a customer at Refresh (Sept, 2012 post) when we were at that shop for the Crawl.   La Boca got placed on the ever-growing list of coffee shops to visit, and shortly afterward Vicki did a reconnaissance mission to check it out.  The circa 1896 structure, previously housing the Willet & Co chemist and which now La Boca calls home, is situated on the corner of Clyde and Lawrence Streets in Central.  It took owner Garth Metrovich nine months to renovate the building and turn it into his dream coffee shop/artisan bakery/deli/confectioner/bistro which he named after the La Boca suburb of Buenos Aires where he lived some time ago.  A fun eclectic decor reaches into the various rooms of the building.  Seating about twenty customers apiece, each small room has its own flavor, creating the feel of many small coffee shops within the larger whole.  The outside area has a number of picnic tables and features a pretty walkway, shade trees and a koi pond.




Meet the Owner
Garth Metrovich



Our November 15 Crawl group, Colleen Le Roux, Margaret Zoetmulder, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Fran and Mandy de Beer, Gail Darne, Beth Vieira, Vicki Minnaar, Kathy Roppel, Nomusa Nkomo, and my daughter, Liz, decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and chose to sit outside.  It was a beautiful setting for the Crawl.  Our second-day-on-the-job waiter, Donnay, kept right on top of things as he served the cake and La Boca Brand coffee Special (only R25!) to everyone (whose diets would start the next week).  Barista Alvin did a great job with the coffee and tea beverages. 

Meet the Barista
Alvin

Meet our Waiter
Donnay

La Boca offers breakfast, lunch, pastries, and hot/cold beverages, and the menu proudly states, "We only support local organic farmers."  Most noted by the Crawlers were the excellent prices for all the selections on the menu.  La Boca is open Mon - Fri, 7:30 - 5, Sat, 7:30 - 4-ish, closed on Sunday.  Seating is available for up to seventy people.

This Week's Crawlers
Mandy, Kathy, Liz, Beth, Vicki, Stella, Donnay, Fran,
Colleen, Margaret, Beryl, Gail

The under ? Crowd
Mandy, Liz, Nomusa

Now, my daughter, Liz, and her friend, Rebecca, have been in PE for the past few months volunteering at various places in town.  Talk at the table on Crawl Day centered around their experiences, especially on the couple of days a week they spend at SAMREC (South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre, and home of the Flying Penguin Cafe - March, 2012 post).  Liz regaled us with stories of feeding and caring for the penguins.  She has come to recognize each "patient" at the rehab centre by name!  Her most priceless comment as her rapt audience hung on her every word, "It's not that bad getting pooped on by birds."   Well, this brought back to all of us fond memories of our Bird Street Coffee Shop visit (March, 2012 post) when Margaret was dumped on by a low-flying feathered friend..... wasn't that bad, right Margaret?
That story got us reminiscing about other "Crawl bloopers" that we've experienced..... memories we will all cherish!!!  Makes me want to go back and read some of the old posts.

~Thank you to Garth and the La Boca staff
~Good luck with your new job, Donnay!
~Belated Thanksgiving wishes to my friends and family in the U.S.
~Happy Birthday to Sean in Washington, DC - November 26

Until next week,

Ellen

I just really love this pic!

Fran enjoying her Last Hoorah before the diet starts!

Friendly Stranger

Last Thursday's Crawl site was recommended to me by Donovan McLagan, owner of Urban Espress, when we were at his establishment in August.  Donovan was not exactly sure when Friendly Stranger would be opening but told us to keep an ear out.... the PE grapevine would surely let us know.  And that it did.
Thursday's Crawlers, Fran and Mandy de Beer, June, Marie and Cayle Nash, Colleen Le Roux, Nomusa Nkomo, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Vicki Minnaar, Gail Darne, Leanne Waller, and my daughter, Liz, arrived at Friendly Stranger, situated at 1 Bridge Street in the Brickmakerskloof area of South End, on November 8 only a few weeks after their grand opening.  The place was hopping from the time we got there.  News on the PE grapevine travels fast!!!

I've come to learn, after visiting seventy-plus coffee shops in the past year and a half , that the new coffee shops that become an instant success are those whose owners have "done their homework."  Friendly Stranger's owners, Dameon Van Antwerpen and Tabita Weyer have certainly done theirs.  They have taken the Shamrock House, an old structure, circa 1881, and have preserved the charm of this once perhaps hunters' lodge, perhaps captain's porthouse, perhaps something else entirely different (PE historians feel free to enlighten us) while also giving it what my daughter, Liz describes as a contemporary hipster vibe that would be quite popular in her American stomping grounds of NYC and Wash, DC.  The original walls and hardwood floors along with complementing furnishings and maritime/hunting decor lend a homey, rustic feel to the main upstairs dining room and the fantastic downstairs lounge.  The owners have added a 21st century flair to the ambience of the shop by displaying, on the walls in the main room, work by the local "Artist of the Month."  This month, pieces by Joff are featured.  I loved them all but by the time we were there most of his pieces had already sold!

Meet the Owner
Tabita Weyer



Meet the Owner
Dameon Van Antwerpen



Now, for for the menu and especially the coffee.... again, Dameon and Tabita did their research.  Tabita is extremely choosy regarding recipes that will please her patrons' palates.  After sampling her amazing Almond Tart to go with my excellent TriBeca cappuccino(s) I was able to coerce a few cookbook/baking secrets from her.  Tabita bakes/cooks everything from scratch daily.  Friendly Stranger offers breakfast, lunch, dinner (some nights), and platter selections, and a variety of hot and cold beverages.  The shop is also fully licensed.

Meet the Barista
Byron

Meet our Waiter
 Petros

Lastly, though without whom Friendly Stranger could not function, is the amazing and personable staff. The barista, Byron (who was sporting a "Save the Rhino" bracelet) and our waiter, Petros were awesome.

All in all, Friendly Stranger is the new, fun place in town that is well worth checking out.  There is plenty of seating available with room for 55 inside and 30 on the outside deck.  The shop's hours are Mon, Tues, Thurs, 8-4,Wed, Fri, Sat, 8-11 pm, closed on Sundays.

This Week's Crawlers
Marie, June, Stella, Beryl, Gail, Liz, Nomusa, Vicki,
Mandy, Fran, Colleen
not pictured - Leanne

Marie and baby Cayle

After Dameon gave me a tour of the shop, I just had to show my daughter, Liz, the lounge area downstairs.  It was there that we met two "friendly strangers," Alison and Manuela, who were visiting the shop for the first time.  We chatted with them for a while then returned to the Crawl group.  Everyone was ogling over Marie's baby, 5-week-old Cayle, who was making his Coffee Crawl debut.... what a beautiful baby!!!
Once Cayle dropped off to sleep each of the Crawlers took the opportunity to explore the coffee shop.... bakery display, lounge, deck, .... and check out Joff's artwork. 

Friendly Strangers
Alison, Liz, Manuela

Colleen happened to have one of the new SA Rand bills that just went into circulation days before.  Like anything new, these bills will take some getting used to.  I personally like them.... not only do they include the "Big Five" animals (buffalo, rhino, elephant, lion, leopard) as the old bills did, they now feature a portrait of Nelson Mandela on the front.  The colors are way more vibrant as well.  The new Rand bills have quickly become known as the "Randela."  :)  Dameon and Tabita, hopefully you guys are making "leopards" hand over fist in your new shop!

~Thank you to Dameon, Tabita, and the Friendly Stranger staff
~Thank you to Donovan McLagan for recommending Friendly Stranger... class act, Donovan

Until next week,

Ellen

Victoria Tea House and Deli

Our first Crawl of November took place at Victoria Tea House and Deli, located on the corner of Hirsch and Westbourne in Richmond Hill.  The Crawlers made a few previous attempts at visiting the shop and both times found it closed.  We were enlightened as to why during our November 1 Crawl when manager, Annrose van Eck informed us that the tea house is affiliated with the Hospitality School at PE College and is closed during school holidays.  The staff... cooks, waitrons, baristas.... have all completed the 3-year hospitality course and are presently doing an 18-month internship at the training facility that is the Victoria Tea House.

Meet the Manager
Annrose van Eck

The tea house flyer touts the shop as, "A small but sophisticated tea-house where you can enjoy pleasant service & delicious food."   .... Took the words right out of my mouth.... the adjectives in the quote describe the shop perfectly:
      Small - the tea house seats about thirty people in the main dining room; there is also a
                 conference/banquet facility on the premises that seats forty
      Sophisticated - beautiful table settings, subtle decor, lovely furnishings, fresh flowers on each table
      Pleasant - the entire staff is all smiles and very welcoming; attention to detail and customer
                  service/satisfaction is obviously a priority
      Delicious - the Masterton's coffees were very good; those of us who ordered food were treated to
                  excellent cakes and scones prepared from scratch right in the tea house kitchen

The Victoria Tea House has been in operation since 2009 serving as the practice venue for the PE College graduates.  Because it is a school training facility the hours are limited, Mon-Fri, 8:30 - 3:30 and Fri, 8:30 - 1, with breakfast being served until 11:30 and lunch from 11:30 - close.  The breakfast menu is a la carte and the lunch menu, which runs on a two-week cycle, features basic dishes along with a daily special for the unbelievably low price of only R40!  Baked goods are served all day.  Everything on the menu is made fresh by the staff.  Orders for take-aways and platters are welcome and the facility is available for evening and weekend functions (when school is in session) upon request.

Portrait of Queen Victoria adorns the wall

 

The entire staff is trained in all areas of hospitality.  There were six staff members on duty on our November 1 Crawl with Ntisi and Nezi serving as our waitress and barista, respectively.  On my next visit to the tea house Ntisi's and Nezi's roles could be baking the desserts or preparing the lunches.  After their internships the PE College grads will be more than ready to enter the hospitality work-force.  Good luck and best wishes to all of you.

Meet the Barista
Nezi



Meet our Waitress
Ntisi



In October at the News Cafe Crawl I saw, as an accompaniment to a hot chocolate order, a small container of what are called Smarties here is SA.... I mistook them for M & M's.  At that time I told the Crawlers about American "Smarties," which are quite different, and said I'd bring some back with me from  the U.S. in November.  I arrived at the Victoria Tea House Crawl with American Smarties in hand and distributed them among the Crawlers, Margaret Zoetmulder, Colleen Le Roux, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Kathy Roppel, Beth Vieira, Gail Darne, Vicki Minnaar, Rebecca Marx, Nomusa Nkomo, Fran and Mandy de Beer, and my daughter, Liz.  After sampling the Smarties the Crawler response resluted in a normal distribution Bell Curve... love, hate, and everything in between.

This Week's Crawlers
Vicki, Nomusa, Beth, Liz, Kathy, Rebecca, Fran,
Mandy, Beryl, Stella, Gail, Colleen, Margaret

The cultural exchange continued as Nomusa gave Liz and Rebecca a history on Zimbabwe followed by a brief lesson in her native tongue, Ndebele, which is closely related to Zulu.  Producing the clicking sounds proved to be challenging for Liz and Rebecca, and entertaining for Nomusa and the rest of us listening.

So, with Lou's and my renewal visas all sorted there are no more upcoming trips to the U.S. scheduled.  The plan is to spend two more years here in PE..... Lou, working and me continuing my coffee odyssey.

~Thank you to the management and staff of Victoria Tea House
~Happy Birthday to my niece, Julie, in Pittsburgh, PA - November 10
~Congratulations to Barack Obama on his re-election as President of the U.S.A.

Until next week,

Ellen