I knew it was inevitable at some point in our Crawl "Revisits" and this is the week. Our coffee shop #8 that we visited on March 31, 2011 (Angel Foods in the Perridgevale Shopping Centre) is no longer a coffee shop but rather a factory outlet store called Home and About. After making this discovery I checked my notes for shop #9 then headed to Foong's to make a reservation for the Thursday, January 9 Crawl. Well, when I arrived I found that yes, Foong's is still a coffee shop but would be closed for another week for the holidays. We'll have to go back to them next week....on to #10. Good news!....Vovo Telo, located at 16 Raleigh St. in Richmond Hill, is still a coffee shop and would be open for business on the 9th...YAY!
Since our first visit in April, 2011 Vovo Telo has changed management, staff and coffee brand but still remains one of the most popular bakery/cafes in town....and for good reason. Vovo Telo's signature baked goods and artisan breads are to die for, and everything on the menu from delicious breakfasts to pizzas, salads, pasta and burgers is made fresh to order on-site. For the many times that I've been to Vovo Telo in the past few years I have yet to leave disappointed, and last Thursday's Crawl was no exception. Our waitress, Babalwa, was a bundle of smiles and energy during our entire visit, Vovo Telo's present manager, Vanessa Langner, checked in on us regularly to see that all was satisfactory, and baristas, Xolani and Sive, were on top of their game....the cappuccinos were incredible!
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| Meet the Manager and the Bakery Counterperson Vanessa and Nolu |
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| Meet the Baristas Xolani and Sive |
With Vovo Telo being a renovated house there is seating for patrons in various rooms and on the porch. One of my favorite things about the shop is, regardless of how busy it is, it never feels crowded but always comfortable and homey. The aroma of freshly baking bread just adds to the ambience. Oh, and that's a "must-do" after coffee/breakfast/lunch....stop at the bakery counter on your way out and pick up a loaf or two of artisan bread or some other yummy goodie from the display case to take home....share the love!
Vovo Telo's hours are Mon-Fri, 7-3:15; Sat, 7-2:30; closed on Sunday.
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| Some of This Week's Crawlers Gail, Vicki, Arthur, Babalwa, Lee, June, Nicolette, Stella, Beth, Beryl, Nomusa |
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| More of This Week's Crawlers Arthur, Margaret M., Lee, Ellen, Colleen, Margaret Z., Elaine foreground - Nicolette, Dale |
There were seven Crawlers at Vovo Telo for our first visit in 2011. On Thursday we more than doubled that with sixteen of us meeting for Ciro coffee, breakfast and cakes. Crawlers, Vicki Minnaar, June Nash, Gail Darne, Margaret Zoetmulder, Margaret and Arthur Marshall, Dale Mitchell, Nomusa Nkomo, Colleen LeRoux, Nicolette Hijmans, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Lee Rodwell, Elaine Watson, Beth Vieira, arrived and were seated inside just in time before a horrific thunderstorm passed overhead. I personally am a fan of thunderstorms though not all of the Crawlers share my feeling. This storm, however, was child's play considering the outrageous weather my family and friends were experiencing. Blizzard conditions, icy roadways, and -40 degree wind chills ( Fahrenheit and Celsius are equal at -40!) were plaguing most of the northern U.S. last week. I happen to also be a fan of blizzards as well....I have to admit that I was a tiny bit jealous of those Stateside who were enjoying their coffee by a blazing fire.
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| The pastry display case |
All this frigid weather and frozen precipitation talk baffled the Crawlers as most have never experienced such low temps or even seen snow! I answered questions concerning outerwear, winter driving, home heating, shoveling, sledding, and skating on frozen lakes. This conversation was the perfect segue into our talk about the upcoming Winter Olympic Games. We're all looking forward to the change of pace that watching the Olympics brings....not to mention that warm fuzzy World Community feel. I'm sure the Games will come up in our conversations again in the next few weeks.
~Thank you to Vanessa and the Vovo Telo staff
Until next week,
Ellen
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