Read the full article]]> Food for thought!  When it comes to Burrata, there’s not much to think about.  It’s new; it’s edgy, modern, relaxed and simply divine.

Neil Grant’s venture from sommelier to a culinary delight is a mixed contemporary nuovo Italian cuisine. He recently opened his doors onto the courtyard of the Old Biscuit Mill. The head chef Annemarie Steenkamp’s foodie heaven combines local and international produce that marry well together. She uses her expertise and knowledge in cooking to create fine, unusual dishes that will awaken your taste buds and leave you wanting more. She plays with her ideas and fears not when it comes to mastering the art of cooking. To cap it all, among the vast choice of exquisite dishes the southern Italian Neapolitan-style pizzas are a huge hit. This trendy place, is the place to B!

So let’s cut to the chase. Burrata is the Italian cheese that was the inspiration B!hind the name of the restaurant. Therefore, it was only natural to have bruschetta with Puglia burrata as one of our starters with marinated cherry tomatoes and basil. It was phenomenal! And the Sauvignon Blanc by Louis Nel was just right.

Our second starter was fritto misto – a combination of fresh veggies in a batter with pesto trapanese. The batter was light and the choice of veggies interesting.

We then decided to share a pizza and chose the sea food (di mare) with prawns, squid, garlic, coriander and chilli aioli. I can say this from experience, the pizza is as good as it gets!

We then moved onto the pasta and I decided to have the pappardelle, slow cooked short rib, roasted red pepper ragù and crispy onion. It was incredible! WorkerB! had fried auricchio gnocchi with peas, fine beans, green olives and baby spinach. As a little treat from Neil we had a risotto with caramelised onions topped with a few dollops of bone marrow. This is where you taste Annemarie’s creative flare.

Finally it was time to sweeten the tooth. We had a milk chocolate mousse, vanilla panna cotta and lime, followed by two espressos. Do I need to say anything about the dessert? No, tomorrow I am on a grapefruit diet and going back to gym.

QueenB!……..Abuzzing off

Photos through the Sony eye of QueenB!

You looking at about R150 – 200 a head. With a great menu to choose from

Read the full article]]>  In 1805 Madame Clicquot Ponsardin known as the “Grand Dame of Champagne” inherited her husband’s wine business, when widowed at the age of 27.

Even though she was young, she was formidable and took on the responsibility of running the company.  In those days it was quite unusual for a woman to take charge especially given that she was so very young, but she did it and she did it with gusto! She was quite a business woman and under her ownership the brand and company of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin grew, and still bears her name today. Vive la Veuve Clicquot!

I would like to share with you one of Cape Town’s best kept secrets – the Chef’s Table at the Mount Nelson. My personal experience there was with Veuve Clicquot in a night filled with charm and splendour, all in the company of the “Grand Dame of Champagne”…..In a manner of speaking.

A group of friends and I were invited by the really great brand company to dine with Renaud Butel and Paul Auriol. Renaud is the BDM (Business Development Manager) from Veuve Clicquot on his first visit to Cape Town from Paris. Paul is the Marketing Manger for Sub-Saharan Africa who is based in Johannesburg.

The dinner set in the graceful Mount Nelson (AKA the “Nellie”) was absolutely sublime. Only this time, dinner was served in the heart and soul of the Kitchen. We started in the Planet Bar with aperitif’s B!fore entering the kitchen. We were given white aprons and a little tour through a maze of doors which finally led us into the back buzz of where it all happens. Our table was set among the hustle and bustle and hub of the chef’s kitchen, where edible masterpieces are turned out in a calm, methodical way. Here Rudi Liebenberg, the executive chef, welcomed us.

The phenomenal nine course meal consisted of bite size portions that simply seduced my taste buds into submission. Throughout this incredible experience, I was surprised by the subtle, elegant flavours that flowed over my pallet.

We started with the Brut Yellow Label N/V which accompanied the oysters and prawn salad. The spice salmon trout married well with the Veuve Clicqout Brut Rosé N/V, and at one point, I closed my eyes while savouring the smoked tomato hibiscus and toasted almonds – I was in heaven. The Kingklip mushroom crust and pine-ring ragout was out of this world and the Guinea-fowl with winter vegetables was perfect with the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut 2002 that was magic! I was in love. How easy was that?

The grand finale was Lamb tongue and cheeks. I commented to our Sommelier that even though we had meat, all of our dishes were served with Veuve. This was incredible!  Finally the cherry on top was the Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame 1998 poured to accompany the naartjie torte, with lemon frozen yoghurt. The only dish that I was not too mad about was the blue cheese and onion tart that followed our desert. Otherwise I was over the moon.

So, mes amis, at this point I would like to raise my glass and pay homage to Madame Clicquot. Thank you for B!ing the driving force B!hind this empire and leaving a dynasty of French champagne and culture for us to enjoy. Over the centuries Veuve has flowed throughout the world and will continue to do so.

For the past 140 years Veuve Clicquot has B!een in South Africa. I was thrilled to have experienced this marvellous dinner avec Madame Clicquot and would like to say thank you. I appreciated the art of fine dining with you at the Mount Nelson.

QueenB!……..Abuzzing off

Photos through the Sony eye of QueenB!

Read the full article]]> Zando is the buzz-word about town.  It’s this new zany online fashion house boasting over 200 international and local brands to choose from. It’s the biggest retail online fashion store in South Africa. Zando is riding the wave and B!coming a trend setter with original brands such as Calvin Klein, Cacharel, Deacon, Puma, Havaianas, Le Coq Sportif – to name but a few.

The media launch last night was at the Cocktail Emporium “the Orphanage” and was full of interesting people – all in the know. It was the perfect in-spot for MD and co-founder Eugen Petersen to present Zando. He explained how trends and technology go hand in hand and how in this day and age, everything moves at a flying pace. The human race doesn’t want to wait. We want things faster and faster, which is why; if your company is not online and keeping with the trends in world E-Commerce, your product will suffer and you will B! left B!hind.

Zando delivers to your door within 24 hours – fast and free. Shop till you drop from the comfort of your armchair at home; have your own personal driver deliver your shopping.  It’s exciting, convenient, safe and new. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, if the shoe fits, wear it. If it doesn’t, your online delivery service will wait while you try on your purchase to guarantee total satisfaction, with the focus placed on the consumer.

Zando strongly feels that now is the time to bring a real online fashion shop to SA. Once you have the online shopping experience, why stand in line in a store?

Online shopping is now and it’s the future! Goodbye limited choice. Hello Zando!

www.zando.co.za

QueenB!……..Abuzzing off

Photos by Roland Brown

Read the full article]]> The Barnard Gallery is delighted to present an exhibition of paintings by Barry Sullivan. At first sight his work appears vaguely reminiscent of the genre of naïve, or outsider, art. But a closer reading uncovers a clever ploy on Sullivan’s part to draw the viewer into fantastical vistas where all is not what it seems, where incongruities of scale, unexpected juxtapositions and cunning compositional devices evoke multiple narratives.

Titled ‘Another Man’s Vine’ the show evokes a sense of appropriation. Through whimsical, symbolically rich imagery Sullivan evokes a world of contradiction and ambiguity. Depicted against large expanses of emptiness, his Lilliputian “characters” – be they bureaucrats or minstrels – play out mini-pageants in which they seem to be pitted against an their own puny existence. And despite the evident twinkle in Sullivan’s eye, a sense of tension, even menace seems to lurk below their delicately rendered surfaces.

For example in ‘Master’s Voice’ a transistor radio – the residue of a bygone era – is rendered disproportionately large next to a miniscule transmission tower and a man trapped in stocks – a medieval and colonial method of torture and public humiliation. This work offers an ironic commentary on traditional tools of communication and suggests a return to a regressive order – a pertinent warning, particularly within the context of South Africa’s controversial Secrecy Bill. But there is nothing didactic about Sullivan’s paintings.

Ironic, whimsical and – in parts – almost Dystopian, they are visual non-sequiturs in which the element of surprise predominates, much like the Surrealist refrain of the “chance encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on a dissecting table.”

HoneyB!……..Signing off

Read the full article]]> Nestled in the delightful village of Riebeek Kasteel valley, the olive fest comes around once a year and you can be sure that on any foodie’s calender this two day special on the menu is a must. Do it! You will love it!

This year the Riebeek Valley Olive Festival introduces The Olive Passport: R80 per person – includes: a glass, free olive or wine tastings, live entertainment at every venue and access to the following 9 venues: Het Vlock Casteel, Riebeek Cellars, Pulpit Rock Winery, Kloovenburg, Cafe Felix, The Royal Hotel, The Riebeek West Funky Fresh Market, The Olive Emporium and/or The Olive Martini Bar.

A good munch for lunch is Bar Bar Black Sheep. Situated right in the heart of the village… Blah! Blah! Blah! Bookings are essential as during the fest it gets very busy.

QueenB!……..Abuzzing off

Contact information: Bar Bar Black Sheep (022) 448 1031

It’s happening this week-end

Read the full article]]> Back Street Buzz

The start of winter and it’s raining cats and dogs. For some, winter means this – a night in around a blazing fire with the latest best seller, a bowl of hot soup, a movie on DSTV or perhaps being tucked up in bed with a loved one. These are the choices we make and that we take for granted.

So what if you don’t have the choices to make? What if the blazing fire is in an old drum and being tucked up in bed means a makeshift bed out of cardboard under a bridge, in a dark alleyway, or even a doorway? Sleeping rough and hidden from sight – these are the realities of street life. For those who have made it into a shelter and abided by the rules, now have the privileges of a place inside. The ‘Haven’ or one of the other 21 shelters in and around Cape Town welcomes them.

The overstretched shelters are perhaps the only lifeline that these people have. It is hope that is needed for a person less fortunate than us to find a job and gain the self-esteem and self-respect they need. It’s a fact of life – yours, mine and theirs. We all need respect! So when the reality presented itself to me through a post on FB, I asked if I could buzz the back streets and bring to you, the reader, certain awareness.

En route to the Sunbird Bistro to meet up with people I did not know, I asked myself if in such awful weather conditions would anybody B! there? Would it B! cancelled?  How absurd was this? Of course they will B! there! This was just the kind of night needed for a plan of action to B! put into motion.

The blanket run started at 5.30pm on Monday evening and travelled in convoy from Camps Bay to Green Point. Our first stop was in the car park B!hind Pick n’ Pay. We gave out blankets, soup, hotdogs and socks. It took very little to make these people happy. After all, when a person has nothing, anything will do. The grateful smiles were simple, the toothless ones a major hit! The humour was genuine and the mood light-hearted.

We moved onto Green Point and found more hungry faces. The excitement to see us was really overwhelming. The banter and comments were simply the best – they were spontaneous and frank with ‘Hello young man, will you marry me?’

Arriving at our last, but not least, drop off under the bridge at the ‘Haven’ we found it deserted, until one word was mentioned; ‘FOOD’ and out the shadows of the night came the highway men and women, who are there due to circumstances.

How grateful everyone was, myself included, to have shared and helped a team of likeminded people. Once you go down this road, you don’t give up! So let’s do it together. There’s no turning your back.

Join us on FB in ‘Dare to Share’ and ‘The Blanket Fund’ and experience the next encounter of the third kind in the back streets of Cape Town.

QueenB!……..Abuzzing off

Photos through the Sony eye and FB

Read the full article]]> Last Thursday evening The Reserve Club reserved the right of admission to all their invited guests, to celebrate Moët night of the stars at their 1st birthday party. QueenB! decided to wear Moschino and invited some guests to dine in The Reserve Restaurant for the B!fore party.

The entrance to the restaurant on Adderley Street, gives a different impression to The Reserve Club. When you step in through the doors of this magnificent landmarked building, steeped with a historic background to Cape Town, you can feel the old sophistication and the gentle charm that meets you. I am always delighted when old architecture is respected and preserved. The Reserve has done a sterling job in maintaining the elegant structure and beauty of that grand era!

We had a delicious meal; my fillet was perfect and was accompanied by chips and veggies. The Sommelier was spot on, marrying well our wines with our starter and main. We had excellent champagne, compliments of my gentlemen guests, thank you; this was the cherry on the top to our chocolate fondant and the mood of the night!

The Club side is always fabulous. The ambiance is Art décor, sofas, poufs, sexy lighting, subtle colours and beautifully decorated with a Je ne sais quoi that works. I enjoy the hour between 10.30 and 11.30 B!fore the hordes arrive, then like B!s to honey it starts to buzz and gets crazy!

Club manager Justin and Joslyn pull out all the stops and make it happen. A nightclub is tough to run whether it’s Cape Town, London, Paris or New York, it all demands a lot of hard work and hundreds of hours. The Reserve has been awarded with The World’s Finest Clubs’ quality seal of approval and is now a part of their impressive line-up of exclusive venues throughout the world.

The Reserve is a win win situation in Cape Town, with the option to dine and dance and the exclusive one-of-a-kind events. We had a marvellous evening and in the wee hours, it was time for QueenB!, WorkerB! and friends to buzz off.

I slept soundly in my B!hive done by Giovanni at Savas and only tackled brushing it out the morning after.

QueenB!……..Abuzzing off

Photos seen through the Sony eye of QueenB!

Read the full article]]> Marvellous! A long weekend on hand.  For some it will B! a five day holiday, for others a little less in which to do what you want to do. Here are a few suggestions even if it rains. I will B! bringing you the back buzz from my weekend, in the meantime here is a…..

Short hit list for the long weekend 

Decorex Cape Town 2012 at the International Convention Centre is always a good one. From the 26- 29 starting at 10:00 – 19:00

The Barnard Gallery has an interesting exhibition on at the moment. Rain or sunshine it’s worth a look  ” Just a matter of time”

The Mount Nelson for morning or afternoon tea is always a good call, especially if it’s raining. 76 Orange Street, Gardens Tel: +27 (0)21 483 1000

The Reserve Club on the 26^th for their 1^st Birthday Party

Cafe Chic, Jungle Fever Party Thursday 26^th April 7 Breda St, Gardens

The Test Kitchen, for an eating experience at the Biscuit Mill

Ragù for fabulous Italian cocktails and canapés

French Toast says it all on 199 Bree Street  +27 (0)21 422 4084

Orphanage also on Bree Street, so why not kill two birds with one stone and check them both out

QueenB!……..Abuzzing off

Read the full article]]> Orphanage takes its unconventional name from its location on Orphan Street, so named as the orphan children of Cape Town used to gather there in the early 1900’s.

The low-key brown doorway with a key-shaped spy-hole is an ‘Alice through the looking glass’ entrance into a beautifully detailed, quirky cocktail club which opened rather unusually, with a blessing by the Archdeacon and a drink on the menu is dedicated to the present day Children’s Home that was founded as a result of his predecessors efforts.

Harking back to the drinking dens of the early 1900’s; Orphanage offers an extraordinary theatre of cocktail alchemy, an unpretentious, top-quality sharing food menu of which the star is the signature crayfish rolls and truffle chips and a remarkable and rich history from the vibrant Mother City. Expect a laid back vibe, with DJ spinning deep-house with dancing until 2am.

HoneyB!……..Signing off

P.S. Thank you HoneyB! for this key piece to having fun in Cape Town

Read the full article