Southern Suburbs coffee culture part 2: Starlings Cafe

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Karisa

So after Twigs and Beans, Darryn mentioned that we were close to this place called Starlings Cafe which people without fail raved about on Twitter every single Saturday, a place that CBD folk actually specially drove out to for their weekly fix.

This I couldn’t believe… No offence to the Southern Suburbs, but there’s some really amazing coffee spots in town, so for me personally, to embark on a bit of a drive, a place has to be quite special. With this in mind we thought, right, let’s see what all the fuss is about…

Google told us that Starlings Cafe was situated at 94 Belvedere Rd, Claremont. We drove up and down Belvedere Rd twice without spotting anything. I started to think Google got it wrong, but Darryn wasn’t ready to give up just yet. He suggested we park the car and do the road by foot. Good idea too, cause turns out, this unassuming front entrance is what I guess keeps Starlings Cafe a bit of a hidden gem:

No signage outside either… just two bushes and a little gate…

We nervously entered, hoping that we weren’t intruding on some poor old couples home or something. I actually had thoughts of a little old lady hitting me over the head with her handbag all the way out again. But what did we find inside? I was blown away… Just check this out:

And not just that, but there’s a big garden area in the back as well:

I was like, OK OK, I get it now… this place is quite awesome. Problem was we had just had breakfast and therefore didn’t really have space to try some food. We decided we’d at least sit down for a cuppa and share a piece of cake. All in the name of research of course.

Yum!

On the breakfast menu however, you have options like the following: muesli, yoghurt & fruit (R48), “breakfast in a cup” with poached egg, chorizo, caramelised apple & soldiers (R50), herbed egg pancake with salmon (R68), avo on toast (R40), french toast (R55), a breakfast wrap (R63), cheese soufflé (R69) and then various types of egg, whether it florentine, poached or scrambled, on toast, off toast, with some pesto or ham, add some bacon or pork sausages, whatever your brekkie of choice really. It all sounded really good.

I also took a peek at their lunch menu. On there you have things like soup of the day, various tart options, risotto, thai chicken curry, intricate salad options, a grass fed beef hamburger and some deluxe sandwiches. Prices range from R49 to R75, which is pretty damn good in my book.

They say on the menu that they support local suppliers and use only the best quality ingredients. Origin coffee and yummy eggs from Spier are some examples and I really can’t wait to return there for the full dining experience.

Just a tip though: Call ahead and book a table. The place was packed when we got there and we were very very lucky to still get a small table inside.

Starlings is open Mon – Fri from 7am to 5pm, Sat from 7am to 4pm and Sun from 8am to 12:30. Give them a call on 021 671 6875 or drop them a mail at starlingscafe@gmail.com.

A follow up report to come (hopefully) very soon.

xxx

Southern Suburbs coffee culture – part 1: Twigs with Beans

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Karisa

I don’t get out to the Southern Suburbs a lot, so when I had to head through there last Saturday for something, I figured I might as well do some exploring at the same time. I took my friend Darryn with me as backup though, cause my sense of direction is pretty poor and I could just see myself getting totally lost in the “burbs” and never ever being seen again.

I found two coffee spots I quite liked, the first of which is called Twigs with Beans. You’ll find it in 2nd Avenue, Harfield Village in what seemed like quite a quiet part of the street. So it makes for a great choice of place for a morning newspaper session perhaps.

Now this spot doesn’t have a big menu or anything, in fact you have a choice of various coffees and then some toasties. That’s it. But it’s a great cup of Tribe coffee and the my toastie was good. So no complaints there.

What I really liked about the place though was that it’s a cute little multi-tasking space. They are part coffee shop, part nursery and part gifts & things. Hell they even sell come kids clothing and fresh fruits & veggies. It reminded me of a farm stall in a way and I thought that was kinda cool.

I opted for a very basic cheese & tomato toastie on brown, but you can also opt for various other toppings & bread options – Darryn for example had an egg & bacon on ciabatta and it looked very good. I know I made like the most boring toastie choice on the planet, but it’s one of my favourite things ever. I think it’s because I loved it as a kid and it’s just stayed with me…

Simple happiness…

Because of it’s cute setup, the fact that you can chill on the stoep or in the little garden and sommer get some shopping done at the same time, I’m going to give Twigs and Beans an overall Miss K Kiss-o-Meter rating of:

Like I said, don’t go there expecting lots of different things to eat. Otherwise you’ll be disappointed. Just love it for it’s simplicity and you’ll be good.

Twigs and Beans are open Mon – Fri from 8am to 6pm. Sat from 9am to 6pm and Sun from 9am to 5pm. You can contact them on 021 674 1193 and also follow their blog over here.

xxx

The all new Tribe Coffee in Woodstock deserves a visit for sure

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Karisa

Last Thu eve I paid The Woodstock Foundry a visit once again.. I was there last year for their “open house” and it was amazing to see all the creatives which have found a home there. This time I was there for the launch of TRIBE Coffee Roasting‘s all new, uber trendy, café and roastery.

Who is TRIBE? Founded back in Oct 2010, they started with loads of passion for a great cuppa and a dream of giving people a true coffee experience. They’ve come from pretty humble beginnings, renting time on other roasters and blending & packaging in the aparment they lived in, and they’ve developed & grown to now being able to open this beautiful space in Woodstock.

Jake Easton, Bradley Juter and Kate Nero are the “trailblazers” behind TRIBE Coffee. They have a shared passion for great coffee, ethical sourcing, customer service & design, and they also just seem like a really nice bunch (as you can see from this piccie over here):

Bradley Juter, Jake Easton, Kate Nero-1200

From left to right: Bradley Juter, Jake Easton & Kate Nero. (Photo credit: photo provided by Red Carpet Concepts)

Their Foundry space was designed by Rivets and Rockets with bamboo recycled set pieces from MBA Architect Design and other weird and wonderful treats for the eye. Lemme give you a quick tour:

Photo credit: these 3 pics were done before the evening launch, by photographer Stanislaw Trzebinkski. And I’m so thankful, cause my click-and-go camera just didn’t quite capture the awesomeness of the furniture on the night.

For the launch, they invited a whole bunch of coffee lovin’ folks to come and experience the space, try their coffee, enjoy some live music, drink way too many cocktails and stuff our faces with amazing treats from Munch Box. Life’s soooo tough sometimes hey…

tribe_foodanddrinks
I really loved their interesting art installation style wall outside:

Look closely… you’ll start spotting some amazing hidden treasures between those bricks…

And that we got to watch this awesome graffiti artist dude do his thing:

Ooooh and also the Lindt chocolate and coffee pairing… Hello there chocolate samples, get into my bag!
tribe_chocolatepairing

And of course, not forgetting meeting the lovely Bertha, their beautiful coffee roasting machine:

Lookin’ good lady… lookin’ good…

Now let me share some more facts about the coffee:

They use locally roasted & locally sourced coffee beans, with the raw green bean being unique in single origin coffees from all over the world.
You will be able to discover up to nine different coffee beans from around the world including: Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, Indonesia, India, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, Guatemala & El Salvador.
They will grind the beans for whichever way you drink your coffee.
Their coffee is available in 250g, 500g and 1 kg re-sealable bags.
And to give you an idea of pricing:
TRIBE Espresso Blend – 250g bag R55
Guatemala Chocolate Block – 250g bag R55
TRIBE Organic DECAF – 250g bag R55
TRIBE Filter Blend – 250g bag R55
Malawi Gold – 250g bag R55

TRIBE Café & Roastery’s physical address is 170 Albert Rd, The Foundry, Woodstock and they’ll be open from 7am to 4pm Mon – Fri as well as 9am to 1pm on Sat. So do go pop in and say howzit if you’re in the area. You’ll love it there.

A huge thanks to the TRIBE team as well as the team from Red Carpet Concepts for an awesome evening out in the city, and for letting me join in on all the fun & excitement.

Me with Bjorn & Jasna from Fashionjazz.co.za (Photo credit: Fiona Milligan)

And I can’t wait to tuck into my little prezzie:

I would’ve already if it wasn’t so damn pretty… it’s currently just looking great, sitting on my coffee table as is.

xxx

PS, if you’re into art, do also check out the little art space in the back:

Voodoo Boogie Mondays at TRUTH with the Steam-Funk Project

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Karisa

Right, always thought Mondays are bloody boring and there’s nothing better to do than just sit on the couch, surfing channels, having to pick the best thing to watch out of a bad bunch of crappy TV? Well I say no more!

Rather head on over to TRUTH Coffee in Buitenkant St for their Voodoo Boogie Mondays, pull up a seat, get yourself a drink & something to eat and let your earholes welcome some sexy groove jazz funk tunes…

Food wise they have burger, pizza, pasta & salad options… We had the Chorizo pizza (R70), you just can’t go wrong with chorizo. I also attempted my very first Martini without realising how strong they are. So I did the unthinkable and asked the barman for a shot of passionfruit cordial to add in and take the edge off. Bond would certainly not approve… Can you see it now “shaken or stirred”? Me: no, just gimme some sugar baby! Hehe.

The lineup for the evening consists out of 4 guys, all established musicians in their own right, who’ve come together for your pleasure as the Steam-Funk Project:

Say hello to Rus Nerwich, Gorm Helfjord, Kesivan Naidoo, Rob Nel & Lee Thomson

The tunes are smooth… and the vibe is gooood… I think a quote from this 70s Wild Cherry hit best sets the scene:

Play that funky music white boy

Play that funky music right

Play that funky music white boy

Lay down the boogie and play that funky music till you die

Good luck with getting that song out of your head the rest of the day. Ha!

Here are all the deets you need to know:

Where? TRUTH, 36 Buitenkant St
When? Mondays after work until 9pm
Cover charge? Hell no, just rock up and enjoy.

And high 5s all round for shakin’ up Mondays in the city…

xxx

Cute new coffee spot – The Blend

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Karisa

My gorgeous friend, Julie, and her business partner has just opened the cutest little coffee spot in Roeland St, just a hop, skip & jump away from my place. Happiness.

It’s called The Blend and it’s got such a lovely cosy feel to it. The kind of place which has already become the favourite local hangout. I mean yesterday for example, I popped in there again for a quick coffee and the place was humming. That’s pretty impressive seeing as they’ve only been open for about 2 weeks…

The menu consists of easy comfort foods, like yummy breakfast options (even a bowl of Coco Pops if you like!) and gourmet sandwiches. The bacon, brie & fig and the Prosciutto & pickled apples are two sandwiches calling my name at the moment.

They also serve a mean cuppa and you can choose between Deluxe, Tribe & Kupa at present, but soon they will also be adding Bean There & Origin to their list of options.

Important things to know:

Address: 79 Roeland St, Gardens
FREE WiFi.
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 7am to 4pm, Sat 8am – 2pm. BUT from 1 Nov they will be staying open in the evenings until around 1am in the morning. Can you say “late night snack?”

I’m sooo excited to have this amazing spot so close to home. I hope they won’t mind me moseying over there in my PJs for breakfast.

xxx

Tons of farm kitchen charm at Tamboers Winkel

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Karisa

On Sat I tried out the relatively new Tamboers Winkel in De Lorentz St, Tamboerskloof for a spot of breakfast.

It’s around the corner from Melissa’s and very close to Cafe Paradiso. If you’re heading up Kloof St, you’ll turn right into De Lorentz and it’s right there on your left.

They opened on the 2nd of June and owner Theo van Niekerk has been quoted in several features I could find online saying that he was trying to re-create the kitchen of his grandparents’ farm in Ficksburg – a place where he spent lots of time as a kid.

I think his vision was executed with perfection as that’s exactly the feel I got when I walked in. It’s a cosy, inviting & a truly beautiful space. Certainly somewhere you’d want to linger for as long as you can…

It’s small inside with limited seating, but I think that just adds to the charm really. There’s a big 10 seater wooden table in the middle of the room which encourages folks to come together and then there are some seats at the window and another small table to the side for those who prefer a bit more privacy.

They serve breakfast from 9am onwards which can be paired with a beautiful cup of Deluxe coffee. The breakfast menu which is written up on a blackboard and as I understand changes regularly based on what fresh ingredients they have on hand, had a little something for everybody. A fresh fruit breakfast option for those watching their winter “muffin tops” and totally indulgent filled croissants (think pear preserve & brie or berry compot & cream) for those who have decided to throw caution to the wind.

Both Bjorn and I opted for the Tamboers breakfast (R40) which consisted of a sweetcorn frittata served with grilled cherry tomatoes, bacon and herbs & drizzled with a balsamic reduction:

Looks like a piece of art, doesn’t it?

Then we also got a side order of freshly baked rye (R10) served with some of that yummy sounding pear preserve:

Nothing beats fresh, soft, yummy bread…

The food was amazing. That paired with the friendly service and beautiful decor had me totally hooked. I’m dying to go back and try their lunch which is served from 12pm. The lunch menu also changes regularly and I hear they make the most amazing free-range roast chicken pie as well as some kick ass salads, sandwiches & soups. But ja, homemade chicken pie… mmmmm… they’ve totally got me on that one. I’ve also read amazing things about their charcuterie and cheese boards which are served until 8pm.

Important to note is that they also serve as a deli. You can buy a rotisserie free range chicken for only R60 (available between 12 and 5pm), free range eggs at R13, a selection of freshly baked breads, berry & vanilla ice tea, charcuterie from 12 Pigs and cheese from Get Stuffed. They pride themselves in supporting fresh & local and they get major extra points in my book for doing so.

I would give Tamboers Winkel an all round on the Miss K Kiss-o-Meter scale. They’ve definitely got a new “groupie” over here.

Opening times: Mon to Fri 8am-6pm, Sat and Sun 9am-4pm
Call them on: 021 424 0521

And of course, what’s a good chill spot without free wi-fi… they got you covered, so you can sit back & relax.

xxx

The new Deluxe coffee: a sneaky, awesome surprise

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Karisa

The Dog’s Bollock alley… first time I saw it in daylight. Still love it.

There’s a new Deluxe Coffeeworks in town people… and it’s hiding behind my favourite burger spot, The Dog’s Bollocks over in Roodehek St.

Now you won’t see it from the street. It’s a sneaky little “you gotta be in the know” setup. But luckily for me (and you), I’m always in the know.

So here’s how it works. You enter the Dog’s Bollocks alley, walk past the tables & chairs and the burger station, aaaall the way to the back. Look right and there you go!

Here awesome coffee meets biker chic with some serious attitude. The space just oozes pure cool and I love it. But lemme show you what I mean:

The most important thing of course is that they make a mean cuppa…

Perfection right there

The other cool thing is that The Dog’s Bollocks is now also open for breakfast & lunch (they used to only be open from 5pm – 10pm). This means you can grab some brekkie with your coffee or pop in for an afternoon burger fix followed by a quick espresso to help you make it through the rest of the day. I think that’s pretty sweet.

Just FYI:

Opening hours: 7am – 5pm during the week and 9:30am to 2pm on Sat.
Address: 6 Roodehek St, Gardens. If you’re heading up Buitenkant St towards Gardens Centre, you turn right into Roodehek, just before the petrol station.

xxx

TRUTH be comin’ to my hood

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Karisa

OK, this is just a bit of a teaser cause I can’t give away too much just yet. But I’m soooo excited about it, I just had to share a teensy bit at least.

Last Saturday I got a sneak peek at the new TRUTH Coffee which will officially be opening on 1 Sep at its 2nd Cape Town location – 36 Buitenkant St. Now that’s just a hop, skip & jump away from my place. Woohoo!

What used to be a very run down building and home of Albes Wholesale Furnishers, has now been transformed to be the new home of a brand of coffee which has a bit of a cult following here in the Mother City.

David Donde, the TRUTH mastermind and also the man who brought us Origin Roasting in De Waterkant, has big plans for this new branch of coffee goodness. I have to say it is quite rare that you come across someone who is this passionate about something and it seems coffee truly runs through this man’s veins…

My flat white & danish combo… pure perfection.

While sipping away on my cup of gold, David gave me some insight into what will be happening in this space. It promises to be way more than any coffee spot Cape Town’s seen to date. And after the success of his first Truth Coffee at Prestwich Memorial in Green Point, I’m quite confident this is going to be a real experience.

These two shots courtesy of Mr Donde himself should give you some clues to the look, feel & theme he’s going to be going for:

Any ideas? But not to worry, there will be more to come on this one… much, much more… I guarantee it.

xxx

Checkin’ out Superette in Woodstock

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Karisa

** Please note: Superette has moved to The Woodstock Exchange at 66 Albert Rd **

According to Wikipedia, a Superette, is a compact food market “convenience store” or “mini-mart”.

Our very own Woodstock area, which has become quite the trendy spot to be for interesting little cafes, shops and all things creative, got it’s own version of a Superette a while back and I’ve been dying to check it out. Brought to you by the creators of the very successful Neighbourgoods Market, I just knew it had to be a goodie.

Superette is a dining spot which prides itself on being a “farm-to-table” setup. They work with local food & design guys and girls to bring you some yummy treats which you can purchase as well as things like gorgeous handmade tableware.

As I knew we were heading into a heavy “hipster” area, I wanted to make sure I would blend in. So I decided my hipster reindeer jersey which I purchased from my favourite online store, Forever21, would be perfect:

It’s hipster cause it’s totally nerdy and a bit “ironic” – I mean it’s like a xmas themed jersey, but you’re not wearing it at xmas. You see?

Paired with some red skinny jeans, I was like one of the gang… Don’t know what a hipster is? Have a look at this Youtube clip I posted back in Aug last year: Poking fun at “hipsters” – it should clarify things. And don’t get me wrong, I love hipsters. Without them, Cape Town just wouldn’t be the same. But I have to admit, they are quite an “intriguing breed”.

Now back to Superette. The interior has a bit of a retro feel, using a grey & white setting with little pops of colour, like vibrant yellow, orange & pink. It’s funky and fresh and I asolutely loved it.

Food wise the menu covers a good variety of tasty breakfast options, designer sandwiches and some lunch things like bangers & mash, the Superette burger and a salad plate. Then I hear they also do a supper club, usually twice a month, but you have to keep an eye out on their website for details.

We were there for brekkie, so we went for the “All day breakfast sandwich” (R55) with scrambled eggs on sourdough rye with roasted baby tomatoes and crispy bacon:

Boom! Now that is what I call a sandwich. It was DE-LIC-IOUS.

I think I would give Superette a well-rounded on the Miss K Kiss-o-Meter scale. The service was friendly & fast. The place is beautiful. And the food is good. Also important to note is that they have free Wifi. Everybody loves free Wifi. And it’s great for hipster spotting of course – a favourite Cape Town pastime.

So do pop on over to 218 Albert Road to check it out for yourself. I’m sure you’re going to love it just as much as I did.

xxx

My Love Affair with Cape Town…

Just random fun in my mother city

Category Archives: Coffee Culture