Grand times at the Grand Café & Rooms

It was early evening and Eugene and I were visiting the first born of the Grand sisters, The Grand Café & Rooms at 27 Main Road, Plettenberg Bay.

We entered the Café through huge double doors and the same feeling of otherworldliness that we experience at Grand, Camps Bay and Grand, Granger Bay overtook us.  We were encountering another era, another time and place.  Lights are dim and the lamps are lit.  But it is far from gloomy.  It is warm, welcoming and bewitching.

Plettenberg Bay was enjoying a balmy evening and we were shown to a table on the terrace.  This meant passing through the interior of the restaurant and past the fantastical things that are everywhere.   The terrace is cool and sheltered with a view of sea and white sands and pale blue mountains in the distance.   

The Lemon Grass Restaurant

Sitting on the terrace of Lemon Grass Restaurant in Plettenberg Bay, we could have been on a Caribbean island.  Just metres away, the waves broke gently against the rocks and sea birds wheeled overhead.  Smaller birds sometimes came in to settle and drink from ingeniously suspended bottles of water. A voluptuous cherub draped in bunches of grapes, joyously celebrated Bacchus.  Slatted wooden benches and tables under white canvas umbrellas further enhanced the aura of romance and enchantment of a tropical paradise that Eugene and I had visited some years before.

Channel Ferry Tickets

Channel Ferry Tickets

Find cheap Ferry tickets quickly - Channel Ferries a fast way to search for tickets 

http://www.channelferries.co.uk

Vienna, Fabulous City of Music, Where Even The Horses Dance.

Eugene and I were in Vienna for three whole days, so much to do in so short a time.

Let Back Chat guide you through the fabulous city of music where even the horses dance.

We hope that you will love Vienna as much as we did.  If you would like to find out more about this extraordinary city, do contact me.  Either leave a comment on Back Chat at http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at les@leslieback.co.za .  I would love to hear from you

The Legend of Emily Moon

There is a magical place in Plettenberg Bay called The Emily Moon River Lodge.   Eugene and I visited this place where legend swirls and where fiction and fact are so closely interwoven that reality becomes blurred.

We dined in the bewitching Emily's Restaurant.  But first, in order to tell the tale and to set the scene, I shall describe our first impressions as we entered this extraordinary world.

Back Chatter on Cheese

Say Cheese

Buying cheese can be a minefield, bewildering and intimidating.  The labels are confusing as there are so many varieties of the same yet different cheeses.

Not all of us are cheese fundis and many of us are unfamiliar with 'cheese speak'.

Back Chat to the rescue

Allow Back Chat to lead you through the maze of names and processes.     We will research it together and you will become comfortable and relaxed about the whole cheese imbroglio.

If you still have doubts or uncertainties or you just want to talk about cheese, do please contact me.  Leave a comment on the blog, or email me at les@leslieback.co.za.    I look forward to hearing from you.

Super food at Sloppy Sam

Sloppy Sam seems to have been around forever.  We have eaten there for so long we have lost count of the years.  Our children grew up eating the food and hopefully, someday their children will enjoy the same rite of passage

Hooman Saffarian is the owner/chef of this wonderful place.  Of  Persian origin, but as he describes himself, proudly South African, he is the standard bearer of the present incarnation of Sloppy Sam.

But how can we talk about Sloppy Sam without mentioning Strati Constanides, the previous padrone.   This lovely gentle Greek cooked his way into the hearts of a generation of food lovers.  He cooked for us.  He fussed over us and prepared our favourites and woe-betide anyone who left food on their plates.  In a simple café on the Main Road Sea Point, he and his wife Esmini produced the food we remember with such joy and nostalgia. Greek food at its finest.  When Strati hung up his apron, we all thought that the world would come to an end.  We mourned when he died and filled the obituary columns with tributes.

Back Chatter on Salad Leaves

Salad Leaves - Behind The Frills


A beautifully presented salad is a many splendoured thing.  It enchants the eye and tantalizes the taste buds.

Crisp, green leaves are a vital part of our menu, especially during starch driven winter days.

Our lives are so hectic that many of us use pre-packaged washed salad leaves.  Half a salad all at once! Quick, easy and practical!   
BUT...what lies behind these pristine leaves in their puffed out plastic cocoons?    We need to know more.

Join Back Chat as we investigate.  We will follow the trail and learn more about the salad leaves some of us take so much for granted.  
If you have your doubts about anything or would just like to know more, please email me at les@leslieback.co.za or leave a comment on the blog.

Remember Back Chat is on the case.

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Back Chatter on 'Butter Or Margarine?' That Is The Question

How many times have you been asked if you use butter or margarine?   Inevitably your answer will lead to a sometimes heated discussion as the person posing the question will have strong opinions.

Both have their passionate admirers and equally their detractors and there are those that have simply opted for olive oil and others think that using neither is the answer.

Back Chat will give you both sides of the argument.  You decide which you prefer.   If you are still undecided, do contact me at les@leslieback.co.za or leave a comment on Back Chat.  I would be delighted to help you make up your mind or answer any question you may still have.

Grand Times At Grand Café & Beach

There is a new ' happening' in Cape Town - Grand Café & Beach has exploded onto the scene.  And I mean exploded!   In no time at all, it has become one of the most sought after 'to go to' places to eat, drink, people watch and just chill out and make-believe that you are at a Beach Club in St Tropez.   In fact, one of the hottest tickets in town.  C.E.O, Suzette Main,  and  Executive chef , Seelan Sundoo have again worked their magic.

The approach to the entrance of Grand Café & Beach is a palm- frond covered walkway along a wooden boardwalk.  The restaurant is housed in a huge warehouse.  After much searching, an abandoned warehouse provided the inspiration for the restaurant.  It took months to clear the space and to prepare it to be the interior of the beach club.  Outside, a lovely 46m long sundeck provides a platform for chairs, tables and umbrellas and reaching out to the ocean, a stretch of pristine, white sea-sand, brought in from surrounding beaches.   On the beach are sun beds waiting for tanned bodies to adorn them.  Salvador Dali would surely have painted the superbly surrealistic white settee and set of easy chairs in the middle of the beach on the sand.   A giant chess set  is set out on the sand, waiting for someone to try an opening gambit.  All amazing to behold.

Italian Soul Food And Graffiti at Mario's.

For nearly four decades, Mario's has stood like a beacon at 89 Main Road Green Point.   Inside, lights  twinkle their welcome. What a relief it is to see those lights; it means that Mario's Ristorante Italiano is alive and well.

Mario and Guisepina ( Pina or Pinina for short) Marzagalli  opened their restaurant in Green Point in 1971.  Immigrants from San Colombano Al Lambro, just outside Milan, they brought with them to a sleepy Cape Town, their knowledge of Italian food.  At that time, Cape Town did not boast the many, excellent Italian restaurants and bountiful delicatessens that it does  today.   Green Point had not been developed and business was tough.   Mario, dressed in a suit, tie and white shirt, would come to work each day and wait for custom.  Pina tells how after some weeks, he ran into the Main Road, hands waving and shouting,  'For God's sake, come and eat here!"   All of us who knew Mario can well picture that scene.

Back Chatter On Balsamic Vinegar

    

Passionate opinions abound and there is a wide and bewildering range of prices and qualities.  Sadly too there are balsamic vinegars that do not live up to their names.

An understanding of the process will both assist and protect you from making expensive mistakes and will guide you to 'your' perfect choice.

Join Back Chat as we delve into the mysteries of this centuries old food product and find out what our ancestors already knew eons ago.   Do leave a comment on Back Chat or email me at les@leslieback.co.za .  I would love to hear about any close encounters of the 'balsamic' kind.

And remember  'CAVEAT EMPTOR' -  BUYER BEWARE.  There are unscrupulous people out there. 

An All Day Arty Breakfast At Café Juno

Eugene and I love Paarl.   He was born there and has strong emotional ties with his birthplace.  I have come to feel very attached to this place and all that it means to him.  So imagine our excitement when Café Juno burst onto the scene!  The Café Juno, a wonderfully arty place for real people, is at 191 Main Road Paarl.

The first thing that strikes you as you approach Café Juno is the beautiful old Cape Dutch building that presides over Main Street like an elegant grande dame from another era.  The era, the 18th century, the year, 1793, when ox-wagons trundled along the main street transporting men and women to 'town'.  But now it is the 21st century and the building is home to Café Juno and the Juno Wine Company.

A few steps took us onto a stoep where upturned wine-barrels serve as tables.  Here diners can sit under umbrellas and contemplate the passing show while enjoying a light repast and a glass of wine.  Life just seems to slow down.  Into this lovely building we went and found ourselves in a world where food and art blended seamlessly.

Julie and Julia

Julie & Julia 

Directed by Nora Ephron:  Cast:  Meryl Streep, Amy Adams; Stanley Tucci; Chris Messina 

'Julie and Julia' is the first movie to have been inspired by what began as a blog.  The true story about 'chef extraordinaire,' Julia Child, and how she affected the life of  young writer and aspirant chef, Julie Powell, is the basis of this superb film.

Join Back Chat as we relive the experience.  Feel as hungry as we did all through the film.  Imagine the tastes and smells that emanated from the kitchens that produced dishes the likes of 'sole meuniere' and  'boeuf bourguignon'.   Then go and see the movie.

I would love to hear about your reactions to this delicious romp.  Leave a comment on Back Chat or email me at les@leslieback.co.za  And take note you chaps, THIS IS NOT A CHICK - FLICK !  This is for anybody who loves France and who loves French food.

Back Chatter On Tea

From the venerated tea ceremonies of the East to tried and tested Western methods, tea making and tea drinking are wonderful ceremonials.

In this article Back Chat celebrates this age-old beverage.  Join us as we follow the trail from bush to kettle to cup.  And at the end of the trail, relax and experience the delights of sharing a perfect cuppa.

Do you have any questions or thoughts about tea?  Post a comment on 'Back Chat' or email me at les@leslieback.co.za . I would love to share 'Tea Time' with you.

Back Chatter on Oysters

'Only another oyster would find an oyster beautiful' wrote Dr R.Hedeen in his definitive book on oysters.  But to the true afficionado oysters are a thing of beauty.  Savour the sheer delight of a succulent oyster feeling it slip, like silk, down your throat - bliss!!

It is overwhelmingly extolled for its alleged enhancement of the human libido.  Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, emerged from the sea in an oyster shell and the legend was born.   But is it a legend?   Casanova ate 50 raw oysters every morning.

Back Chat lifts the veil on the mysterious world of oysters.  This is for those who love oysters and for those who have yet to learn to love them.
Should your curiosity be aroused and should you wish to know more about these amazing molluscs, please contact me at Back Chat, http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at les@leslieback.co.za .  I would love to hear from you.

Delicious Italian Food At Magica Roma

Eugene and I adore Italian food.   Authentic, delicious Italian food made with the best and purest ingredients and with all the verve, passion and energy that the best Italian chefs bring to their creations.
So it is with unalloyed happiness that we have been regular patrons of Magica Roma for years and years.

Magica Roma Ristorante Italiano at 8 Central Square, Pinelands in Cape Town, is proudly Italian.  Everything about it is Italian, from the owner/chefs Ezio Debiaggi and Franco Zezia, to the food that emerges triumphantly from the kitchen.   Our hosts were named Cavalieri Del Lavoro (Knights) by the President of Italy Dr. Scalfaro,  for creating a completely genuine Italian restaurant outside Italy.  Having been accorded this signal honour,  they are bound to maintaining the tradition of Italian cooking using only the best ingredients.  Wine Magazine has, since the year 2000, included them each year  in the top 100 restaurants in South Africa.  Rossouw's  Restaurant has awarded Magica Roma 3 stars.  In addition to all of this, there are numerous glowing write-ups and mentions from all over the world.

RETOUR à PARIS

We were in Paris.  This city that draws us back again and again.  How we love it and how very quickly it envelops us in its magic.
We had driven to Paris from Montreux in Switzerland.  This would be our last port of call on our European odyssey.

Accompany us on a joyous ride as we revisit some special favourites.  Be there as we discover new delights to add to our burgeoning treasure trove of Parisian experiences.  We'd love to share all this with you.
Do contact me at Back Chat at http://www.leslieback.co.za or email me at les@leslieback.co.za to find out anything you need to know about our favourite place on earth. 

MONTREUX - SWITZERLAND

Montreux, the queen of the Vaud Riviera.   Pristine, ordered and beautiful beyond words and of course everything working like clock-work in true Swiss fashion.    So different from other 'Rivieras' that we had visited in the course of our travels.  

Eugene and I had entered another world and another culture.   Different from the laid back, slightly chaotic and mildly eccentric French and Italian Rivieras.  We love them all.  Back Chat invites you to join us on this adventure.   If you need to know more, post a comment on Back Chat or email me at les@leslieback.co.za
I would love to hear from you.