Wine not?

Much to my hearts dismay, the thesis has taken over and my food blogging journey has taken a back seat over the past few months. Fortunately, wine has got my creative juices flowing and while I'm still an avid coffee supporter, I sense a "Wine Time" journey beginning - and what better season than with the approaching summer vacation.

Last weekend I found myself in the beautiful town of Stellenbosch visiting my cousin and "wine time" partner, Georgi. After the usual lunch catch up, we found ourselves contemplating how to embrace the summer sun that has thankfully graced the Western Cape with its presence lately. Our first and only suggestion seemed like a no-brainer: Wine Time. What better way to spend a Friday than soaking up the sun, sipping on wine and appreciating the happy giggles associated with it? "Wine Time" is a phrase we have coined this year to describe those days and nights where we sip on wine, pour out our hearts to each other and promise to make each other "maids of honour" (as girls do). So, we quickly rallied the troops (#squadgoals) and found a cosy spot in the delightful Brampton Wine Studio in Stellenbosch.

The Wine Studio is a stylish studio in the heart of Stellenbosch offering a wide variety of wine and food. The studio oozes ambience and atmosphere and the wine provides for a constant vibrant buzz in the room. One can take a seat at any of the chalkboard tables, which allows for the imagination to run wild as one doodles with the colourful selection of chalk. The studio has eight wines to choose from: a Sauvignon Blanc, Unoaked Chardonnay, Rose, OVR, Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Brut Rose MCC. The wine is delicious and the service is impeccable. Brampton provides a comfortable space to make one feel at home and allows for the inner-child to join the adult in the room. Georgi captured the essence of Brampton when she said:

"Brampton, the only place you can feel like a child and an adult at the same time"

 

We had the greatest afternoon in this quaint studio on Church street and highly recommend it to anyone who gets the chance, because as Brampton say:


Check out Brampton's page on Zomato for an up to date menu and restaurant reviews and remember, its always the right time for Wine Time :)

HAPPY WINE TIME EVERYONE

The BEST pizza in town

It's competition time!! If I didn't already get your attention with the words "Best Pizza", I am sure you are all focused now - knowing that you could be a winner!! Borruso's Too is running a great competition where you stand the chance to win a date night for two at this lovely Italian restaurant in Plumstead. The voucher entitles you and a significant other to each enjoy a free main meal and drink of your choice.

 

All you have to do to enter, is follow this link: Win A Date Night for Two and share my blog on Facebook. When you share my blog, don't forget to tag me and Borusso's Too.
 

I had the opportunity to attend a Pizza tasting evening at Borusso's this week and was highly impressed. I mean, my mouth was already watering at the word "Pizza" but the food exceeded all expectations and left me convinced that this was the BEST pizza in town. We were lucky enough to not only eat their pizza, but to try out a selection of starters and desserts from this cosy restaurant and nothing disappointed.
 

Their unique starter called "Porcopoppers" left everyone in awe. They consist of a pepperdew stuffed with feta and bacon, and then deepfried in a light and crispy beer batter. Indulgent, I know!! The other starters were chilli-poppers, focaccia bread, a meat platter and a salmon salad. There was something for everyone and every element was delicious.

 

 

Borusso's Too menu has the craziest combination of pizza toppings, that just happen to work oh too well. I was convinced I would never eat fruit on a pizza or blue cheese on anything but I left Borusso's discovering my new favourite pizza had PEAR on it. The Pear Special was everyone's favourite with pear, caramelised onion, brie and bacon working together to create the most phenomenal foodie experience. The other pizzas we tried were the BBF, the Porcopeppa and the Carne. To have a look at the awesome menu on offer, have a peak here: menu  and special's menu.

 

Our waiter, Robbie, was an absolute hoot! He met everyone's needs and created a fun-filled evening, and quirky atmosphere. He dubbed the perfect catch phrase to describe the incredible menu on offer at Borusso's:

 

"Here at Borusso's we make you love the things you thought you hate!"

 

Borusso's Too is a vibey family restaurant that offers something for everybody. Their menu caters for everyone's tastes and dietary requirements with a selection of pizzas and pastas, vegetarian dishes and salads. They also have an awesome dessert menu to end on a sweet note. Their most popular winter dessert, Banana Flambe, is literally set alight when served.

Our group favourite had to be the decadent chocolate and vanilla baked cheesecake. The portion was extremely generous and the cheesecake was absolute perfection. The picture speaks for itself:

 

There is no doubt that Borusso's Too makes thee BEST pizza in town. Thin bases, generous toppings and unique combinations that leave one's tummy smiling. There is no doubt that I will be back very, very soon and there is no doubt that you should enter this competition: http://borrusostoo.co.za/win-a-date-night-for-2/. You DO NOT want to miss out! Winners will be announced on Facebook on 1 August 2015. 



Cafe Hopping & Coffee Shopping #2

The Coffee Shop Hopping continues! This time around, Cands & I visited Latitude 33, The Power & The Glory and Skinny Legs Café in Cape Town. Before I enlighten you on our awesome experiences, I thought I should quickly introduce us:

This is Candi Land. She is one of my oldest friends and housemate. She works at Topco Media in the CBD and when we can, during her lunch hour, we explore the coffee shops of Cape Town. She is a vibrant lady with a heart for adventure. She has been the perfect person to partner with in this venture as she always makes life so exciting.

I am Shan, the foodie and blogger. I only discovered my love for coffee in 2014 but since then I often wonder how I ever lived without it. Exploring restaurants and coffee shops everywhere and anywhere has to be one of my favourite things and I have loved sharing my experiences with all of you.

Our first coffee shop stop was at Latitude 33. This restaurant felt like home and I cannot wait to go back there! We made ourselves comfortable on one of the couches, near the fire, and fully relaxed while sipping on our honey nut latte & hot chocolate. The staff were super friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were happy. Our drinks were served with homemade biscotti which was absolutely delicious and readily welcomed by our bellies.

 

While cosing up on the couch, reading through the menu and appreciating our surroundings, we noticed two things: the coffee milkshake is the most popular order (even in winter!!) and the soups are phenomenal! The soups looked so appealing that I couldn't resist a take away Thai chicken soup which was super tasty.

 

 

 

I highly recommend this awesome spot on Bree street. The atmosphere is homey and above the restaurant is an awesome little clothes shop.

We believe that there secret to success is
the "lounge" that they create within the restaurant.

 

Our next stop was at The Power & The Glory - what a popular coffee shop!! We struggled to find seats in this vibrant corner café on Kloofnek.  The barrister at the bar greets you as you walk in and place your order before finding a seat. I ordered a cappuccino and homemade dateball and Cands had their Belgian cocoa.

 

The Cocoa was made of dark chocolate and was served with a marshmellow. At R22, I highly recommend this drink to anyone who gets the opportunity. It was divine!! The coffee was also delicious and only cost R18. The date ball, made from only nuts and dates, completed the experience - the perfect treat for those trying to be healthy.


 We believe their secret to success are the character-filled Le Creuset mugs that come in an assortment of funky colours - making the drinking experience all the more colourful.
 

Skinny Legs & All was our last stop on this leg of the journey (excuse the pun). The best way to describe this café is "simplicity".   White décor, unembellished tables and painting-filled walls. Nothing says clarity quite like Skinny Legs. In honour of today's winter sun, we opted against the coffee grain and ordered two delicious cold beverages. Candi ordered a fresh mint, lemon and ginger juice - which cleaned her palate like a bomb (quote, unquote) - and I ordered the raw chocolate shake made of Greek yoghurt, raw chocolate, banana and a little bit of honey. This creamy treat left me feeling guilt-free and satisfied.

We believe their secret to success is the alternative menu and healthy approach to eating and treating.

 

 

We are very excited for our next 3 stops:

• Street Food on Bree
• God's Army
• Motherland

We can't wait to share these adventures with you!