Friday, January 10, 2014

Seafood supper at the Chapman's Peak Hotel

Sunset in the seaside town of Hout Bay
Chapman’s Peak Hotel restaurant is extremely popular with locals and visitors. They don’t do bookings so you need to go early to get a table or be prepared to wait up to an hour for a table but you can sit in the bar and have a drink while waiting. It is worth the wait. In the summer most of the tables are on the terrace which has a good view of the bay and they specialise in sea food with a nod to Portuguese.  It is child friendly and mostly non smoking, although they do have people who are addicted to smoking those electric machines which give off noxious vapours that do affect us non smokers. Banned in Europe and  America, we hope SA follows soon.
A starter of good crumbed calamari rings for our friend from Greece!
Lynne's starter was entitled Prawn Tease – no idea why, but they were good large prawns covered in a sticky sweet chilli sauce. Finger bowls are needed and are supplied
Johns starter of peeled prawns with chorizo sausage slices
This huge platter of seafood just for John included yellowtail, calamari and prawns with crisp chips and was very reasonable at R130
Lynne decided to go with the pork ribs and they were a very good choice, very tender with a good barbecue sauce. She did need help though as this is a huge portion. You get a choice with all the main course dishes being served with rice, chips, salad or vegetables.  Yes, she should have chosen the salad.
Only one of us could manage dessert and it was our visitor Terry, who had a similar plate of seafood for his main course to John's.  Unctuous rich chocolate tart with soft serve ice cream
The sun goes down and the lights come on and we continue to eat the great food
Our really helpful and sweet waitress UCT student Lucia
 
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013

Lunch at Jardine on Jordan with tour clients


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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013

Friday, December 27, 2013

Christmas dinner: Rillette and Boeuf Wellington with Macushla & Marlbrook '95

The table set for Christmas dinner 
Presents under the tree
Shannon Macushla Pinot Noir
 was an excellent partner for some duck rillette
The main course - no turkey!
Filet de Boeuf Wellington, ready for the oven
and ready to serve
with a 1995 Klein Constantia Marlbrook
which was simply beautiful
- who says SA wines don't age well? -
and a tribute to the skill of Ross Gower
who made it

The beef carved
and ready, with a French Sauce Madère,
enhanced with a little truffle
One of Lynne's wonderful Christmas puds to finish
with a splash of a 12 year old
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013

Sunday, December 22, 2013

A farewell look at the Neighbourgoods Market

A photo from the early days
Mark Bayly and son came to visit his father, Peter, who sold his port next to us
  Peter Kampmeinert, visiting from Holland, enjoyed tasting it

Two of our more popular products
 Yvonne Kampmeinert
Marina and Georgie selling The Creamery's ice cream near us
 Georgie Berens is an art student 
She drew this caricature of us
 Cameron Munro, one of the market's owners
Jessie, vamping it up
 Fritz, who sells Pesto Princess pestos
It was even a good place to be on a rainy winter day
with the tented area getting wet
and cold, but still smiling
 Arnold & Denise Couzyn with a table of Wayne Rademeyer's buffalo mozzarella
 Julie Carter sells fish at Ocean Jewels
 and Richard sold French cheeses and patés
 Naughty boys selling ice cream to Eskimos
 Good fresh veg
 and a young admirer
Pesto Princess has generous free samples,
Emily Gammon helping the fans
 The focus is now more on selling things to eat and drink in situ than on selling produce
 A popular venue for social activity, "market fare" and craft beer
 and a smile on our last day
No regrets, we had a good time while it lasted
We wish continued success to all the friends we have made there in the last 3½ years
or call us at 083 229 1172 / 021 439 3169
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@mainingmenu
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013