Events during the silly season in Hermanus and the surrounds!

It's 29 days until Christmas ! Can you believe how quickly another year has sped past us. If you are heading to Hermanus this year there are a lot of activities to keep yourself busy and if you don't have anything to do wherever you are... then come to Hermanus :)
 
Here is a list of events. I will update it as I scout and hear of more! I also have a giveaway at the end of the post :)
 
Hermanuspietersfontein

I popped in at Hermanuspietersfontein(HPF) yesterday to buy a bottle of their Posmeester which is  a Bordeaux style blend that I love. It's an easy drinking red wine perfect to enjoy at a braai or at a relaxed dinner with friends. I can't wait to open my bottle this weekend!

A little birdie then told me that HPF will be very busy this 'silly season' with a lot of events!

They have erected a massive tent over their 'markie' area so come rain or shine you can enjoy your Saturday market in comfort. Good news also is that the 17th of December they will host a night market! You will be treated to live music, delicious food and lots of merry wine. I will definitely be there!

Other events that you should diarise are

• 3rd & 10th December: Midweek wine and tapas from 17:00-19:00
• 16th December: Dinner with Barefoot Bella in the Cellar who will travel all the way from Langebaan to spoil you for only R450 pp . Only 40 spots are available so book ASAP(details below)
• 19th December: Dinner with Eat Greek's Nikki in the Cellar who will spoil you with 'local is lekker' food at only R350pp. Only 40 spots available.
• 20th December: The Tributes and Shadow Band will take you back to the 50's, 60's and 70's. It's R110pp and you can bring your own picnic basket. Wine you can buy at HPF! You can also order a picnic basket when you buy your ticket if it's more convenient for you. You can arrive from 18:00. Only 200 spots available. I have two tickets to give away. Read all about it below.
• 23rd December: Black Tie Braai event is where the HPF skapie will give back with a wine auction where 100% of the proceedings will go to the Sondagskoolfonds. This charity provides technology for 5-8 year olds from the local community to facilitate their reading and writing skills. Wine and canapés will be provided at R200 pp. Only 200 seats are available.
• 27th December: Tribal Echo live in Skapie's Yard. This will be the 4th year that this event will take place. At R100 pp you can join the tradition. You can bring your own picnic basket or order one when you book your tickets. HPF wine will be sold at the event. Naturally :)
• 30 th December: Eet Italiaans in die kelder is a three course meal that will tantalise the tastebuds. For R350 pp only 40 people will be lucky enough to enjoy this treat.
• 31st December: Don't have NYE plans yet? If you want to you can 'dans in die nuwe jaar met die skapie!' A lot of food, wine and bubbles will be available for you to party into 2015 at R450pp from 19:00-02:00.  A live DJ will make sure that no wallflowers are present at the party.
• Every Saturday: The HPF market from 09:00-13:00 come rain or shine. Freshly baked breads, chacuterie and more can be enjoyed by all.

For tickets you can contact Anika at anika@hpf1855.co.za
For more information visit HPF's website
Tweet them @hpf1855
Like them on Facebook
Instagram them at hpf_skapie


The Color run in Hermanus

Yes you read that correctly. The Colour Run is coming to Hermanus. I am one of the few that have not done the colour run at all so I am super excited to take part in this event the 27th of December. It is said to be the happiest 5 km of your life! I am definitely down for that. The event will start at the Hermanus High school at 15:00. It's R220 pp and the ticket includes the following

• Official Color run tshirt
• Color run sweatband
• 1 bag of Color powder
• 1 Temporary happy tattoo
• Race number
• Entry to the finish festival

You can buy your tickets online or at The Burgundy restaurant, The Eatery or Vodacom Shop in Hermanus. See you there!

For more information visit this website
Like them on Facebook
Tweet them @TheColorRunSA


Gabrielskloof

One of my favourite wine farms in the Overberg area is Gabrielskloof and they also host their annual 'Favourite things Market'  the 12th&13th of December. The festivities will kick off at 17:00 the Friday afternoon and you will be treated to home-made crafts, food and refreshing wine. This is an event not to be missed. I attended the market two years ago where I spent the entire Saturday feasting of fresh food and sipping on too many glasses of wine. One tip: don't forget the sunscreen as I learned the hard way :)

For more information visit their website
Tweet them @Gabrielskloof
Like them on Facebook and RSVP to the event here

Hermanus Country Market
 
This family orientated market runs every Saturday 09:00-13:00 at the Hermanus cricket field. They have a variety of  fresh produce, home made delicacies, crafts,  wine and more. This is also a child friendly market with a jungle gym and other activities to keep the little ones busy.

The Summer Night market will be Wednesday evenings on the 10th, 17th and 31st of December as well as the 7th and 14th of January.

There also is a Camphill Farm market the 16th of December from 09:00-13:00 where all the proceeds will go to the Camphill Farm Community.

 

For more information visit their website
Tweet them @HermanusMarket
Like them on Facebook

First Fridays Artwalk

Twelve art galleries in Hermanus remain open until 21:00 the 5th of December so that art lovers can join in on a marathon of art appreciation. Wine and small bites are on sale as you travel from one gallery to the next. Below is a map so that you can plan your visit!

 

Like them on Facebook to see how awesome the previous artwalk was as well as stay updated with the upcoming event!

Stanford Sunset Market and Saturday morning market

 Every last Friday of the month can be enjoyed by attending the Stanford Sunset Market. This will take place the 28th of November and 26th of December at the Stanford Village green from 18:00-20:00.
 

 

Every Saturday morning the town of Stanford comes to life with their morning market where fresh produce and home-made goodies are sold at great prices. One of my favourites is Havercroft's fudge! The market runs from 09:30-12:00 so you can sleep in a bit before you venture out! You will find the market at the Stanford Hotel veranda. Enjoy!

For more information visit the official Stanford website
Tweet them @visitstanford
Like them on Facebook 
 
GOOD NEWS! You can win two tickets to the Tribute show at Hermanuspietersfontein the 20th of December. Here is how you enter

• Share this post on Facebook and comment on my blog or my Facebook page what your favourite 50's, 60's or 70's song is.

or/and

• Share this post on Twitter and add the following: @LoveHeartsFood I love the oldies #HPFskapie

If you share on Twitter and Facebook you will receive two entries so your chance of winning will be increased :) The winner will be selected by a random number generator and announced the 5th of December. Competition closes the 4th of December at 00:00.

Good luck and I hope you are planning a fantastic holiday!

The new Haas still 'Haas it'

Welcome

I popped in at the new Haas last week after a lovely promenade walk! They've moved from the Bo-Kaap area to 19 Buitekant street which is a few buildings down from Truth .

I really prefer the new spot. It's larger, so more customers can share in the goodness of Haas, and I love the décor more. They still have their usual bric and brac everywhere but the earthy tones they used overall really adds a stylish feel to the place.
You can read  about my first visit to Haas here when they still were located at their old spot.

The counter with all the yummy treats

 As we entered Haas their array of sweet treats at the bar counter looked delicious. We rather opted to enjoy a late brunch but next time sweet treats WILL be ordered.

Stylish new space

I was joined but my friend Kerry who is also big lover of French toast so naturally we both ordered that. Both of us had some requests around our order and Haas delivered. The French toast is made from baguette style bread and they serve it nice and crisp. For R48 this really was a delicious sweet breakfast. They add some strawberries for garnish, but I would love them to add some more to the dish, as it helps to neutralise some of the sweetness.

Yummy!

Their coffee is awesome and I am sorry to say(or not) that I prefer theirs to neighbour Truth.
Kerry specifically commented on their coffee to milk ratio that she loved which some coffeehouses really get wrong at times. Haas was spot on! They also don't roll their eyes if you add sugar to your coffee.

Where the coffee magic happens!

If you visit them during lunch time you can feast on sandwiches, salads and curries. A bit of the Bo-Kaap lingers at Haas as their bunny chows are still on the menu! They also have lunch specials that changes daily.

One of my favourite décor pieces was this basin!

Service was friendly and efficient! Our waitress Phumza was a sweetheart!

The new Haas really makes me more excited than the old one! I will be back ASAP!

Open Monday-Friday 07:00-17:00 and Saturday-Sunday 08:00-15:00
Contact them at 021 461 1812 or info@haascollective.com
Like them on Facebook
Tweet them @haascoffee or @haascollective
For more information visit their website

Current menu

On 19 at The Westin

One of the restaurants at The Westin Cape Town was recently revamped and relaunched. The Executive Club Restaurant was given a R1,1 million face-lift and also renamed to On 19. The boyfriend took me there for a belated birthday dinner and post-exam celebration.

Newly revamped On 19

I was really excited as I knew absolutely nothing about the restaurant. As the name states it is situated on the 19th floor. The view is amazing and the whole restaurant is surrounded by glass windows giving you a view of Table Mountain, Cape Town harbour, Cape Town Stadium and Signal Hill. It was cool to see the sun set and watch Cape Town come to life to enjoy their Friday evening.


Awesome view



City preparing for Friday evening

We arrived early as we wanted to enjoy the view and watch the sun set. I started my evening with a berry daiquiri(R45). It was really disappointing. It was warm and tasted like an artificial smoothie. It was as if they did not make it with ice. I did not finish it. Cocktails range between R45-R90 and the majority of your classic cocktails are on offer.  The boyfriend enjoyed a Devils Peak brewery first light golden ale.

The drinks

Part of their relaunch is that you can enjoy a two course for R260 or a three course for R300. Initially we decided to enjoy a two course meal.


For starters I tried the ramen noodles(R80). I've not had a dish like this before and wanted to try it as I know that the creators of Lefty's has opened Cape Town's first Ramen Noodle Bar a few months ago. This dish is a Japanese noodle soup dish consisting of wheat based noodles in a meat or fish broth flavoured with soy sauce or miso. I chose the charisa pork, grilled octopus, chicken with scallion, shitake mushroom and red cabbage combination. This was a very meaty dish and can be enjoyed as a main meal. To me the dish lacked flavour. As I ve never had a dish like this before I can't really compare it to what it should taste like but it needed something extra for me.

The Ramen noodles

The boyfriend had the lamb and goats cheese fritters(R80) served with red pepper humus, grilled corn and a cumcumber and tomato salsa. This was delicious and the dipping sauces were so good I wanted to eat them solo!

Lamb fritters

For mains I had the age beef fillet with cauliflower mash, biltong confit onion and choron sauce(R195). The beef was tender and cooked to my liking. The cauliflower mash was also something I've never had but 'banting' friends told me about it and I also enjoyed it. All the components of the dish worked well together and there was a smokiness to the dish that really paired well with my glass of Blaauwklippen cabernet sauvignon.

Beef fillet

The boyfriend chose the wagyu beef, turkey bacon, brown mushroom and cheddar cheese burger (R120) served with battered onion rings, thick cut fries and one of the BEST home-made tomato sauces I have ever had. One thing that stood out for me at On 19 was that their sauces and salsas were very good. The burger I would definitely recommend.

Wagyu burger

Initially we decided to do a two course meal. In the end the boyfriend chose dishes that were less than R260. They still charged him for a two course meal which I feel was unfair. We however did not say anything because we were not in the mood for a confrontation.

The highlight of our evening was our waitress Lizzy. She was kind, attentive and very welcoming. We really enjoyed her!


I personally feel that the 'hotel restaurant feeling' is still there and that something has to be done to create some ambiance. It seemed as if the majority of the guests were foreigners and guests of the hotel. They can maybe put real candles on the tables and play some cool background music. They just need something extra to warrant what they charge for their dishes.

On 19

The food is nice and the view is great but they did not tick every box to my liking so I can't splurge like that again for a meal. My tip would be to visit them for a drink and a snack and if you like what you see then do enjoy a meal there.


For more information visit their website
Visit them at Lower Long Street, Convention square, Cape Town
Contact them at 021 412 9050
Tweet them @WestinCPT
Like them on Facebook

Eat Out Mercedes Benz Restaurant Awards

So last night the Eat Out Magazine announced the Top 10 restaurants in South-Africa. I have not refreshed my twitter account this much since The Oscar Trial. The top restaurant is The Test Kitchen which is no surprise at all. The rest of the Top 10 has some old favourites and a few newcomers. I must say I was surprised that one of my favourites, Waterkloof restaurant, did not place at all. I hope they do better next year as dining there truly is an unbelievable experience.

Here are the winners

The Top 10

1) The Test Kitchen (Cape Town) - I dined here this year and they truly deserve their number one position. They have no cap on their popularity and I would advise you to book your place there for the coming year as I predict that booking a spot will be more difficult than ever! (2013 #1)
2) Five Hundred (Johannesburg) was also #2 last year
3) The tasting room at Le Quartier Francais (Franschoek) who also won the award for the best service. They were #9 in 2013.
4) Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient (Pretoria) who's chef, Chantell Dartnall, won the best chef of the year award.
5) Jordan (Stellenbosch) - I also had the privilege to be wowed by Chef Jardine this year and I still dream about the poppy seed soufflé I had there! Congratulations for moving up 1 from last year.
6) Overture (Stellenbosch) - I have only enjoyed wine tasting here but friends have only given positive feedback about this great restaurant. It has been added to the to do list for next year! (2013 #7)
7) Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch) was #3 last year.
8) DW Eleven 13 (Johannesburg)
9) The Restaurant at Newton Johnson (Hermanus) - Since my family home is in Hermanus I don't think I have an excuse not to go and visit them this December holiday :)
10) Terrior (Stellenbosch) made a return this year after not being on the Top 10 last year

Other awards

 

Style award:  Equus dine at Cavalli who is a personal favourite of mine.

Rising star award: Kobus van der Merwe at Oep ve Koep

Best Asian restaurant: Kyoto Garden Sushi

Best Italian: La Sosta

Best everyday: Chefs Warehouse was also a fave of this year and my current recommendation for 'date night'

Best Country style: Cafe Bloom

Best steak house: The Local Grill (Parktown North)

 

Congratulations to all the winners and since I've only done two of the Top 10 I better start saving to to prepare for my culinary quest of the Top 10 next year :)

How many of the top 10 have you done and who was your favourite??

 

 

 

 

The Eatery Deli is now open!

Welcome to The Eatery Deli

One of my favourite places  to eat in Hermanus is The Eatery and they've now opened a stand alone Deli! Yay!


My final year and a half of Medicine started in August and for three months there was no time for me to visit home. This was torture! So when my holiday recently started one of my essential things to do was to visit The Eatery. When I arrived it was the day their Deli also opened! Double score! Double treats!

Fresh produce greets you at the door!

Why do I love them so much? They are affordable, they deliver every time and the atmosphere is relaxed and homey. One of my favourite things to order is 'eggs and soldiers' and they even succeed to make this simple dish something exciting and delicious.

The Deli is situated across from the restaurant where you can buy freshly baked pastries, pies, cakes, cookies, preserves and more.


Rustic inviting space

They day I visited they were busy making chocolate chip cookies in the oven! Heaven! Goodbye December bikini body...



The aromas will make you buy way more than what you planned for!

I am definitely going to utilise The Eatery Deli when I plan picnics for December holiday. You can even purchase a basket there. The Eatery Deli has also supplied numerous evening meals for my mom and I. My favourite is their chickpea salad and aubergine bake. Oh and we also managed to finish an entire apple crumble pie in one day. Oops :) yet so worth it!!!

So do stop by to enjoy the deliciousness the deli has to offer. They are well priced, well stocked and won't disappoint. It's also an ideal place to shop for gifts for your loved ones!

Here are some pictures of all the lovely goodies you can buy...



Cookies, rusks, brownies, meringue, fudge...

 


Bread, croissants, jams...

 


Buy and bake your own cookies!

 


Vanilla flavoured sugar!

 


Spoil someone with some beautiful flowers

 


Yogurt, lasagne, aubergine bake, salads ect

 


Klapper ys, fudge and Turkish delight! Perfect treat to eat in the car on you way home :)

 


Chocolaty brownies 

 


Pies, quiche and sandwiches

Click here to read my post I wrote when The Eatery initially opened. Since then the restaurant has doubled in size and they still manage to deliver. As it's essential to visit the whales when you come to Hermanus, it is as essential to spoil your tastebuds at The Eatery!


Visit them at 4 Long Street Arcade, Hermanus
Open Monday-Saturday 07:00-16:00
Like them on Facebook

The Franschoek Wine Tram

One of my favourite Sundays this year was on the Franschoek Wine Tram. This awesome tour started in 2012 and brought new life to the old tram tracks of Franschoek. They provide you with a beautiful ride through the picturesque vineyards of Franschoek and allow you to enjoy a day of marathon wine tasting.
 
The adventure will cost you R200 per person and includes either a free wine tasting or discount on wine purchase at the different farms. I will tell you more about that when I tell you about the specific wine farms we visited.

The tour starts at the ticket office in the town centre (across from the Pick & Pay). You hop on a bus which will transport you to your first wine farm. The blue line starts at 10:00 and the red line at 10:15.

Transport is provided by either a wine bus or wine tram depending on which farms you are traveling in between. Let's be honest, wine tasting on a bus or tram is so much better than riding in a car :) You have a minimum of about a hour at each farm before the tram or bus comes to take you to your next stop. If you are having too much of a good time at a particular farm then just wait for the next one. They were punctual every single time and I mean that to the minute, except at our last stop, but that was okay as we were finished with the tour.

There's a blue and a red line that can be enjoyed. We chose the blue line as it was the one with the majority wine farms that were unknown to us.
 
 

Buy your tickets here!

On the blue line the farms are the following...

Mont Rochelle

We started at Mont Rochelle which was recently purchased and revamped by Sir Richard Branson. Mont Rochelle really was a pleasant surprise. It has a fresh and sleek white look with lovely seating outside. They also have a great restaurant, The Country Kitchen, that serves relaxed lunches that are mediterranean  inspired which I definitely want to try out in the future.

Beautiful view

Inside the restaurant

Here nothing is included in your wine tram ticket. Wine tasting will cost your R20 if you want to taste their two white wines and their rose or R20 for their 4 red wines.



First wine of the day!



You can taste inside or outside

We opted for the 'white' tasting as it was early in the tasting experience :) We tasted their Sauvignon Blanc reserve 2013(R65), barrel fermented Chardonnay 2011(R85) and Rose 2011(R40).

It was such a nice day so we enjoyed our wine and the view outside

Dining spot outside

My favourite was the Chardonnay as I loved its distinct lime and butterscotch flavour.

The bus arrived just in time so we rushed to purchase a few bottles and jumped on to head to the next one!

Our ride for the day

La Couronne

This wine farm was unfortunately closed due to an event that was hosted there. This is one of the wine farms where you receive a complimentary wine tasting.

Holden Manz

Our next stop dropped us off between the vineyards of Holden Manz. Here you can also sit and relax in the sun while you enjoy a complimentary wine tasting. Our wine tasting host was very entertaining and treated us with an extra 'wine'!

Holden Manz situated in between the vineyards

At Holden Manz you can also pair your wine with a cheese and chacuterie platter or dine and their restaurant "Franschoek Kitchen" which is beautifully decorated with an exceptional view over the vineyards.

Outside tasting area

Lovely couches to chill one

The restaurant is situated on the top level

The wines we tasted were the Rose 2014(R60), Vernissage 2012 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot-R60) and Shiraz 2010(R95). I loved the red blend Vernissage but the winner of the day was the extra treat we received. The Good Sport Cape Vintage 2010 (R195) was loved by everyone. It is the perfect night cap where you will be treated to flavours such as vanilla, coconut and raisins.

The Vernissage

I agree that wine saves lives :)

The wine bus was on time again and we ventured to the next stop. If you purchase wine you can leave it on the bus and collect it at the ticket office after your wine tramming. How convenient is that!

Happy tasters!

La Bourgogne

At La Bourgogne you sit and relax on the outstretched lawn shadowed by large trees. You can combine your wine tasting with a olive and olive oil tasting(R20). You can also enjoy a picnic here! You are allowed to bring your own picnic stuff!

This was another spot where your wine tasting is included in your wine tram ticket. We tasted their Rose(R60), unwooded Chardonnay (R55) and Semillon(R120). Here I enjoyed the Semillon the most. I had a quick chat with the lovely owners of La Bourgogne as well as their St Bernard! They were very welcoming and I will definitely return to do the olive oil tasting! La Bourgogne also offers affordable accommodation if you ever plan to do a weekend away to Franschoek.

Beautiful lawn to relax on

 

Our lovely wine tasting host

The wine 'experts'

La Bourgogne

La Bri

We also did not experience this wine-farm as they are closed on Sundays. So I would suggest that if you want to utilise every wine farm on the blue line visiting on a Saturday would be the most ideal time!

Rickety Bridge

To travel to Rickety Bridge you will eventually climb onto the wine tram! The wine tram is modelled after the open sided bill trams of 1890.

We were very excited to climb onto the wine tram

Enjoying the ride

We arrived at Rickety Bridge very hungry! Luckily a table was available for our large group at their restaurant Paulina's! Everyone feasted on different type of burgers. There was a bobotie, ostrich, chicken and beef burger available served with salad or fries. The burgers are +-R90 which would be considered pricey but they really were delicious. The patties were of exceptional quality, the bun was home-made and fluffy and the fries crisp. It really was a burger that was above standard and I would easily order it again!

We paired our burgers with Rickety Bridge Sauvignon Blanc(R85). I really enjoyed the wine and it actually had more fruity notes than expected. If you want to do lunch while you are 'tramming' then Paulina's is definitely a spot to consider. Service was spot on and our food arrived very quickly.

Very hungry tasters

Bobotie Burger topped with an egg

Plain beef burger

Ostrich burger

From the tram station you travel on this bad boy to get you to Rickety Bridge

As our time became limited and the day was almost over we quickly popped into the tasting venue and in record time (5 minutes) we worked our way through a few wines. I left with a bottle of their Rose. Here wine tasting is offered to you at R10pp for five wines. The fee is wavered if you purchase a bottle of wine!

Tasting room entrance

Lovely glass of Sauvignon Blanc

Inside the tasting room

Mmm what wine to buy...

Grande Provence
Grande Provence is the last stop on the blue line. Here your tram ticket will give you a complimentary glass of wine with dinner. We were unfortunately exhausted and on the quest for ice-cream so we did not visit them.


The red line covers the following farms...

• Maison
• Eikehof
• Leopard's Leap
• Dieu Donne
• Chamonix
• Rickety Bridge
• Grande Provence

... and I will organise a follow-up trip for the red line ASAP as it's just TOO MUCH FUN!

Visiting the Franschoek Wine Tram really is a 100% guaranteed enjoyable activity. I was exposed to wines farms and restaurants I was not aware of at all. It also equips you to visit a lot of places in a small amount of time. My 'to do list' for next year now is very extensive. All the wine farms are informed and equipped to host the customers of the wine tram and as I have mentioned the whole transport system literally works like a well oiled machine.

My tips...

• Eat a big breakfast. You're going to need a good lining :)
• Go as a big group and buy your tickets online to ensure that you all travel together
• Go on the earliest tram or bus that is scheduled for the blue or red line as you want to do and experience as much as possible
• Book a lunch spot at one of the restaurants
• Pack in some snacks for the road
• Have fun and do all the tastings!
• Buy a bottle of wine that really impressed you so that you can reminisce of the fabulous day you had at your next braai!

The golden ticket

For more information visit the official Franschoek Wine Tram website
Like them on Facebook
Tweet them @WineTram
Contact them at info@winetram.co.za or 021 300 0338