A Toast To Tapas and Wine

The Publisher and Editor enjoy a little French Toast in Cape Town | The Month April 2012

When the Publisher, who never seems to tire of the Cape Town vibe and its cosmopolitan make-up, called to say he’d stick me to tapas and wine at the trendy French Toast Wine and Tapas Bar off equally trendy Bree Street recently, my first thought was:  “Please, not on a Monday”.

You see, on Mondays French Toast has an unbelievable offer of a 50% discount on all their wines priced R400 or less, and there are many on that list that both he and I count as favourites. And when the Publisher offers to pay, I know I’m in for the long haul as it nearly always involves “the next big thing” for The Month.

Arriving early, on a Monday after all, I parked close by and headed through the downstairs bar area to sit upstairs at the long raised table that forms a focal point in the small, but airy, ex-warehouse. The exposed
brick and steel and the many windows lose what could be a cold edge, thanks to some tasteful decorating in muted colours and the clean and simple  settings of the dining tables that line the walls. It’s clear that the relaxed and uncomplicated approach that greets the eye is meant to be indicative of the general approach here, and as I notice another bar area at the far end of the upstairs space, a friendly waitress offers me a wine and tapas menu respectively and the kind of smile that says she’s doing what she loves.

As I’m early, I mention that I’m going to wait for a friend and pull out my 2012 Platter’s and a copy of the latest The Month. “Oh, that’s a brilliant read,” she says, still smiling. Chuffed I thank her and explain that it’s “my baby”. “Wow,” she says, a little taken aback, “you’re the first person I’ve met from Platter’s.”

With the arrival of the Publisher there’s a flurry of activity; we relocate to sit at a regular table, in comfy chairs and with space to spread ourselves out a bit. We quickly dispense with listening to an explanation of the tapas items, the wine specials and the inside info that things will get a bit hectic later as there is to be a function at the bar. Happy for the relative quiet we unwind our way through a bottle of Constantia Glen Three without an agenda and a bit of small talk and for once the man sitting opposite me says something that really sinks in. “I like this place,” he says looking about, “it’s got a good feel about it, but I think these guys work hard.”

As if on cue, Karin Visser, one of the owners of French Toast arrives at our table with her own broad smile and an offer to replace our empty bottle with another or something different. Keen for a chat we quiz Karin about the business and discover that this serious golfer was once a biokineticist. Why on earth, I ask her, would she want to make the radical shift into the restaurant business? Her answer is as honest as it is simple: she loves wine and people and had no reason not to believe that the venture would be a success. In October this year the restaurant will be two years old and she’s still excited about things – and gets time to work on improving her handicap. No wonder she’s happy.

Feeling relaxed but picking up on the energy that now seems to be filling the place (the function guests have arrived, some with gifts and others with volume) we order from the tapas menu and settle on another sub-four-hundred rand wine, a Tamboerskloof 2007.

The food – all of it, from prawns to meatballs and aubergine chips to patatas bravas - is tasty and adequately supplement the main stars of the French Toast show for me; the wine and the relaxed but smart space in which to chat and enjoy life.

Contact 021 422 3839 or visit www.frenchtoastwine.com for info.

Flip Rasool (nearly) The New Editor At ‘Die Maand’

The Month April 1st 2012

At a press conference held recently in Franschhoek, it was announced that, from April 1st, The Month would no longer be in English but only in Afrikaans, and be known simply as Die Maand. Further that a new editor, Flip Rasool, would take over from the outgoing editor, Brett Garner, with immediate effect.

The publisher, David Foster, said that although the outgoing editor had done “a reasonably good job”, he had really only furthered a backward trend and added that “English is an antiquated and outdated language – Afrikaans is modern, in-vogue and the language of choice among the upwardly mobile young professional - the target market of Die Maand.” And, although clearly sad to see Mr Garner go, added “his jokes were wearing a bit thin and it will be a relief to finally get on top of The Month’s account at the local liquor store. Our loss, I feel, will be Mr Delivery’s gain. April 1st will mark a new start for us at Die Maand and we’re very excited to
have acquired Mr Rasool’s services for only three times the previous editor’s salary.”

It is known that prior to this appointment, Rasool worked abroad and was involved in a number of social media resistance campaigns in Egypt, Libya and, surprisingly, at a Burger King in Abu Dhabi. He claims to have made his first million at the age of 26 - albeit from the $10 million his father left him – and has denied any links to the angry Algerian Mountain Goat that was responsible for his father’s demise. It is believed that as a youngster he was nicknamed ‘Flippy’, not because of his irritating habit of flipping channels during family dinners but more likely because of his time ‘on the grill’ in the UAE.

The publisher took questions from the floor and deftly handled those concerning Rasool’s financial affairs. A question from a prominent Boland publication regarding rumours that the new editor flushes the toilet upon entry but does not like to waste water so does not flush thereafter, was met with an angry glare from Rasool and the throwing of a shoe.

When a female reporter introduced herself as being from “die Eikestadt” Rasool was unaware that she was in fact referring to her hometown of Stellenbosch. As she began to impress upon the assembled that Rasool’s Afrikaans was “n bitjie vrot” (not good) and as colourful as his past, and that his knowledge of the Winelands was bad, the Publisher stepped in to assure all that his new editor’s grasp of the language was faultless and that “there is more to the Winelands than what you’ll find in the Winelands”. Pointing out that Rasool had picked up quite a lot of Afrikaans during his two years undercover in the Cape Flats - supposedly writing a story about drug dealing that, oddly, never appeared in print – the publisher invited Rasool to bring the meeting to a close, in Afrikaans.

Having had the request repeated, this time in English, Rasool abliged the Publisher by saying: “Hou jul bekke my bras, of ek text my boois en ons cancel julle!” (Be quiet or my guys will deal with you.) As he left the stage smiling, he stopped to address the editor of a stylish Franschhoek glossy and was heard to say “Maar jy’s a lekka bokkie. Hoe lyk ‘it, sien jy kaans?” (You’re attractive, shall we…?)

In a later communique, bearing the title “Embargoed: Due for Release on 1 April only”, the Publisher simply stated that Rasool had made himself unavailable and that as a result “The Month will continue to focus its attention, in a light-hearted and accessible manner, on positive, general interest items within the greater Winelands region and that have a bearing on those who enjoy that sort of thing.”