Autumn day at Tokara's Deli-CAT-essen

There really is a slip of autumn in Cape Town.  Today we saw some autumn… We chose the N1 to reach Helshoogte (I love saying that name almost as much as I like saying “Gratin Dauphinoise”  and “Vichysoisse” – also great autumnal exploits) and then Tokara and Tokara’s Deli-CAT-essen: a truly beautiful celebration of contemporary winelands architecture.  It was a wonderful place to be today, bathed in that lovely autumn light…. Look kids!  See the colours of the trees: red and gold and brown and orange and olive!

People often say, “Don’t you find it very hard as a food person to go out to other establishments?”  I think they assume that I would be terribly picky and persnickerty.  In the same way, people say, (especially when I am secretly angling for a dinner invite) “You are such a good cook, I would be terrified of inviting you to dinner!”

And here is my answer:  I love going out and eating out!  My only thing is that I abhor pretentiousness or situations that are overly contrived.  Places that have great promise but disappoint…  Most often, I think, as in our visit today to Tokara’s Deli-CAT-essen, it is the general sense that attention has been paid that wins me over.  I love the experience of simplicity and the sense that the experience was good value.  And then, of course, what parent is not wow-ed by people who really have thought out the children’s experience of the visit to their restaurant.  We all want our children to enjoy the experience of eating out and eating well.  What a treat: really good children’s food and a great safe space for children to run around in.  Joy!  David and I ate boards of Antipasto and Cheese and Charcuterie.  I was eating shamelessly.  Like the foxes in Fantastic Mr Fox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4fDC0M0dJI&feature=related.  This was on account of drinking most of my delicious glass of wine and getting slightly tipsy! (Yes.  On one glass. Cheap date, says my Sweetheart.  We don’t get out much!).  All that delicious olive oil and marvellous bread, still warm from the oven…