Since I finished my #Gauteng52 series in 2017, many people have asked what my 2018 campaign will to be. I actually wasn’t planning to do anything. But upon further reflection it might be nice to do a couple of shorter projects.
Hence, I bring you the 2018 Restaurant of the Month series. My January feature is Reserved Cafe in Melville.
I stumbled upon this restaurant a week or two ago. It’s on 4th Avenue in Melville in 27 Boxes – a shopping center made from shipping containers. (27 Boxes has received some disdain from the community since it opened a couple of years ago, but the centre is under new management now and I think it’s finally finding its feet.) Reserved is on the ground floor in one of the spots opening out onto the street.
I had walked past Reserved a couple of times before and didn’t consciously notice it. It’s a tiny little place and I thought it was just a coffee shop. Also the name didn’t really jump out at me.
But in actuality Reserved is way more than a coffeeshop: It’s a legit restaurant, opened by a chef who cooks serious food.
I went to Reserved with my friends Fiver and Stuart. There is a small blackboard menu with a few specials, as well as quiches and salads displayed on the counter. Fiver and Stuart both had the pork belly and I had the gazpacho.
I got really excited when I saw gazpacho on the menu; it’s one of my favorite soups and I rarely see it in South Africa. This version didn’t disappoint. I also tasted the pork belly and it was great.
Daniel Riberio, the owner and chef of Reserved, is a South African of Portuguese descent. He bakes his own Portuguese custard tarts, or pasteis de nata. I bought a couple to take home and they were delectable.
So Reserved was a nice surprise. I went there expecting coffee and instead had a delicious meal with great service.
Reserved Cafe is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I’m bummed they don’t serve dinner but this food would work well as take-away. There are only a few tables so reservations aren’t allowed – ironic considering the restaurant’s name.
Got a suggestion for the February Restaurant of the Month? Bring it on.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
I’ve been dreadfully uninspired lately, struggling to think of anything I want to blog about despite having a long list of great ideas (many of which you, my readers, provided in September). I’m finding it hard to feel positive about life at the moment. But on Saturday Thorsten and I got the chance to visit Indwe Park, an indigenous garden and sculpture park in Braamfontein, and I knew I had my topic for today.
Given this week’s political nuclear bomb blast, it feels like a weird time to publish a light-hearted post about my recent (pre-election) jaunt through the United States. But I’m hoping you’ve have had enough of the U.S. election horror show – I know I have – and are ready (at least temporarily) for some wholesome American travel adventures. If so, please read on about my four-day visit to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the lower 48, with my sister, Susanna.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.