It’s been a while since our last visit to the Nook, when they had just opened their doors to the public. Whilst our last visit was over a cup of coffee, on this late morning, The Ginger and myself decided that it was high time that the food on their menu is sampled.
A few things have changed at Nook, mostly all for the better. The biggest change is the amount of traffic through the door – in fact, we had to wait a short while for a table to become available, which proved to be well worth it. Also a new addition is that of “Wood-Fired Wednesdays,” a pizza evening every Wednesday I’m looking forward to checking out myself.
Nook’s menu offers a little something for everyone, from gourmet burgers to toasted sandwiches, and what’s pretty awesome is that the sandwiches can be ordered as a half portion – a useful option for those who may not be so hungry (or those with slightly thinner wallets.)
Food is served in great bistro style on wooden chopping boards, and has a rustic, homey feel to it, but that’s what Nook is all about – a homey, informal eatery with no pretence.
Coffee and a Cinnabon @ Nook - 'Sin in a Bun'
The Ginger opted for a toasted sandwich with chips, and I went for the burger. I have recently developed a taste for gourmet hamburgers, and I’m curently mfinding myself on a quest to find to best burger in town (similar to my quest for the best cappuccino in town). Let me just say, that whilst this burger doesn’t rank right up there with the best, it gets pretty damn close, and for its price, it can’t be beat. But what makes it are all the accompaniments – mushroom, cucumber, salad, cheese – delicious! The ginger reports that her sammich was delicious, and somehow managed to be toasted yet remain soft.
Given Nook’s close location to campus, it’s great atmosphere, and it’s delicious yet reasonably priced menu, this is an establishment I’ll be visiting again and again.
All Life After 5 reviews are independent and do not neccesarily reflect the views of the establishment concerned. If you own a coffee shop and would like to be featured on our regular “Sidewalk Culture” feature, please see the contact page to send us your details.
The site has been stripped, re-designed and simplified, but rest assured we’ll still be bringing you the best in Stellenbosch Lifestyle. Daily.
It’s a new year, and we’ve got many new things for you to look forward to – from video content starting this week, to new band profiles, the best events happening in Stellenbosch and much much more.
Can this drink prevent a hangover? We find out.
Just this week we’ve got some great things lined up – Sidewalk Culture at The Nook Eatery, Profile on brand-new electro outfit GoodLuck, and we see if Glaceau VitaminWater can actually prevent a hangover.
So if you haven’t get done so, press Ctrl-D, bookmark the page, follow us on twitter, and join us on facebook. It’s going to be a great year!
Whilst we’re not yet back in full swing (Check out the website on Monday for our official launch into 2010), we couldn’t leave you hanging with regards to parties this weekend.
That’s right, the people are back, the first years are here, and the chaos known as the 1st term is about to begin.
If you’re heading out to party, here’s what’s happening this weekend:
Tonight sees the 8-piece ska/reggae outfit The Rudimentals take to the stage at the Klein Libertas Theatre. If you haven’t seen this eclectic group of musicians play yet, try and make a mission, it’s a show well worth catching.
The Rudimentals, in full regalia
Die Mystic Boer also Turns 7 this evening, so head down to Victoria Street for a night of crazyness like only Mystic can offer. Expect the best tunes from the last 7 years, as well as some crazy drinks specials.
On Saturday, Aandklas plays host to Billygoat, old school blues rockers straight out of Stellenbosch. Aandklas is also throwing a Foam Party on Monday night, so grab your goggles and go get wet.
That’s it for now, check back on Monday, and stay safe.
The Sick-Leaves take a break from recording for a Cape tour with gigs in Cape Town, Stellenbosh, Somerset West to conclude with a performance at the Synergy Live festival at Boshendal.
Many of the new songs that will feature on the upcoming album have been incorporated into the live sets for fans on the Cape tour. Catch them at Aandklas with the Pretty Blue Guns on Thursday night. R20 gets you in, and the show starts at 21h00.
The Sick Leaves performing at Vredefest in Joburg. Photo by Sean Brand
The twice SAMA nominated (2007 & 2009) artist is currently in studio at SABC, Johannesburg recording the third album with acclaimed producer, Darryl Torr for release in March next year. There are regular updates on the facebook fan page, myspace and the Twitter profile.
The Sick-Leaves are interviewed on MFM on Thursday 26th November at 11 am for an on air acoustic session.
A performance on 5FM’s Live@5 show have been booked for 30th January ahead of the release of the new album.
Avondale Wine Estate, Paarl
Write up by Simon Gerber
Past Paarl, tucked away in the Drakenstein, lies a little gem. This gem is called Avondale, and is the first certified organic wine farm that we’ve ever visited.
Winemaking at Avondale takes a far more natural approach, and the passsion of winemaker Johnathan Grieve shines through. Avondale is all about grape-driven wines, and there are several unique teqniques used at Avondale to further their ideals of ‘Bio-LOGIC.’ No pesticides are used on the farm, and as such, any pest control that needs doing is done by a team of hard-working ducks, who patrol the vineyards looking for snails. To prevent erosion, cover crops are planted across the vineyards. To some, this may all seem like a lot of extra work, but the passion shines through in the wines which we tasted.
The Wines Bio-LOGIC MCC Brut A lovely way to start off our tasting, this MCC has a lovely pale golden colour, and fresh citrus flavours. Whilst classified as a brut, there is a slight sweetness to it, and on a beautiful summer’s day, it refreshes perfectly.
Bio-LOGIC Chenin Blanc 2009 Another wine perfect for relaxing on a summer’s day, this wine is driven by delicious fruit flavours, whilst remaining incredibly soft and drinkable (a little too easily so!). A small percentage of the wine has been barrel fermented, which adds a nice bit of body to the wine, but the wood is far from dominant.
Jonty’s Ducks Certified Organic Blend 2007 Named after the Pekin ducks that patrol the vineyards for snails, this is a delicious blend of 70% Shiraz and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Juicy, easy drinking wine. Supported by plenty of flavour (think liquorice, dark chocolate, and cherry fruit), this is a wine that excites the palette and lingers for quite some time.
Bio-LOGIC Camissa Syrah 2004 This wine draws it’s name from the Khoi name for Table Mountain, meaning ‘place of sweet waters’ and is made in a Rhône style. Cherry, pepper and fruit burst through on the palette, begging for this wine to be paired with someting meaty and rich. Braised lamb shank or well-seasoned steak would compliment this wine well.
Graham 2004 Described as a Bordeaux blend with a bit of a Rhône twist, this wine consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Shiraz, and 15% Cabernet Franc. Without a doubt a wine that is made to last, with well integrated tannins, this wine is wonderfully complex with flavours of dark fruit and herbs. Made from the winemaker’s selection of the best wine in barrel, this is a wine to invest in, and a proud flagship.
Life After 5 has recently teamed up with iamlovechild to bring you something we think you’ve yet to see before – a cooking show, totally web-based, showing off exactly what Stellenbosch has to offer. Each week we’ll feature a local celeb – artist, musician, etc and put them in a local kitchen to see what happens. Our first show is at Cafe Bello, and will be airing soon… But just to whet your appetite, here’s the trailer:
[protip: Press play and then pause, and let the video load a little bit before watching]
Let us know what you think and leave something in the comments.
Yep, it’s Friday and that means that the weekend is upon us. The gig guide has been updated and there’s a lot to look forward to.
Stellenbosch locals Bed on Bricks take to the stage at Dorpstraat Teater tonight; by now you should know what to expect from this band and I have no reason to believe that they would disappoint.
However, if you’re more in the mood for some dirty electro tunes, courtesy of Haezer, make sure to head over to Die Mystic Boer for some Electro Shock Therapy as Haezer goes head to head with Mystic resident, The Suspect. All monies will be used to help 20 Stellenbosch students provide aid in Zimbabwe, so go shake your ass for some good karma.
HAEZER will be performing his final Stellenbosch set at Mystic this Friday. Photo: Liam Lynch
Also worth noting if you’re in the Cape Town area, electronic duo Goldfish will be at The Assembly in Harrington Street. R100 gets you through the door, but be sure to get you ticket online, and skip the queue.
Things calm down a little on Saturday night, with Flip a Coin at Dorpstraat Teater. Zinkplaat, Koos Kombuis and The Orange Stilettos can be seen at Spier.
In Cape Town, the gig to catch would be Merseystate at The Assembly. Take your squeeze along and it should be fun.
Party hard, and stay safe. We’ll see you on the other side.
Elizabeth Galloway Graduate Fashion Show, Cape Town
Review by J Musiker
Amidst the Sunday setting sun atop the Aston Martin Building at the V&A Waterfront, an impressive crowd was gathered. Marquee tents, pulsating beats, champagne, a hive of discerning taste made the event seem more like a nomadic gathering for garb worship. The likes of Janez from Top Billing and Gavin Rajah, top SA designer, where also present.
Later to find out that the sun-glassed swarm was actually a queue just to get in. A glass of Champagne from the JC Le Roux installation and a Wang Thai hors d’oeuvre later, I was finally inside the adjacent tent.
Like sitting inside an onyx cave, the venue was an expanse of industry black, reasonably comfortable seating which outlined the inevitable high gloss catwalk.
A brief introduction by the Princess Project charity precluded the introduction of forty-two designers emerging from Stellenbosch’s own fashion academy.
Although, one would rather liken this event to a Fashion Week rather than a graduate fashion student show.
Each designer presented a “self-expression” range, where they have the freedom to design and craft an entire range themselves. The result is a mix of commercial, avant-garde, elegant and nutty but all showed plenty personality.
The level of professionalism alone was outstanding with practised models, flawless venue and pure originality was refreshing; perhaps the established designers could themselves learn a thing or two.
After scrutinizing a melange of attire and seeing the models swagger across the fashion pulpit a myriad of times, the congregation dissipated in a breeze of toothy smiles, mild affection and feathery waves into the night. Walking away in true Capetonian manner (gusty sea air effortlessly deconstructing hair and testing your balance), a tinge of excitement for the future of South African fashion hung in the air.
The young up-and-coming seem to be bringing a melody of individuality to South African fashion. The notion of not having to follow the Northern hemisphere as the needs which bring about their trends need not apply to us, we have plenty of our own issues after all! Hopefully today’s young designer recognises their position to address and answer our own needs.
Gazelle, The Assembly, 31 October
Review by Simon Gerber
There’s something special about The Assembly come Halloween. The place is transformed, and something magical and mysterious is in the air. This year was no different, with the theme being ‘An African Halloween,’ complete with Blair Witch Project-inspired decor, voodoo skulls, and a freaky hawaii-esque voodoo lounge vibe happening on stage. I was a little disappointed that there weren’t that many people dressed up [there were a few here and there], but then again, neither was I.
Them Tornados
Them Tornados is a band that I’ve heard absolutely nothing about, but upon the first notice of their awesome rockabilly sound, I was very intriqued. Featuring a slightly different stage setup, complete with bull fiddle, standing drummer and batshit-insane lead singer. There music is gritty, dirty, bluesy and just downright awesome. Check out their myspace here.
Gazelle
The main attraction for the evening, Gazelle, saw the eclectic artist take to a stage a lot smaller than the last time we saw them at Daisies, but once again, the act can not be flawed. Lead singer Xander Ferreira commands the stage with the ease of a professional, and had the crowd eating out of the palm of his [red-gloved] hand. Running all the way through hits like “Options,” “Chic Afrique” and the audience-demanded “Verlore Seun,” old fans were satisfied and new ones created. It is easy to see why Gazelle has garnered such a following – the act is like nothing that you’ve ever seen before on a stage… From the secret face of DJ Invisible, to back up singers with rainbow coloured feather dusters… You really have to see it to believe it.
You’re in luck though… Gazelle is coming to Stellenbosch. Catch them at Die Mystic Boer on the 13th of November [facebook].
Eating out is not all about candlelight and three-course meals. Everyone needs a break now and then, an escape from the air-conditioned world of work, too-tight ties and fluorescent light.
And what better way is to get away from it all than to sit outside in the fresh air, surrounded by the beauty of Stellenbosch and watching the people passing by?
Sidewalk Culture focuses on ideal daytime restaurants and coffee shops, to give the lowdown on where to go for any day’s lunch date, quick coffee break or an after-work glass of wine. And with such a variety to choose from, you’ll need help deciding!
This week we’re having coffee at Mila.
Summer is on its way and everyone is feeling pressure to get into shape for summer, because summer means shorts, swimwear and a general showing of skin we escaped for the six months of winter just past. But indulgence can be worth the guilt, and we found the most worthwhile indulgence around!
You will find Mila on the beautiful Dorp Street. Although traffic is a little more dense on this particular road, it hardly deters from what we can promise will be a stunning meal. Presentation can make all the difference, and here we struggled to decide which was better- the delicious food or its gorgeous packaging! Coffee comes with miniature lamingtons, and tea comes with a timer and a clear pot that allows you to see the water slowly change from clear to golden-brown.
Mila not only offers cake, but also a selection of savouries.
And then we ate cake. One order of chocolate raspberry torte and one order of white chocolate and raspberry mini gateau. The former gave new meaning to death by chocolate- this dense slab could likely be used in face-to-face combat! With a hint of warm berry tones and smothered in creamy chocolate the texture and taste combine to form the ultimate decadence. For something a little lighter, perhaps more summery, the latter was a great option. Tied with a bright pink ribbon and drizzled with a delicious berry reduction, it looks almost too good to eat. The fruit is fresh and tasty, and covered in a tangy fruit jelly that is like nothing you have ever tasted before. The raspberry filling is fluffy and light, balancing the sweet white chocolate. It is dessert that is engineered to perfection- everything is complementary and balanced.
You may feel guilty beyond words upon walking out of Mila. But even if it means starving yourself for days, a visit to Stellenbosch’s cake shop is well worth it. Set aside an hour or two, though- you will want to make every bite last a lifetime on your lips!
Mila: The Cake Shop | 89 Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
All Life After 5 reviews are independent and do not neccesarily reflect the views of the establishment concerned. If you own a coffee shop and would like to be featured on our regular “Sidewalk Culture” feature, please see the contact page to send us your details.
