jero making focaccia
i've waited all week for 'graze' to open their doors, since arriving in stanford - a village which already has a few restaurants on the foodie map. my friends, jero and catch, own this delightful italian slow food cafe tucked behind an unassuming entrance, opposite my mother's hotel in queen victoria street. i was greeted by the scent of freshly baked bread and coffee as i entered the small sunlit cafe and immediately noticed the attention to detail invested in every nook and cranny - from the vintage chairs and tables, through to storage jars, vintage jugs, bowls, cookbooks, pots and pans. both catch and jero are of italian heritage and have been around passionate cooks their whole lives. jero has attended chef courses in italy, studying under some of the finest italian chefs in the world and catch owns a beautiful rustic villa on the slopes of a tiny town in italy. catch and jero moved to stanford a few years ago to escape the manic lifestyle of working 7 days a week in the rag trade and design industries and have since had twin boys, created an award winning natural vegetable garden and opened 'graze'. the menu is based on fresh ingredients from their vegetable garden and is therefore seasonal and bursting with flavour.
breakfast at graze was a treat, which i washed down with a heart-poundingly strong cappuccino and jero's freshly baked 'ciabatta de mare' was the best i've ever tasted. i tried to take in as many details as i could and imagined doing a 'trolley dash' through the deli section, which groans under the weight of imported italian ingredients. but i won't waffle on any longer - just come through and try it for yourself. i hope to rope some friends into visiting for lunch tomorrow, as fresh pasta finished off with chocolate torte for dessert, makes me weak in the knees.
graze - slow food cafe - 21 queen victoria street, stanford
graze is open for breakfast and lunch on fridays and saturdays only, so book to avoid disappointment at info at grazecafe.co.za
accommodation suggestion for your weekend in stanford: pizbrooke country cottage - reservations at stanfordvillage.com
2 comments:
This is right up my alley. Another excuse (not that I need one) to head out there...
It's a tiny slice of heaven! Their picnic was phenomenal too! I'm talking freshly baked focaccia; caprese salad; melon and parma ham; the best salami i've ever eaten; fritters...ahhhhhh!
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