It's always interesting to me to hear how owners come up with the names of their coffee shops. I was especially intrigued by this week's shop's name... Rhubarb and Lime Cafe. At our Coffee Crawl visit last Thursday, Rhubarb and Lime owner, Bergen Gill, told me that she's a real rhubarb fan and definitely wanted the word, "rhubarb," in the name of her coffee shop. She tried a number of "Rhubarb and ?'s" until "Lime" came around and just seemed to work.... simple as that.
So, as another rhubarb lover, I arrived at this week's Crawl site with the expactation of breraking the No- Food-On-The-Crawl Rule with a scrumptious rhubarb "something." Well, as Rhubarb and Lime, located at 7 Park Lane near St. George's Park, had only opened two weeks prior to our visit, Bergen was still working on what is to be the signature dessert at the shop... Rhubarb, Pear and Custard Tart. I'm making plans for a return visit soon to sample Bergen's creation.
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| Meet the Owner Bergen Gill |
Bergen's background as a chef started out with her studies at Warwick's Chef School in Hermanus followed by a year of training with the Red Carnation Group in London. Upon her return to South Africa she decided to open Rhubarb and Lime. What a treat for PE coffee and food lovers!
First things first.... for the coffee lovers.... Rhubarb and Lime features Truth Coffee, which is roasted then shipped to the shop from Cape Town. My usual order, a cappuccino then an Americano, was prepared by barista, Leeroy. Both coffees were very nice and either would be excellent with the rhubarb tart that I'll be coming back for! Now, for the food lovers.... as I had my heart set on breaking the No Food Rule, I perused the Rhubarb and Lime menu which includes breakfast (served all day), salads, pastas, sandwiches and quiches along with a variety of pastries and confections. I decided on the bacon/mozzarella/spinach quiche which was outstanding. Others in Thursday's Crawl group enjoyed apple pancakes, carrot cake, and the chilli/butternut/feta quiche, all of which got a thumbs-up from the rule-breaking Crawlers. If the quiches and cakes are any indication of the quality of the rest of the menu then I can see Rhubarb and Lime quickly becoming a PE favorite!
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| Meet the Barista Leeroy |
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| Meet our Waiter Trevor |
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| Meet our Waitress Ayabulela |
For the philosophers among you.... Bergen has painted the walls with a chalkboard surface on which she has written random words, whimsical phrases and philosophical quotes. She told me that these will change regularly just to keep things interesting. Cool idea.
Okay, so what you need to know.... Rhubarb and Lime seats about fifty patrons inside and on the outside patios. The shop's hours are Mon-Fri, 7:30-4 and Sat, 8:30-2. Take aways are available and WiFi is free to all customers. Parking is on street only.
After a toast to my son, Christopher's birthday, South African politics, Canadian politics and the upcoming U.S. elections dominated the conversation among Thursday's Crawlers, Colleen LeRoux, Leanne Waller, Kathy Roppel, June Nash, Beth Vieira, Stella and Beryl Dawson, Margaret Zoetmulder, Gail Darne, Fran de Beer. Though I'm not much into the political scene I do make a concerted effort to be aware of politicians' platforms/idealogies in order to make an informed decision when voting. I'm just glad that in this U.S. Presidential election year I'm not being inundated with political poster all about and the endless barrage of TV ads! I'll vote by absentee ballot and just hope it reaches the U.S. in time. May the best man win!
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| This Week's Crawlers Colleen, Leanne, Kathy, June, Beth, Stella, Beryl, Trevor, Margaret, Gail, Fran |
~Thank you and good luck to our hostess and Rhubarb and Lime's owner, Bergen Gill
~Thank you to our waitstaff, Trevor and Ayabulela, for the speedy service with a smile!
~Happy Birthday to Leanne Waller - Sept 28
~Happy Birthday to my nephew, Pete, in Edinboro, PA - Sept 30
~A belated Happy Birthday to Fr. Joslan - Sept 25
Until next week,
Ellen
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| Front Patio |
