If I were still at the dinner table at Stellenbosch's Greek Kitchen the florid rather than fetid would tipple from my tongue. If I were with my fabulous friends Wilhelm Retief and Johan Grobler and their fabulous friends my tongue would be as agile as a cunning linguist. Now, with the harsh afternoon light not tempered by excellent red wines (The KWV Merlot ably described in both languages as "glad" - left my tongue smooth and my heart happy). Delicious food included Moussaka (v.good), Cape Salmon (outstanding), Greek Lamb (tasty but dry). Although I was the only native English speaker, the company  was exceptional.

I was already impressed with myself. I arrived late for dinner as I had to take a brief from a Californian client which due to the time change couldn't happen during my office hours. I felt very grand sitting in Dorp Street Stellenbosch saying phrases like: aerial shots, media fly in, international awards, rather more loudly than I had to. As a boy a friend and I would have these highfalutin conversations on the train home from school which we made up just to impress, so we thought, fellow passengers. My conversation was, at the very least, genuine.

Despite my own celebrity (real and imagined) other people in our party were much more important. Wilhelm, a hot-shot film attorney, had to excuse himself from the mezze tray starters to attend to visiting Hollywood producers. The dolmades were especially good but I enjoyed the fried halumi the most. The dried olives were grand - the look of a black man's pinkie digit that had spent too long in the bath. Such intense flavour!

The reason for our Valentine's Day dinner was Wicus Slabbert. Wicus is a long-standing friend of Wilhelm's and a huge Viennese opera star. He says he is now retired but I bet my virtue while Wilhelm wagered a case of the KWV Merlot that he would perform in Cape Town soon.  Johan Marais, was, I think, the director of Pretoria State's Opera. Other guests were Johan Grobbler, a wordsmith and editor and Carolina, whose surname I don't know but works at the Stellenblosch Uni in Agricultural Economic Research.

It was strange to be dining in a group on Valentine's Day but we all toasted each other while I looked wistfully at the plethora of happy couples around us.

Our evening could only have been better with sharper table service. Or any service at all. The restaurant was understandably busy. Even if I assume that servers are university students by day it does not forgive the reply of "We only have roast lamb" when I asked if they had Greek Lamb on the menu.

The owner, a handsome woman with shoulder length graying hair, didn't seem too concerned about the slowness. I thought twice about making a fuss as the moment Wicus held up the empty mezze platter to me removed from the table he broke into song from Strauss' Salome just as she is about to kiss John's severed head. I felt a Greek evil-eye stare from behind my shoulder and resolved to behave for the remainder of the evening. So maak mens.