Antonia Labia is wearing pretty Cinderella-silver slip-ons with sequence that I hope will never see the light of day. Some things are meant for the night only and a future visit to Long Street’s Miam Miam will determine if this JV between model-boss Alf Aveling and chef Stephen Templeton will succeed in pulling the sun seekers as it does the night hawks.
It was Antonia Labia’s first event after leaving The Mount Nelson Hotel to go on her own, and she quickly learned that the key to column centimeters is to ensure that media types are quickly and adequately fed and watered. Hilary Prendini Toffoli who’s recently back from Italy arrived with her daughter.
I couldn’t tell you what Abigail Donnely and Amanda Gowing were wearing as they didn’t pitch (despite saying they would) while Dagmar Schumacher wondered how to get some of the young ‘n trendies onto her A list. Antonia may be able to pull the guys with the energy, but Dagmar pulls the guys with the money (and the influence) and time will tell if the Labia’s celebrated name is sufficient to pull the big-hitters.
Had dinner at Baran’s on Green Market Square and noted that Ian Halfon and Co have opened DeLuca where Le Petit Paris once was – will Deans be around the corner soon? A big happening from one of the Hellenic partners of the Blow Fish crowd is ABC – a five-floor restaurant, cabaret, dinner dance venue that intends to rival the likes of Pigale and Bahia. I think that Standard Bank building on Adderley is perfect – not as perfect, mind you, as the Banking Hall in Mutual Heights Darling street, for a restaurant like New York’s Blue Water Grill.
Lunch was at The Deli Lama on the corner of Trill and Lower Main Road, Obz and at first I was excited when I saw the recycled glass lighting that it would be a vegetarian restaurant – we need fabulous vegetarian restaurants – but it turns out to be a Mellissa-clone weigh-as-you-eat. At R9/100g a large plate can cost R60. The food was tasty enough but not special. I suggest ditching the meat and chicken (although the Beef Strog was good) and focusing on the veggie stuff.
Beezy Bailey told me that Mike Tollman told him the family had bought the Oyster Box near Durban. He was concerned that if they hiked the prices to the 12 Apostles’ the Bailey family couldn’t afford to spend their two week vacation there!
Spent the weekend at the Arabella Sheraton Grand Hotel. It was JP’s birthday on Friday and I planned an elaborate ruse to have his monogrammed birthday cake and pressies in the room before we arrived. Despite telling Guest Services about my plans and giving clear instructions to the bellhop, I was crushingly disappointed when it wasn’t in our room as we arrived.
I will be writing more about The Arabella but, for now, let me say that the Altira Spa on the 19th floor is a fabulous space and available for day users at R220. The rim-flow pool abuts the glass and Cape Town and the harbour is beneath you. The Jacuzzi in the sharp corner of the building feels like you’re floating above the city on a foamy magic carpet, while the sauna, with floor to ceiling windows in the opposing corner, is the perfect vantage point from which to sweat the details of your world domination plans.