A Table in the Corner

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Giovanni Calvani of Datterino, a Roman-style cafeteria and pizzeria in Cape Town’s New Riverlands Mall.
Giovanni grew up in Italy and has brought a very different style of pizza to Cape Town: pinza romana, an oval-shaped pizza made with a highly hydrated dough, long fermentation and a blend of flours. We talk about why his original pizza al taglio concept didn’t immediately find an audience, how he adapted the idea for the local market, and the thinking behind Datterino’s all-day café approach.
We also get into the regional differences in Italian food, the role of ancient grains and long fermentation in his dough, and why he thinks Cape Town is ready for more than just Neapolitan pizza.
This episode is part of Pizza Sessions, our video series exploring the people, places and different styles shaping Cape Town’s pizza culture, brought to you by Banhoek Chilli Oil. 

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Elaine Rousseau of Food Fanatics and Homestead Venue about a career in hospitality that began almost by accident and has grown into catering, events, mentoring and community food projects.
Elaine traces her journey from learning the trade at the Swartland Hotel and working at Paddagang Restaurant in Tulbagh, to starting Food Fanatics in 1998. We talk about the practical realities of catering, the importance of logistics and site visits, and the role she has played in mentoring young chefs, including Clara Bubenzer of the Lebanese Bakery.
We also talk about the GRAPA Garden, a community vegetable garden in Plumstead that has turned a neglected piece of city land into a productive growing space, employing two people and involving around 30 volunteers. Elaine explains why keeping produce affordable and making the garden genuinely accessible to the surrounding community matters to her.
And finally, we talk about Homestead, the venue she developed as a home for Food Fanatics, and how the business has evolved from predominantly off-site catering to a combination of events, Friday pop-ups and public food occasions.
It's a conversation about hospitality as work, business, teaching and community, and the people who make all of those things possible. 

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

What keeps a restaurant running and the dishes seamlessly appearing on tables? You seldom bump into a chef pushing a trolley around a supermarket shopping for the next service, so how do the ingredients get into their kitchens? In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I chat to Richard Kershaw, co-founder of Kerston Foods, which has quietly stocked the pantry of Cape Town's hospitality industry for more than 30 years. 
Richard offers a rare perspective on the restaurant business, from sourcing ingredients and supporting small producers to navigating COVID, sustainability and the changing needs of chefs. We also explore the relationships that underpin hospitality, why service extends far beyond the dining room and what it takes to keep hundreds of kitchens stocked, one delivery at a time. 

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

If you think you know Cape Town's food scene, this conversation might make you think again. In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with Dennis Molewa, founder of Unexplored Cape Town, whose work takes visitors beyond the city's celebrated restaurants into the cafés, markets and neighbourhood kitchens where many of the city's brown and immigrant communities eat every day.
Dennis explains how growing up in multicultural Frankfurt, working in hospitality and later settling in South Africa led him to explore the city through its food. We discuss Malay and Xhosa restaurants, Somali cafés, Ethiopian eteries, West African kitchens, the remarkable food market around the Bellville Transport Interchange and why so much of Cape Town's culinary life remains invisible to both tourists and many locals.
Our conversation also looks at food tourism, heritage and the role restaurants play in preserving culture. Dennis argues that tourism can be a force for inclusion by supporting small food businesses and creating opportunities for people whose stories are rarely told. It's a thoughtful discussion about identity, migration, public space and why some of the city's most rewarding meals are found well beyond the familiar dining guides.
 

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

This episode of A Table in the Corner is another in our Pizza Sessions series, supported by Banhoek Chilli Oil. So naturally, I arrived at Novo Pizza + Wine with a box of Banhoek under my arm, ready to talk pizza with owners Ammy and Arno, and to discover why so many Capetonians had told me, "You have to put Novo on your list." 
Novo Pizza + Wine is a neighbourhood pizzeria in Mowbray built around the simple idea that great pizza brings people together. Ammy and Arno share the story of  creating the kind of local restaurant they wanted for their own community. We talk about the challenge of finding great pizzaiolos, learning the craft from the ground up, and how inspiration from Burrata, Massimo's and travels through Italy helped shape the pizzas they serve today. 
We also explore what makes a neighbourhood restaurant thrive, from sourcing exceptional ingredients and building relationships with regular customers to creating pizzas that people return for week after week. Along the way we discuss long-fermented dough, Cape Town's evolving pizza culture, the story behind Novo's cult favourite Fellini pizza, and, of course, whether chilli oil deserves a place on every slice.

www.rwm2012.com
On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay