It may be October, but there is still a distinct chill in Cape Town’s air. The best way to warm up and chase away the chilled Monday blues is with a spot of comfort dining, and Knead is the ideal location for exactly that. There are now seven branches of this esteemed bakery, including one in Jo’burg, and with the promise of good food and a warm ambience it’s easy to understand why. One of their standout features, which should be a given at any restaurant, is their use of fresh and quality ingredients. Despite my meal doing more than hit the spot, I found my mouth watering at the sight of plump, red tomatoes in the kitchen as they prepared a fresh dish. The balsamic vinegar on our table came in the original bottle, instead of being decanted into a grimy, overused one and the butternut on my pizza had skin on it – a sure sign of fresh vegetables being used instead of the dodgy packet variety.
My choice was an unusual one, as I had a vegetarian pizza. This was not an attempt to avoid meat (I would never do that), but the ingredients (red pesto, feta, butternut and rocket) sounded like a fantastic combination, together with the fact that I don’t like a pizza with too many ingredients. It was delicious, although a touch more rocket was called for. The size of the pizza is deceptive. It looks like it would fall somewhere between a small and a medium, but it is perfectly satiating. Paired with a glass of smooth Merlot, you just can’t go wrong. Their R40 special is sadly no more, but their prices remain comparatively reasonable.
Our waitress was a gem. Unfortunately I did not catch her name, but her poker face caught me out when she joked about our order. As she placed my pizza before me she said that they had no more steak and my friend could not have her Prego dish. An awkward pause followed until I responded, in my most scathing tone, “And you’re only telling us this now?” After this retort she could not keep a straight face and assured me that it was only a joke. We all shared a laugh, but I was deeply embarrassed. As a waiter you need to stuff up spectacularly, or be exceptionally rude, before I start moaning or running to the manager. Consequently, I was mortified that the one moment I decided to react quickly proved to be a false one.
Knead is growing and refining their establishment day by day, while providing excellent artisan baking, and you can still “knit a row and go” for Me-a-Mama. Knead is a bakery at heart, but whether it’s time for breakfast, lunch or dinner you will find something to satisfy your senses at any time of the day.
Source for image.
Originally published on Dinner and a Movie.