Rising Stars and Gems
Revisited: Dunwoody Shopping Centre
The anchor tenant in this established human-sized centre is the famous Baron Restaurant, once the Baron and Quail. It is one of the few remaining Barons, revamped and still offering quality grills, a variety of other food, and "The Best Steak in Johannesburg" (according to Jeremy Mansfield).
Many visitors, even those that frequent the Baron regularly, are not aware that right next door, attached to the Engen garage, is a Woolworths Food Stop selling fresh produce, prepared meals, deli products, take-aways, juices and drinks, sweets and cakes. There's also an FNB ATM.
The other restaurant in the complex is the longstanding Giovanni Italian Restaurant (no longer related to the other restaurants of the same name, but started by the same person) under the care of Elsa.
Once you start looking around from the leafy parking (free and secure), you notice all kinds of other interesting shops: An enterprising hair salon and barber's shop, Jetline print, laundry, Escapology (health and skin care pampering), a florist, pharmacy, doctor and dentist. The centre is dong some clever promotions this year. Read more about Dunwoody here.
Added: Petervale Shopping Centre
We now have a web page for this nifty little centre, the original –and only– village shopping centre of Petervale. It is in Frans Hals Road just off Cambridge Road, Petervale (where else?). We have long visited Petervale Butchery there for their quality meats, biltong and dried sausage. They specialise in Scottish meats like Haggis and blood pudding. An English newspaper recently said they have the "best pork pies outside Britain".
There's also a bakery and deli, appliance repair shop (need your washing machine fixed?), pool shop (swimming-pool green after the rains?), pizza place, fish shop, video hire, liquor store, two very different pubs, and –here's an unusual one– a scrapbooking shop (doing classes and sales) upstairs. We like the free parking. Well worth a visit.
Some After-Christmas "Bargains":
- Harry Potter and the Half-Price Prince.
- Goldilocks and the Four Bears (one free!).
- The Remaindered Mercedes X4 3 x 3.
- The three-for-the-price-of-two Musketeers
- 25% off all 1200 mm towels: Now only 900 mm!
- Buy one, get one free! (does that mean the one I've bought is free?)
- and, at selected churches: The Holy Duality.
New Kids on the Block Back to top
- Mary: Toys and Gift Shop (in The Wedge, Morningside) – Opened 28 November 2009. Exclusive new French and European-made toys and gifts.
- DeeJays Deli (in Morning View) – Kosher Delicatessen, Restaurant and Sushi Bar: Kosher foods, soft drinks, bagels, breakfasts, snacks, pizza, pasta. A must for Japanese Jews!
- Pulcinella Ristorante & Bakery – Rivonia Boulevard corner 11th Avenue: Italian restaurant, deli and bakery, being revived under new management. See review below.
- Yeesh! A gigantic indoor educational and skills-building supervised play-park for children, with a relaxing area for parents. Now open in Bryanston at 5 Main Road. Original branch still open in Woodmead Commercial Park between Woodmead Value Mart and Woodmead Retail Park.
- Gallo Manor Post Office – now open again in Morning Glen Mall, new shop on lower level at east entrance.
- Morningside Post Office – opened 6 January in The Wedge, Morningside, upper level above Woolworths.
Be Seen by Sandton Shoppers – Put Your Advert Here!
Contact us to place an advert in this
e-newsletter or the megaplex site at very reasonable rates. |
Restaurant Review (****) Back to top
Pulcinella, 369 Rivonia Boulevard, Rivonia
Under new management since 1st November 2009, this restaurant is now bright and friendly. Their speciality is home breads and they supply many other restaurants in the area. We were sad that the chicken liver pâté is not proving popular, as it sounded like a different choice for a starter. Instead, we opted for the chicken livers and sampled their bread. Both were very good. Rick had ordered lasagne and I (Judith) ordered Spaghetti with Pesto sauce. When the latter arrived, it was not quite what I had expected, and even extra Parmesan could not make it so.
After some consultation with the owners, it was replaced with the mussel starter instead. This was excellent and more than made up for the disappointment! As usual, Rick had Appletiser, whilst I sampled the house white wine. We can recommend the friendly atmosphere and good attentive service. We look forward to visiting again.
Note: The only Dinner for which they open is Friday, otherwise Breakfast and Lunch. Closed Sundays. Contact Details for Pulcinella
Buying a Chainsaw
Julius wants to cut down a row of scrappy pine trees at his new mansion.
He goes to Rivonia Builders Warehouse and asks to see the saws. The technical advisor tells him, "For what you want to do you need a really good chainsaw. This one will cut down all six trees in one day and let you cut them up into logs in another two all by yourself."
Julius takes the chainsaw home and begins on the first tree. After cutting for several hours and only getting part-way through, he decides to give up. He thinks there is something wrong with the chainsaw. "How can I cut for hours and not even cut down one tree?" he asks himself. "I will begin first thing on Sunday morning and cut all day." So, the next morning he gets up early and cuts and cuts, and finally fells the first tree.
He is convinced this is a bad saw. "I will take it back to the shop," Julius says to himself.
The very next day he takes the machine back and explains the problem. The advisor examines the chainsaw from all angles and says it looks fine. So he starts the chainsaw up.
Julius says, "What's that noise?"
|
The Gone Dogs* Back to top
*See the November newsletter for an explanation of the heading!
- Euphoria (previously Scentsation) (in The Wedge, Morningside) – Fragrances, Designer Sunglasses and Watches.
At the Checkout...
My wife is an ardent environmentalist. She had written on the shopping list, "refuse bags". So, when I got to the checkout, I did.
