Welcome to Megaplex's monthly newsletter alerting you, the Sandton shopper, to all that is new, fresh, and exciting in Wendywood, Woodmead, Petervale, Rivonia, Morningside, Morningside Manor and Gallo Manor! Please feel free to support our advertisers! To subscribe, see our subscription page.
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A Visit to BryanstonWe revisited one of our old haunts, Bryanston Shopping Centre, recently, and have now put up a web page for it on the Megaplex site. It is good to see this down-to-earth, people-sized centre doing well. With over 40 shops, restaurants and coffee shops, it isn't possible to list them all here: Bushwillow on the Upper Level is a lovely little shop selling birding accessories, field guides and multimedia, jewellery, clothing and linen inspired by the South African bushveld. There's Country Living Interiors, filled with lovely quaint things and gifts, even a spiral staircase (not for sale!): A place to browse for treasures. Men who want a real barber will like Barbers of Bryanston at the top of the stairs. For the ladies there are lots of shops, but Lingerie & Leisure (Shop 34) and A La Juliette (Shop 17) upstairs caught our eye. Our favourite bookshop for browsing, Bookdealers, has a branch here. Sadly, with the recession fewer people are buying art: Quadra Art Gallery in Morning Glen has just closed, so M&V Art in Bryanston Centre may well be your closest shop selling artwork and doing framing. Downstairs there's Checkers, and Woolworths upstairs (market differentiation?). If you still have any money left, all four banks have branches in Bryanston Centre, on William Nicol Drive and Ballyclare.
Overheard:
"If you could have a conversation with
someone, living or dead, who would it be?" New Kids on the Block Back to top
Restaurant Review (*) by Judith Back to topGiovanni's at the Dunwoody Centre, Western Service Road, Woodmead (25 June 2010)This restaurant has been there for some years and is no longer part of the franchise. It is a warm and friendly restaurant on entering and the staff are attentive. I was disappointed that the advertised clam pasta dish was not available. In fact it is very seldom available, as the restauranteur will only use unshelled clams. I then ordered the Linguine Squid Heads instead and my partner a Quattro Stagione pizza. The Leopards Leap Sauvignon Blanc came promptly and was good. The food arrived in due course with the linguine served is a large copper pan, looking very festive. This reminded me that the Giovanni portion size is actually large enough for two people! On tasting the tomato sauce, however, I was overwhelmed by how incredibly sweet it was. I called our waiter and enquired if there was sugar in the sauce and discovered that there was. The cloying taste stayed with me for the rest of the night even though I had only taken one mouthful! Even eating a slice of the excellent Quattro Stagione with its olives did not remove it. I do not appreciate being served a main course which tastes like half a bag of sugar has been dumped in it. No mention is made on the menu that sugar is used in the tomato dishes, putting diabetics at risk. I am at a loss as to why sugar is becoming a must-have in many main course dishes, as it is alien and also bad for people's health. Like over salting dishes makes them unacceptable to people who actually like to taste their food, using sugar again destroys the balance of the other flavours completely. The owner was thoroughly unsympathetic: The recipe calls for sugar, he's been putting it in for 20 years, he doesn't care if it is bad for his guests, no-one else complains (they might of course not come back). Not recommended. Contact Details for Giovanni's.
Bargain TimeJulius went to the Makro sale and found a bargain. "I would like to buy this TV," he told the salesman. "Sorry, we don't sell to Youth League members," was the reply. Julius hurried home and put on a hat, then came back and again told the salesman "I would like to buy this TV." "Sorry, we don't sell to Youth League members," he replied. "Eish, he still recognized me," thought Julius. He then went for a complete disguise: Rasta wig, false beard, new suit, dark glasses, and waited a few days before he again approached the salesman. "I would like to buy this TV." "Sorry, we don't sell to Youth League members". Frustrated, Julius demanded, "How do you know I'm a Youth League member?" The salesman said, "Because that's a microwave oven". The Gone Dogs Back to top
New on the Megaplex SiteThis month we put up web pages for Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre, Bryanston Shopping Centre, and Perfect10 Woodmead, a dynamic nail and body studio that takes care of your total health and beauty needs: nail enhancements, manicures and pedicures, waxing, tinting, eyelash extensions, facials, massage and laser therapy. At The CheckoutMrs Cohen spotted a sign at Fruit and Veg City: "Two bags of Oranges for R25!". She asked a shop assistant, "if two bags cost R25, how much does one bag cost?" "R15", said the assistant. "Fine", said Mrs Cohen, "I'll take the other one". |
Your name in print! Would you like to contribute a shop- or restaurant review, a joke, or something else for this Newsletter? Please e-mail us. You will get full credit (unless you want anonymity). This is our eighth newsletter and we now have well over 1000 subscribers! Reach 1080+ shoppers and shop-owners: Advertise in this newsletter! Editor: Rick Raubenheimer.