Moveable Feast Marino Corazza
WE’RE all part of the global village — or are we? There are still suburbs (however few and small) where the inhabitants nonchalantly live in their own worlds. Like the Glamour Village, where people on the hoof sport helenca jodhpurs, velour protective hats, that frothy, horsey smell and dung on their leather boots, holding on to their dear little whips. For shopping attire, the nouveau ritz sport skittish 4x4s and veld skoens — because like mere mortals the gentry has to eat, and Melrose Stores on Rivonia Boulevard has it all.
Salt of the Earth it should be called, as everything in there is in a jolly jumble. It’s exactly how you want it to be — the pleasant owners developed it as they went along. The “special on VHS tapes” bin is right next to the cereal, or wherever there’s space in this crammed-to-capacity place.
The sweet shelves are a child’s delight. If you want to appease someone, there are freshly-cut flowers daily, right next to the fruit section, so you may give both. Or get a bunch of veggies. Above this lot there’s a selection of Swazi woven baskets, while outside there are piles of koia mats, tres post-apartheid chic.
Inside, squeeze past the biltong and dro’wors display and the Ola cabinet and you’re in the best-stocked (and tiniest) wine cellar in the world, with an astounding selection and pleasantly surprising prices. Go down the tight alley, past the fridges choc-a-bloc with local and imported delicacies, to the little bakery at the end, where fresh loaves and rolls abound. Even though I’m not partial to pies other than homemade ones, they make a mean Cornish pasty together with the ubiquitous steak and kidney.
Right next to the pastries is the cold-meat counter. Choice is small but excellent. Then go back past the pickles and savouries to the till where they have generous bags of the munchiest peanuts, in their skins or chilli-pepper dusted, sold by the scoop.
All this is reasonably priced. Hell, there’s more — but the fun lies in the discovery. I reckon the owners are not even Greek: they’re Portuguese, and both villagers.
The Rocket Cafe is also popping with goods, so much so that you have to enter sideways. The drawcard for this establishment is the good buzz — it’s the local for the five high schools in the area. Besides the standard fare and wide selection of magazines, there are two well-stocked fridges, an Ola with Magnums and a Walls with Cornettos, part of the eat-on-the-trot ice-cream craze from Europe that’s finally hit South Africa. With the kind of turnover they have satisfying the kids’ sweet tooths, the ice-creams can only be fresh.
They also tap into whatever craze is going around at the moment, from marbles to soccer cards. My son had three of Baggio, but they’re all lost now.
Hidden away from the revelling ravers of Rockey Street in the Liandria Centre is the Norana Bakery. Go down the three or four steps and you’re in. The owner bakes every day with his own hands. He gives you a fresh choice of rye, special health bread, Greek and herb bread, French loaves, rolls and buns, side by side with custard-rich Danishes and slabs of Madeira, all shapes and sizes of baklava and icing- sugared, nutty kourabiedes, the Greek shortbread biscuits. He also makes sesame seed and honey slices so brilliant in their simplicity that one has to scoff one down straight away.
The cold counter is full of tubs brimming with glistening green and black olives, calamata and local ones. Plus tubs of moist feta, haloumi and round kefalotiri (a pecorino- type cheese).
The bakery also supplies a good selection of coffee, freshly ground or in beans, and has the imported Greek mixture to make the Turkish brew. The shop also stocks a selection of durum wheat Greek pasta, olive oil and halva.
The pies must be very good as there’s always someone sitting on the ledge outside enjoying one.
Melrose Store: 356 Rivonia Boulevard (Tel: 803-1329); Rocket Cafe: 19 Highlands North Centre, Highlands North (Tel: 887-0851); Norana Bakery: Liandria Centre, Rockey Street, Bellevue (Tel: 648-2102)