Bucket Scene: Old Town Italy

Last week saw the official launch of Old Town Italy in Umhlanga taking place and I was one of the fortunate few to be on the guest list. Unlike most official openings, it wasn't just the who's who of town that attended but rather loyal clientele of the owners other establishments and members of the media. Not knowing much about the place, I was curious to see what it was all about as the other establishments that are in their group are all popular Durban landmarks, that is, Remos Fratelli and the Dutch. 

Even though it was the launch party, the opening of Old Town Italy took place a few weeks before that and with that brought about quite a few mixed reviews about the place but I not the person that takes other peoples words for granted until I check the place out myself. 

Firstly, what is Old Town Italy? Its a Deli, Cafe and Speciality food shop, well that's what it said on the sign but after visiting, it is so much more! The man behind the vision of the place, Renzo Scribante, put it nicely into context during his opening speech. It's a place for people to come, shop for good quality products, most of which are imported from Italy while getting that friendly service as we've become accustomed to at their establishments and enjoy the experience with their vast amount of items on offer. You truly can get lost in the selections on offer.

The place is split up into many different sections with the Cafe greeting you as you enter, ample seating inside and outside for patrons with a host of beverages on offer...besides Coke but who needs that when you have a variety of Italian craft beers and wine on offer? I didn't get a chance to see what the Cafe had to offer in terms of a food menu but they're anything like the light snacks that were on offer during the launch then it gets two thumbs up from me!

The store sends you on a magical journey, I make it sound like a fairy tale but it essentially does, every part is themed so brilliantly, from the bakery, to the deli and the Gelato stand that's adjacent to the front door. The butchery has the freshest meats, all grass fed, prime cuts on offer. The Deli has some of the finest cheeses and cold meat selections which classic Italian favourites on offer. The bakery is what steals the show for me though, a vast selection breads, from dough to baguettes, pizza's to foccias all of which look, smell and taste devine. 

Moving over to the sweet side of the bakery, is what many would describe as heaven. Croissant's, tarts and confectionery for dayz! The infamous nutella filled mini doughnuts were on offer for the night, couldn't resist having one...a few... a lot. 

With the big crowd in attendence it was hard to get a good view of the place as whole but visited the various areas gave you an indication what the place is about and seeing what was on offer really makes the place something different to what we are used to. It's like someone said at the launch, wives tell their husbands that they going for shopping and disappear for 2 to 3 hours but when men make a dash down to the store for bread and milk, its a 15 minute trip, but with Old Town Italy now open, they can get the bread and the milk, enjoy a beverage, have a chat to the butcher, the baker, sample some of the good food on offer then head back home after 2 hours. It only seems fair right?

Address: 39 Meridian Park, Meridian Drive, Umhlanga

Contact No: 031 566 5008

Website: www.oldtown.co.za

Facebook: Old Town Italy

Instagram: oldtownitaly

Bucket Scene: The Dutch

When I first got an invite to the official opening of the Dutch in Umhlanga Village, my initial thoughts were "not another bar!" but knowing that it was the brain child and owned by the same folk from the popular Remo's franchise, I decided to keep my views to myself until I checked the place out. I frequent Remo's on my trips to the village and they're always busy, great food, comfortable atmosphere and a general good vibe is what keeps the locals coming back for more but what stands out is that the restaurant attracts a certain class of people and it maintains that standards from their service to the food, which keep the wealthy folk of Rocks pretty happy. I presumed the Dutch would be very similar to that hence I decided to ditch the shorts and t-shirt that is so synonyms to Umhlanga bars and slapped on something classy. 

Upon arrival I was greeted by the lovely hostesses and rather big security guards at the entrance, who then escorted me into the bar area. The venue itself takes you back to a classic Italian style mafia hang out, with dark colours, low lighting, expensive paintings and extravagant ornaments. The bar is the centre of attraction and their range of spirits and beers is nothing short of what one would expect in a classy establishment like this, in fact, besides high priced whiskies, they even have a bottle of craft beer that fetches R1000! Being opening night, and having an open tab for the first hour, things were rather chaotic but the barmen have been trained well and managed to get the drinks orders on time despite the large numbers. 

As large as their whisky collection is, I opted to try some of their cocktails. There's a few of the old favourites with a bit of a spin to them and they have some of their own mixes that are sure to suit many taste buds. I was a bit disappointed with some of the sizes of the cocktails but after sipping them I realised they pack quite a punch so it was probably a good thing they kept the size at a minimum!

Crispy tempura prawn with dipping sauce

Drink in hand, I was then greeted by one of the managers who invited me to try some of the food selection off their menu. With the restaurant being next door, the menu at the Dutch is more designed on a tapas style with light finger foods on offer, like croquette's ranging from chicken or butternut and ricotta, sushi, sashimi, tempura prawns (my personal favourite) and there's even dessert! They make mini donut balls filled with nutella that would bring any girl to their knees!

Chicken croquette's

Now if you think of an Italian Mafia bar hang out, there's always a stage with the piano and a hot dame seducing the crowd with her sultry vocals. The Dutch has that stage but instead of the hot dame, they have some of the hottest local talent performing on a weekly basis and as we head into the holiday season they have acts on almost every evening. From Ard Matthews, to Arno Carstens, the Black Lapels and many more! Be sure to check their Facebook page and instagram account to keep up with the latest happenings and make also tickets are available for purchase in advance so you avoid dissapointment.

Nutella filled donuts

Overall I was well impressed with the place, Umhlanga has many a bar but they lacked something like this, a well groomed establishment,(if I may say that). Something that brings sophistication and class to the much rowdiness of the area. A place for you to enjoy a quiet drink while listening to the live entertainment on offer. As I said, they try to keep the standards going in this place so make sure you're dressed to part, no slops, boardies and vests boets, there's always other places for that. I can see this place becoming a firm favourite with the locals and definite must visit if you're new to the area, come and experience #Dutchism

Ard Matthews performing on stage

Website: www.thedutch.co.za

Facebook: Dutchism

Instagram: @the.dutch