Very few things would get me out of bed on Saturday morning, let alone the house, but meeting with my amazing friends from book club for a catch-up over wine, great food, and to talk about books was one such a thing. So I braved the pouring rain to meet with a majority of the club at a fabulous restaurant called Stephnie’s in Lynnwood Bridge. The venue has a great ambience, with quirky bits of vintage décor, a strong theatre influence (it’s located directly next to the Atterbury Theatre), an extensive wine list, and mouth-watering menu.

We’d been to Stephnie’s about a year ago, and enjoyed some great soup and pumpkin fritters. The weather was undoubtedly soup weather, but our waiter informed us that there was no soup on the menu. While we scrutinised the menu for something else that would warm us up, the manager, Armand, came over for a chat. He offered to ask the kitchen to whip us up some potato and leek soup, but the craving around the table was for the delicious tomato and basil soup we enjoyed the last time. We didn’t want to push our luck, but after a bit of pouting Armand returned to the kitchen to chat with Chef Daisy. A few minutes later he returned with the good news that the chef agreed to prepare some of her amazing tomato soup for us.

Outstanding service like this is a rare occurrence, and the soup did not disappoint. We asked to meet Chef Daisy and to thank her for the trouble she went through. She modestly explain that it was all made from fresh ingredients but that she won’t divulge her recipe (that’s fine; all the more reason to return for our tomato soup fix!).

At our last meeting we decided to read Sue Townsend’s The woman who went to bed for a year. The book held significant meaning for everyone (admittedly less so for me, since I was just annoyed). Helena summarised it well (there’s a good reason she’s the main peanut in our little packed of mixed nuts).

We haven’t decided on a book for our next meeting yet, but two titles we are considering are In the Kingdom of Mists by Jane Jakeman and The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (we’re not sure we are ready for the latter, as it’s sure to be an emotional read).

What are you currently reading – for book club or just because?

Oh, and if you’re in Pretoria and looking for the best tomato soup paired with excellent service, make sure you go to Stephnie’s 😉

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