Same old Newlands

Petina introduced the Book Café as the go-to place for music in Harare – and says she has been working with the team to give the literary events the kind of excitement and edge that marks the music events.  It sure worked on that night with the place packed, unusually, with a predominantly white crowd of book lovers and literary types provoking a banner headline in the Patriot – SHOCKER FOR WHITES  – and a review of the evening welcoming Petina (previously eschewed as a ‘rabid critique’ ) warmly into the fold. Tempestuous debate continues to rage on the pages of Facebook as to the unresolved nature of Zimabwe’s race relations.
But what a pleasure it was to listen to thoughtful, intelligently crafted questions and conversation. Ms Gappah and the Book Café Team hope this is the beginning of a series of conversations with interesting writers, thinkers and thought leaders. I so look forward to that addition to Harare’s cultural life.
Meantime in Newlands it seems ‘plus ca change plus, c’est la meme chose.’ The strip of restaurants bordering the TM car park in are constantly shifting identities. But although names change – nothing else does – things just get added on in a confusing fashion. Mid week saw Applegees (previously Papa’s and before that Mama’s) with a busy bar trade.  From the ground it wasn’t clear if upstairs high-class bar The Lounge had benefitted from its recent hosting of South African bad boy Julius Malema, though punters were packing the Red Bar up the road. 
We dined at O de Vie which has morphed over the last couple of years from Thai Blue Banana to the double jointed pairing with Baobab Grill – then to Bejazzled. Current incarnation advertises French and Belgian cuisine. Special of the night was green chicken curry – clearly a throwback to the Blue Banana days – is there still a Thai chef in the kitchen?
The menu is small, but even so most of the starters were not         available. No Kariba cray fish, no Belgian cheese croquettes and         no mushroom pancakes.  Only option was buffalo wings (US$5) – left over from the Baobab grill menu?
Strange notion buffalo wings –  our host said he had it on good authority that they were named after the town in New York State and definitely had nothing to do with plains game. These were fine – well-cooked in a tasty piquant barbecue sauce but not very continental.
It was hard to find what marked the Belgian/French aspect. Other mains were standard peri peri chicken and chips, chicken and rib combo, fillet steak and Kariba crayfish. (also off as mains.) We chose hake (US$12) with a salsa which turned out to be pure chillie sauce – a good one – but not salsa and too strong for white fish.  Accompanying fries were served with tomato sauce rather than Belgian style creamy mayonnaise.  Duck breast came ‘rosé’ – nicely pink – but doused in too sweet apple and cranberry sauce.
Only dessert was banana and coconut once again harking back to the Thai menu, so we finished the evening with whisky pedros – not on the menu, but kitchen was  happy enough to turn a dom into a whisky.
Service was good and the restaurant warmly decorated. Top jazz outfit Jazz Invitation still entertains on a Friday night – remnants of Bejazzled days. More clarity about food and identity would definitely help.
– g.jeke@yahoo.com