The Waffle House
Where: Marine Drive, Ramsgate
Open: Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
Call: 039 314 9424
No trip down the South Coast would be complete without a visit to the Waffle House.
As kids it was always one of the highlights of the December holidays down the coast, usually in Uvongo or St Michaels. I remember the banana split waffles, piled high with soft serve and drizzled with pink sauce and scattered with hundreds and thousands.
Today that has morphed into the more sophisticated banoffee waffle with bananas in a rich home-made caramel sauce. There’s a lemon meringue waffle, another with chocolate mousse, and a salted caramel avalanche with macadamia nuts, praline and caramel crunch. Something that speaks very much to its South Coast roots. We’d passed orchards of macadamia nut trees on the trip out to Oribi.
Later, I remember the hot Dutch apple waffles with slices of Granny Smith poached in cinnamon. And the breakfast waffles piled high with scrambled eggs and bacon.
The traditional Belgian waffles here are all made with free-range eggs and are sugar-free. The maple syrup is included. They’ve been making them that way since the restaurant first opened in 1957, then called the Tea House of the Blue Lagoon.
The restaurant has, I’m sure, been made over many times, but little has changed. The deck takes in views of the lagoon, the shaded boma looks out over the mangroves, the welcome is friendly and the service fast. And the waffles are lovely and fresh and crisp. I’d love to know how many buckets of waffle batter they must go through in season.
I’m with the Glass Guy and Colin when we pop in for a late lunch after a “hike” ‒ well a stroll, really ‒ through the gorge. We were hungry. All we’d had since breakfast was a very good chocolate brownie at a farm stall out Oribi way.
Breakfast waffles include one with bacon and maple syrup, or boerewors, scrambled eggs and tomato relish. There’s a muesli version, a vegetarian option with smashed avo, scrambled eggs and baked beans, and a full house English. And then there are savoury options like three cheese sauce, or hummus and avo, or even chicken mayo. There’s even one topped with bobotie.
I relished my steak and kidney waffle (R169), which was as good as any home-made pie, the steak and kidney in a lovely rich tasty gravy, topped with beans and carrots. Yum. Colin had a waffle with ham, mushrooms and cheese sauce (R140) ‒ I suppose the croque monsieur of waffles ‒ and enjoyed every mouthful. The Glass Guy went for the veg curry waffle (R126). This was a lovely mild coconut-based curry served with all the trimmings.
Well satisfied, I’m sure we’ll keep up the tradition next time we’re down there.
Food: 3 ½
Service: 3 ½
Ambience: 3 ½
The Bill: R549 for three
La Scali
Where: Marine Drive, Ramsgate
Open: Daily 9am to 9pm
Call: 079 571 7388
The next day the Glass Guy and I had a very good value lunch at the tiny restaurant and bar squeezed in between two antique shops on the main drag in Ramsgate. We joined many of the locals outside taking in a lovely warm afternoon.
In a town struggling as major stop-go repairs on the main road play havoc with business and passing trade (let’s hope it’s all over before the season starts), we were attracted by the fact that it had life amid the dust and dirt of heavy machinery.
It’s a cosy, homely spot. There’s mishmashed tables and chairs and pots of flowers and things. A sign reads: “If you think the waitress is rude, wait till you meet the chef.” The waitress is anything but rude and we soon have ice-cold beers in hand. There was a menu, but I don’t remember even looking at it as we’re soon directed towards one of the specials of the day ‒ the cottage pie (R75). We went for it. It certainly looked good. The businessman who’d popped out for lunch was just finishing his off, the young lady with her thong showing over her low-cut jeans was certainly enjoying hers.
The pie was everything it should be ‒ hearty, rustic, tasty and generous. It came with a side salad with dressing in a shooter glass. It got the thumbs up.
Later, over another beer, we got to meet the Pole Dancer who came over from the outside bar to introduce herself. She asks the Glass Guy where she knows him from. “Are you a surfer?” she asks. It suggests she has known a few surfers. It was the start of a fun afternoon.
Food: 3 ½
Service: 3 ½
Ambience: 3 ½
The Bill: R262
