I ❤ JHB : Market on Main / Emmarentia Dam / Botanical Gardens Adventure

Market on Main

The wonderful outdoors at M.O.M

I had to capture some overhead bunting

The BEST Goat's cheese ever!

     

Recently, on a perfect Spring day, a few of us ventured into the Johannesburg CBD to visit 'Market on Main' which is situated at Arts on Main.
After the GPS failed us, and after many (and I mean MANY) phone calls, we eventually reached our destination.


I am ashamed to admit that I have never been there before, but I was pleasantly surprised at the location and the venue.
Set in a very 'chic' warehouse (if warehouse's can be chic), Market on Main hosts food guru's and design mavens.  I was swept away by Fine and Raw Chocolate, the delicious Hummus and of course, the spectacular design items that I saw.
After a while we realised that our tummies were rumbling and we decided to settle on a bit of brunch.
The healthier alternative of cream cheese and salmon on a delicious olive bagel instilled a bit of guilt in me as I munched away on my over-indulgent nutella and banana pancakes.
I really think that Market on Main is a must-do if you're living in, or visiting Johannesburg on a Sunday.  I will definitely make return visits in the future!


After our adventure into the city some of us decided to head to the Emmarentia Dam/Botanical Gardens to have a look at the Spring blooms.  I am a complete novice to photography, yet I did manage to capture one or two shots which I think are sort of ok.

Market on Main is open every Sunday at Arts on Main, on Main Street in the Johannesburg CBD.
Emmarentia Dam/Botanical Gardens is on Olifants Road, Emmarentia, Johannesburg.

I ❤ JHB : Bella Restaurant

I've decided to start a 'series' on this blog.  It's called the 'I ❤ JHB' series.

It's about all the little places that I've found in Johannesburg which I absolutely love and adore :)  So let's begin the first post :)

A friend called me for a quick lunch date and mentioned a lovely little restaurant and deli that's tucked away on Rivonia Road.  She texted me her easy-to-follow directions and I found myself at this quaint little place in a complex which plays host to other stores and offices.  It's a bit of a hidden treasure and if she didn't know about it from a previous visit, I wouldn't have found it by myself.

We chose to be seated outdoors and I simply adored the decor of neutral shades and loved the atmosphere. It has a laid back vibe about it even though many people had their laptops open and were obviously on business meetings. Patrons included Mommies and their little broods who were also there enjoying a quick bite. It was the perfect setting for a warm Summer's day.

Being a halaal-only type of person (i.e. Muslim), eating meat at non-halaal establishments leave very limited resources for one to eat. However, Bella had over 10 different non-meat items on their menu which one can choose from. I was ecstatic!

I am a big fan of salmon, so I decided to have a delicious salmon salad topped with cottage cheese, avocado and gherkins. It was delicious (and quite large in size!).

My friend had a roast butternut salad topped with other yummy salad items.

I've never been a person who only has a salad for lunch, but this was something I could get used to as it was quite filling.

The price was not as crazy in comparison to other Sandton restaurants (thank goodness), and their service was quick, efficient and full of smiles.

I especially loved the fact that they gave real Chappies as a parting breath freshener.  Who can resist reading the 'Did you know?' tidbits that's printed on the reverse side of the wrapper?
A part of me enjoyed the fact that it was called 'Bella' as it reminded me of my teenage/early adulthood years of using the word Bella or Belladonna in online handles.  I loved using Belladonna especially as it was a deadly, yet nurturing plant of nature to be reckoned with :)

All in all, I enjoyed my meal there and I can't wait to try them again soon.

You can visit Bella at:

66 Rivonia Road

Sandton

Open Monday to Saturday

Website

Facebook page

(images courtesy of 66 Rivonia)