Bits and pieces at The Cage

Wining & Dining
Quizzes are growing in popularity. The Cage at Mabelreign started one this week and warmed up a bitterly cold Wednesday night.

Quizzes are growing in popularity. The Cage at Mabelreign started one this week and warmed up a bitterly cold Wednesday night by serving large beakers of steaming, thick, home-made veg soup, fresh rolls and butter at just US$2 or US$5 for beef curry and rice.

By Dusty Miller

Their daily special menu is also attractively priced and features pub favourites. They are closed on Sundays.

There’s a fortnightly quiz at blue@2 Private Wine Bar at 2, Aberdeen Road, Avondale, every other Thursdays which has a tremendous following. At the last two quizzes it was standing room only as Simba asked some awkward and some fairly easy questions.

Food is always available during opening times (dusk to 11pm-ish,Tuesday-to-Friday.) Recently I enjoyed a delicious chicken wrap with potato wedges and side salad at US$10 (after they’d run out of fish and chips at the same price.) Next quiz there is on Thursday.

The next monthly quiz I know of (because I’m due to ask the questions) is at REPS pub on June 9 at 11am, in time to get to Sunday lunch at a favourite venue. Or there’s a light bar lunch available from about 1pm. They also do a great value ploughman’s lunch on Fridays for US$5.

Borrowdale Country Club holds a quiz on the last Friday evening of each month and there’s usually a choice of two pub favourite meals for a few dollars.

The German Shepherd Dog Club on Flanagan’s Drift at Braeside hosts two or three quizzes a year on Sunday mornings, which always seem to be sunny on their pleasant stoep surrounded by manicured gardens and untamed bush.

They usually serve first rate tender steak rolls, burgers and the like with a wide array of help yourself salads and lovely sauces.

Lunch today at City Bowling Club (CBC) in Harare Gardens is either roast lamb, mint sauce and all the trimmings (US$9) or roast chicken US$6. CBC will resume fortnightly quizzes in September.

On April 21, I wrote a story headed Open and Shut Cases outlining half a dozen Harare eateries which had recently shut, one of which was Pepper’s, on The Chase. I did say I’d been unable to confirm that one, but was quoting several prominent members of “The Trade”. Three weeks later I apologised and reviewed the outlet which was, in fact, still trading.

Now it has, indeed, closed!

Bubbly blonde Liane Lombard e-mailed to say she’s tired of arguing with landlords and as much maintenance work was needed, she’d decided to throw in the towel at The Chase with immediate effect. Would I tell the public that? Of course I will! I just have!

Whatever, veteran caterer and events organiser, Liane will definitely bounce back.

l [email protected]