Blue Café: A pavement that's special

Sometimes you meet someone who is instantly likeable. Charm, good intentions and receptiveness make you excuse their shortcomings and focus on their possibilities.

The place

The Blue Café, in Tamboerskloof, is a little like that. Jeanne and Murray van Hirschberg bought a suburban café-deli with an attached house. They're in business with Jeanne's mother, Lynda Loubser, who oversees the cooking and bakes up a storm.

Seated separately at pavement tables with a hedge behind and views of Victorian homes, I've discussed live music venues with a female music promoter and chatted over breakfast to a work-from-home guy from the next street.

The food

This tiny deli opened at the beginning of the month and serves breakfasts, light suppers and tea. The narrow chalkboard menu will be expanded soon.

For now, breakfast is fruit salad, home-made granola and yoghurt, or bought-in pastries. This seems like a boiled-egg-and-soldiers sort of place, yet the only advertised cooked option is Paul Daly's Full Monty (R48), in honour of the previous owner. Croissant (or ciabatta toast) plus scrambled egg heavy with mozzarella and parsley, and bacon, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes and avocado - tasty but surely overkill? A Baby Monty (R28) is also available.

Tea is Murray's loose-leaf Enmasse blends brewed in glass pots; the coffee is a dark Italian bean or locally roasted Truth brew. All well made. Lynda's daily bakes are well worth a detour.

Lunch and supper are sandwiches or rolls, two creative salads, or cheese-and-meat platters.

Blue Café also does a six-cheese macaroni.

I'm glad I returned to lunch on wonderful Dutch meatballs (R45): two tender beef rounds clasping onion and parsley in a comfortingly rich broth, with ciabatta toast for mopping up.

On the shelf

This deli's shelves brim with oils and edible goodies to take home. They include almond bars, Stanford honey, fudge and savoury snacks. In the chilled section you'll find Nice ice-cream, Camphill farm yoghurt and frozen home-made chicken pies.

Jeanne is a product developer of edible treats who cut her teeth working for Melissa's.

The verdict

If you're expecting massive food variety, a wine list and snappy service you'll be disappointed. Smallness, creative quirkiness and a sense of community give this café street cred. Its owners are moving towards general dealer days when goods were bartered and regulars kept accounts. So green-fingered locals are encouraged to exchange home-grown produce for shop credit. Neighbourhood kids are already bartering basil leaves.

• The Blue Cafe, 13 Brownlow Road, Tamboerskloof. Open weekdays 7.30am-10pm, weekends 8am-10pm. Call 021-426-0250, visitwww.thebluecafe.co.za