Locals are definitely familiar with a routine Sunday morning, “eggs Benny” at The Glenwood Bakery. The good news is that the bakery has opened up an extension of their culinary prowess, The Glenwood Restaurant. We chatted to Adam Robinson, one of the faces behind Glenwood’s well-loved bakery and restaurant, to get the lowdown.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My training is as a chef, working in restaurant kitchens. I was trained in London and also for periods in France. I owned several restaurants and gastro pubs in London before moving to South Africa.
When did the restaurant open?
The restaurant opened in April 2016, as a result of many reasons. Firstly, I sustained an injury to my wrist from baking and needed to give up. But being too young or restless not to work, I thought it might be cool to start cooking again.
How would you describe “the vibe”?
I would like to think that TGR provides a good tension between formal (we take food and service very seriously) and informal in the sense that our customers should be able to have a good time when eating with us.
What influenced your style of menu?
Our influence comes from what tastes good to us. What tastes good, in my mind, is usually what is made from fresh ingredients, hopefully seasonally available. I do not like plates of food with too many flavours and obscure or incongruent references. I am not really that taken by presentation for the sake of presentation, I do believe that delicious well-crafted food usually looks attractive too. Pasta is a big focus on our menu and is made in-house. We have a main menu which changes every few months as well as a daily specials menu.
If you had to recommend an ideal order from your menu, what would it be?
The radicchio and gorgonzola salad as a starter, the ricotta and herb tortellini with sage butter for mains and the chocolate fondant served with crème fraiche for desert.
What do you love most about your neighbourhood, Glenwood?
The sophisticated people who live here.
If you had to describe the restaurant in three words they’d be…
Focused on execution.
031 201 0745
Words: Jenna Kelly | Images: Supplied
