Trying new menu items at Fratelli Foods

A couple of weeks ago I had to meet a friend of mine for a business breakfast and she suggested we go to the newly opened Fratelli Foods in the Lower Baakens Valley.  Fratelli is an Italian Deli and Coffee Bar and at that stage they hadn't even had their signage up yet but I had a feeling that it would turn into a very popular spot very soon.  I immediately joined their Facebook group to keep an eye on them.  Yesterday morning there was a post on the group showing the newest addition on their menu.  A piadina is an italian flat bread eaten on the streets of Italy and this one is filled with prosciutto and fontina cheese along with tomato and rocket.  I was busy setting up a meeting for the Travel Massive PE chapter leaders to discuss the first Travel Massive networking event in the city and suggested that we meet at Fratelli.  Ulterior motives you see.

Owner Michelle Puggia greeted me like she greets all the patrons coming through the door.  Friendly, welcoming and with a big smile.  My companions got there a bit early and was tucking into their breakfasts already and on asking what I wanted I immediately referred Michelle to yesterday's FB post.  They were still making the flat breads but she immediately agreed to prepare me one.  When it came I was ready to tuck in but not sure what to expect.  Would the ham and cheese me a little bland and not being one who eats rocket that often I wondered what the rocket would do to the taste. Boom! What a winner.  The rocket and tomato is the perfect compliment to the meat and cheese and I made sure I ate as slow as possible to savour every second.  Michelle came by to check how her first customer to try it was doing and asked why I wasn't eating it the way the Italians do, by hand.  I just felt it would last longer cutting off smaller pieces.  Nom nom nom.

 

Just to mention, my friend Geoff had a croissant with scrambled egg and crispy bacon on it which looked absolutely divine and was my second choice of the piadina wasn't available.

 

So next time you're looking for a nice intimate coffee shop with great food and lekker coffee for a quick mid morning meeting or brunch, this is the place to go.