Games the hot topic at relaunch of restaurant
UMHLANGA’S upper crust donned their designer ensembles for a pizza slice and copious amounts of tipple as the heavens opened up on Thursday night.
The occasion: a cocktail evening to celebrate the launch of the newly renovated Italian chain restaurant Mimmos at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping.
Spirits were certainly high — and that was not just from the endless glasses of sparkling wine and Cosmopolitan cocktails. It seems Durban winning the bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games had sparked excitement among the guests and intense discussions about the opportunities it is likely to present.
Chic LBDs, slim-fitting pants and jackets and the odd pair of Jimmy Choos made an appearance among the women. Chaps were spiffy in jeans, sports blazers and pointed shoes.
The focal point at the restaurant was a long table groaning under the weight of hors d’oeuvres — petite pork ribs, crumbed chicken and calamari, cheese puffs and samoosas. Piping hot wood-fired pizza proved a crowd pleaser, as did a massive red velvet cake.
Host Suraj Marajh was gracious, ensuring that glasses were brimming and plates full. Marajh was proud and relieved after completing the overhaul of the restaurant in 18 days.
Durban radio personality and comedian Neville Pillay served as emcee. He had guests in stitches about Durban’s Commonwealth Games bid victory. “Oh, so we got the 2022 games. Thing is, we were the only people in the running. We were competing against ourselves really,” joked Pillay.
Marajh told guests he had added “glitz and glamour” to the restaurant. “We needed an upmarket look to cater for the Umhlanga market,” he said, to loud applause.
Fashionably late was municipal Speaker and perpetual socialite Logie Naidoo.
He was excited about his short stint as acting mayor while James Nxumalo was in New Zealand for the Commonwealth Games announcement.
He had been hoping to wind down at the cocktail party, but most guests were just getting into a party mood.