Trinity had a lot to improve on since our last visit (June 20th), Monday night was round two of a night out at Trinity to enjoy the big band music of Mike Campbell. Since round two was on the 18th, a special day, Madiba Day! Nelson Mandela’s birthday! I felt like maybe the service and food would be better.
Upon arriving at Trinity I was pleasantly surprised to be helped by a (new to me) host, a young man who helped patrons one at a time with a kind tone and patience, already a vast improvement from the usual snotty women working at reception.
The main venue was beautifully set as usual and I noticed that more tables and chairs had been added to the bar platform – good to have more support for the musicians but potentially a trap for the waiting service to degenerate further. I had an eagle eye on the service tonight! On this evening we had a helpful waiter but one can always tell when one has a waiter who does not drink!! Small details were neglected but his overall demeanor was welcoming.
Of course Mike Campbell’s Big Band didn’t fail to entertain the audience. With Melanie Scholtz guest singing with the band, the usual 18 piece band swung and bopped the night away. Their set was sprinkled with South African original compositions to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s birthday and covers such as John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ as well as various solos from Mark De Kock (sax), Dr Mike Rossi (sax), and Dan Shout(Sax and clarinet), to name a few. Ms Scholtz captivated the audience with her smooth but dynamic performances, exercising her voice in each song and giving each moment the perfect amount of emotion and sensitivity.
Tonight I enjoyed the chicken breast which (yay!) had both a starch and vegetables! The white sauce was a little one dimentional but this is preference, not error. The calamari came highly recommended and was thoroughly enjoyed, as well as the sushi which barely touched sides. The pasta portion was huge but was enjoyed, definitely one for the men! Steaks were no where to be found on the menu 😉
This was a wonderful way to celebrate art and culture on Madiba’s birthday, it seems Trinity spent 67 minutes considering how they could improve their service! Unfortunately, this was the last week for the Mike Campbell’s Big Band but hopefully, with the support of the public, the band will return in the not too distant future to continue performing at Trinity’s Monday night Jazz nights. Long may their improvements last…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnlfYhQVevk
ORIGINAL POST DATE: 18.07.11
