A Table in the Corner

Russel Wasserfall Media
  • 5.0 (1)
  • FOOD
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A Table in the Corner is the space where Russel Wasserfall chats to people in the food industry about their passion and their take on the business of eating. Russel has worked in the media and food space for over 3 decades. He's run bars, restaurants and a confectionery factory, written for dozens of food and travel publications and made a bunch of cookbooks. His show is about the nitty-gritty of the food trade in all its forms. Top chefs, food artisans, proprietors, bakers, farmers, foragers, cheesemakers, writers, photographers, bloggers... you name it. If they’re involved in the food industry, you will meet them with Russel at A Table in the Corner. 

  1. S2-18. Lello's Deli - Chiara and Dani Turilli

    1D AGO

    S2-18. Lello's Deli - Chiara and Dani Turilli

    In this Special Thursday episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with brother and sister team Danillo and Chiara Turilli, the operators behind Lello’s Deli, to talk about inheritance, identity and building something deeply personal in a city that is moving as quickly as Cape Town is right now. Raised within a family restaurant business run by their father, the Turillis describe themselves as restaurant babies who tried, unsuccessfully, to escape hospitality. Danillo left for fashion photography in Hamburg. Chiara moved into food styling and corporate work. Yet both found themselves drawn back to the rhythms of service, family recipes and the particular weight of Italian food culture. The conversation traces the evolution from Scarpetta, their father’s final and most personal restaurant, to Lello’s original De Waterkant deli and now its move to Sea Point. We talk about counter service in a culture that resists it, charging properly for ingredients whose price reflects their authenticity, and refusing to dilute tradition for comfort. Mortadella is the real thing. Amatriciana is made with guanciale. Coffee is served the Italian way. They speak candidly about legacy, grief and closing their father’s restaurant after his passing, choosing instead to carry forward the parts that mattered to them. There is no master plan here, only instinct shaped by upbringing: seasonal tomatoes jarred for winter, pizza al taglio sold by weight, pasta made the way their family remembers it. This is a conversation about diaspora, stubbornness and the responsibility of doing things properly, told by two operators who understand that authenticity is not a marketing position but a lived inheritance. Thumbnail image by Soh Bang Contact me with thoughts or suggestions for the show on russel@rwm2012.com www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

    45 min
  2. S2-17. Arum - Travis Finch

    3D AGO

    S2-17. Arum - Travis Finch

    In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel travels to Boschendal to sit down with Travis Finch, head chef of Arum, to talk about cooking inside one of the Cape’s most ambitious agricultural ecosystems. Travis reflects on a career shaped by formative years with Peter Tempelhoff’s team and long stints abroad, before returning home to cook at the intersection of land, produce and restraint. The conversation centres on what it means to cook on a regenerative farm at scale, with direct access to gardens, livestock and orchards, and how that proximity reshapes menu thinking, waste, seasonality and responsibility. Travis talks about breaking down formality without lowering standards, working with whole animals and vegetables alike, and designing food that reflects abundance rather than excess. We also explore the realities of running a restaurant across breakfast, lunch and dinner, collaborating with farming teams, and feeding produce back into the wider restaurant group. This is a thoughtful, grounded discussion about provenance, process and pace, told by a chef who understands that the future of cooking is inseparable from how the land beneath it is treated. Learn more about Arum at Boschendal here Get a fair price with HeadsUp Every booking is a first impression. Make a good one with Novel Message me here with comments or guest suggestions. Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

    34 min
  3. S2-16. Tashas - Natasha Sideris

    FEB 16

    S2-16. Tashas - Natasha Sideris

    In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Tasha Sideris, founder and chief executive of the Tashas restaurant group, to unpack two decades of building one of the most recognisable hospitality brands to emerge from South Africa. The conversation traces Tasha’s route into restaurants through family, osmosis and necessity rather than formal training, and how early years on the floor shaped a leadership style rooted in presence, pace and accountability. Tasha speaks candidly about scaling across continents without losing quality, the constant work of sourcing ingredients market by market, and why no two Tashas restaurants are ever identical. We talk about comfort as a design principle, classics as an anchor, and the discipline required to keep food, service and atmosphere aligned at volume. She reflects on rolling up her sleeves during service, leading from inside the business, and why people - not concepts - determine whether restaurants succeed or fail. The discussion also explores growth beyond the flagship brand, from Café Sophie and Arlecchino to mentoring younger operators, building teams across regions and investing in training as a long-term strategy. This is a clear-eyed, practical conversation about consistency, scale and care, told by an operator who understands that hospitality is sustained not by ideas alone, but by the people trusted to execute them every day. Get a fair price with HeadsUp Every booking is a first impression. Make a good one with Novel Message me here with comments or guest suggestions. Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu Thumbnail image supplied www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

    30 min
  4. S2-15. Reverie Social Table - Julia Hattingh

    FEB 9

    S2-15. Reverie Social Table - Julia Hattingh

    In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Julia Hattingh, chef and owner of Reverie Social Table, to unpack one of Cape Town’s most singular dining models. Julia talks through a career shaped by classical training, long stints in demanding kitchens and time abroad, before arriving at a form of hospitality that deliberately slows things down. The conversation traces her path from Mirandol and Le Quartier Français to London, Paris and back home, and how those experiences informed a move away from conventional service towards a single communal table, one menu and one sitting. Julia explains the thinking behind cooking for a roomful of strangers at once, pairing food to wine, sourcing directly from farmers and growers, and designing a restaurant that values connection, presence and intention over scale. We also talk about no shows, prepaid bookings, shared gratuities and building a small, multi-skilled team without front and back of house divisions. This is an honest, thoughtful discussion about restraint, sustainability and why eating together at a table still matters, told by a chef who has chosen clarity of purpose over expansion. You can book for Reverie Social here Get a fair price with HeadsUp Every booking is a first impression. Make a good one with Novel Message me here with comments or guest suggestions. Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

    30 min
  5. S2-14. Bao Down - Philippa & Graham Oldfield

    FEB 2

    S2-14. Bao Down - Philippa & Graham Oldfield

    In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Philippa and Graham Oldfield, the partners behind Bao Down, one of Cape Town’s most beloved independent restaurants. The conversation traces their parallel routes through chef school, hotels, yachts and serious kitchens, before converging in a small, hard working room in Vredehoek Avenue that would quietly build a cult following. Philippa and Graham talk about learning discipline under pressure, the influence of Liam Tomlin’s kitchens, and why Bao Down was never conceived as a trend-driven project but as a tightly run, repeatable place built on flavour, consistency and trust. They unpack the thinking behind bao as a format, ingredient sourcing, cost control and portioning, and how a simple menu can still demand precision night after night. The discussion also moves into growth, parenthood and sustainability, from scaling up to the Green Point space to building a long standing team and stepping back from the floor without losing standards. This is a grounded, honest conversation about running a restaurant for the long haul, balancing ambition with family life, and why some rooms earn loyalty by doing a few things properly rather than everything at once. You can view the Bao Down menu here Get a fair price with HeadsUp Every booking is a first impression. Make a good one with Novel Message me here with comments or guest suggestions. Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu Thumbnail image supplied by the restaurant.  www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

    34 min
  6. S2-13. Toevlug - Drikus Brink

    JAN 27

    S2-13. Toevlug - Drikus Brink

    In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Drikus Brink, chef/proprietor of Toevlug, to trace a quietly serious cooking life shaped by farms, butcheries and long service beside Bertus Basson. Brink talks through his early years growing up around meat and trade, cooking boerewors rolls as a teenager, studying in Pretoria and arriving at Overture, to spend nearly a decade in Basson’s kitchens. The conversation moves through volume cooking, technique, pressure and instinct, from one man hot sections to breakfast services that teach humility fast. Brink reflects on what he absorbed from Basson’s way of working: discipline over decoration, technique over theatre, and the confidence to change a dish mid service if it makes sense. We talk about building restaurants as businesses, growing sideways through bakeries, farm shops and events, and why Toevlug was designed as a place people can return to often rather than conquer once. This is a grounded discussion about fundamentals, mentorship and staying in your lane, told by a chef who understands that good food, properly cooked, is still the point. For more on the Bertus Basson group of restaurants, click here Every booking is a first impression. Make a good one with Novel Message me here with comments or guest suggestions. Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

    34 min
  7. S2-12. Wiggle Room - Lester & Fish

    JAN 19

    S2-12. Wiggle Room - Lester & Fish

    In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down at the counter of The Wiggle Room on Bree Street with co-founders Lester Riffel and chef Ismael ‘Fish’ Amos to explore one of Cape Town’s most provocative new dining concepts. Built around a 12-seat counter, The Wiggle Room throws out menus, consistency and convention in favour of freedom, creativity and connection. Lester and Fish speak candidly about their unconventional paths through hospitality, the ideas born during smoke breaks outside fine dining kitchens, and the decision to run against the grain with ever-changing menus, illustrated cards, wild ingredients and boundary-pushing drink pairings. This is a conversation about risk, trust, collaboration and why dining can be as much about music, conversation and surprise as it is about food. A raw, energetic look at how Cape Town’s restaurant culture continues to evolve. For more on The Wiggle Room, click here Every booking is a first impression. Make a good one with Novel Message me here with comments or guest suggestions. Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

    32 min
  8. S2-11. Salon - Carla Schulze

    JAN 14

    S2-11. Salon - Carla Schulze

    In this week’s episode, Russel sits down with Carla Schulze, executive chef of Salon which is part of the Test Kitchen family of restaurants. Carla reflects on her journey from studying under Jackie Cameron in KwaZulu Natal to becoming a key creative force alongside Luke Dale Roberts. The conversation explores mentorship, discipline, seasonality and the pressure of running a destination tasting menu restaurant in Cape Town. Carla speaks openly about creativity versus expectation, evolving menus, interactive dining experiences, no shows and the emotional toll they take on kitchens. This is an honest, generous discussion about leadership, resilience and what it means to cook with intention while shaping one of the city’s most refined dining rooms. For more on Salon, click here Every booking is a first impression. Make a good one with Novel Message me here with comments or guest suggestions. Treat yourself - order direct from Zuney Wagyu www.rwm2012.com On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

    36 min
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About

A Table in the Corner is the space where Russel Wasserfall chats to people in the food industry about their passion and their take on the business of eating. Russel has worked in the media and food space for over 3 decades. He's run bars, restaurants and a confectionery factory, written for dozens of food and travel publications and made a bunch of cookbooks. His show is about the nitty-gritty of the food trade in all its forms. Top chefs, food artisans, proprietors, bakers, farmers, foragers, cheesemakers, writers, photographers, bloggers... you name it. If they’re involved in the food industry, you will meet them with Russel at A Table in the Corner. 

Information

  • Creator
    Russel Wasserfall Media
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    170
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Russel Wasserfall Media
  • Show Website
    A Table in the Corner

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