Airnews, November 2011
A BEACON TO AIRCREWS - By Johan Lottering
AS CHARTER pilots we would often return to our home base, Wonderboom Airport, Pretoria, at night, sometimes through bad weather. The thought that we could grab a beer after landing used to be reassuring to aircrews and passengers alike.
In the instrument hold, when our heads felt too big for our shoulders after a couple of hours’ concentration, the little restaurant, Villa san Giovanni, would be a pleasant expectation and a beacon of hope.
Nothing seemed too much for the owner-manager, Giovanni Maiorana, in those days, some three decades ago. His family, like ours, would be in bed waiting at home, but instead of shutting us out, he would not only serve a last round, but his special Russian sausage ‘medallions’ on the house.
As an aside, my wife and I were priviledged to have been invited to a function recently to celebrate the restaurant’s 30th anniversary, in true Giovanni style. Giovanni was always creative. He only seemed genuinely pleased when he could make others happy. This trait helped him grow the former airport canteen into very likely the finest airport restaurant in Africa.
From first hand observation the ‘secret recipe’ involved tireless hours of hard work and dedication. But, in doing so, Giovanni’s love of people and family would always shine through.
As aviation participants we could never fathom how he kept up the pace. He would always make us feel genuinely at home after night training sorties on Thursdays.
Giovanni and Maria would share our grief when a fellow aviator had gone down. I guess, not unlike the aviation game, being involved with people of the air through whatever business, takes out a part of your heart. The Giovanni story is actually a modern day fairytale. While many fellow citizens flocked abroad in the days of political uncertainty, the Maiorana family set off from a tiny Italian town for South Africa in pursuit of a dream. There were difficult times ahead for them, but they would not relinquish their dream and passion. They had a fair share of setbacks.
Six weeks after arriving in South Africa in 1980 with only their suitcases and two toddler sons, Luca and Christian, the family would learn their ship had sunk, literally. The uninsured cargo on the seabed contained all their earthly possessions. Giovanni started work at the La Cantina Italian restaurant, in Pretoria, where he applied keen learning and observation skills. When former owner of the Wonderboom restaurant, Jimmy Yannakakis, packed it in after another fruitless season, Giovanni stepped into the gap at Wonderboom.
He realised making ends meet would take sixteen-hour days. He and Maria would seldom have a weekend off. Luca and Christian would grow up in behind the counter to turn into fine film star looking men. Fortunately, their hearts were in the restaurant business and with the people. The family formed a close-knit team. They have never skipped a year in which renovations or expansions were not carried out.
The pizza oven is probably unique. It works with wood fire, gas and electricity. Its revolving oven plate is ingenious. Taste is admittedly subjective, but one would go far and perhaps still not find a finer pizza. The Italian cuisine in the ‘fine dining’ section must be on par with the best. The family has a platinum award winning cellar and their own house wine from Zandvliet Estate.
Giovanni buys over 4 500 kg of special variety tomatoes each year, to dry and make his unique salsa. Christian and Luca have their parents’ love for people. The Giovanni legend seems set to continue. As gastronomic destination it is well worth a thousand visits.
AVIATION HUMOUR
Reader Christo Crous sent in this snippet of aviation humour. Although not new, it is still worth a smile….
Tower: “Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff. Contact Departure on 124.7”
Eastern 702: “Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure. By the way, after we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway.”
Tower: “Continental 635, cleared for takeoff behind Eastern 702. Contact Departure on frequency 124.7. Did you copy that report from Eastern 702?”
Continental 635: “Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, roger; and yes, we copied Eastern. We’ve already notified our caterers.”
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