The Ebb and Flo of Natalie Caradas-Latham

In the words of her brother, Natalie Caradas Latham has two jobs; part time overseer at Ebb
& Flo Café and mother of three. Both jobs are full of excitement and change and Natalie does
them with humble pride, forming an important part of her family. We loved chatting to this
beautiful lady and her brother.

We sat at the crisp white table across from one another sharing a delicious fresh bacon and cheese burger. Unconventionally, there were little slices of crunchy radish that added colour to the freshly made organic beef patty. Natalie explained that she, and her entire family, loves food. “My grandmother was Greek and there was always enough food when we visited; her hands were always oily because she worked with olive oil all the time,” Natalie fondly reminisces. “My grandmother taught my dad to cook and I learned from him and he’s been working with food for 50 years, so it’s genetic,” Natalie explains.

Natalie’s love of food explains her involvement at the modern, sleek and new Ebb & Flo Café at Gateway Theatre of Shopping. Her brother Jason Caradas, along with excellent chef, Brendan Newport, conceptualised the unique dishes on the menu. Ebb & Flo is quintessential elegance; the sleek monochromatic décor and sublime vibe have made it
one of Gateway’s trendiest spots. Natalie elaborated on the café’s New York influence, agreeing that it is unique and ahead of the South African food trends. Caesar salads that come wrapped in lush cucumber slices, burger patties made fresh to order and buns baked in-house. Vegetables are organic and the beef is freerange, adding to the idea of a zesty newness. “Our idea was artisan, with food on the menu that you would not get anywhere else. It’s fresh, new and exciting.”

After the burger is the tasty Farmhouse Wrap, a light morning meal, and then the Basic Ebb & Flo breakfast two perfectly poached eggs with benedict sauce with tomato, ciabatta and honey glazed bacon. Natalie is proud to tell me that eggs at the café are only poached or scrambled, “My brother has been good with sticking to the healthy, artisan
theme, catering to a lot of people who are also going the no carb route, we also source all our produce from local subsistence farmers,” she says. “My dad and I share this breakfast every time I work, we order an extra slice of
toast for it and start the morning off like that,” she tells me. (I think I’ll take my dad on a date to Ebb & Flo for the best eggs benedict he’ll ever taste.) There was certainly more than enough food for the two of us, and Natalie prefers
it that way, admitting that a pet peeve is when there’s not enough food for everyone she’s catering for.

Natalie, who like any other cook, cannot decide on her favourite food tells us she loves to cook for her family every night. “I love cooking for the whole family on Sundays. It’s our time to come together and catch up over a hearty meal. I love how food can bring people together.”