If you love tapas (and who doesn’t) then Fiesta Tapas Café & Bar, on the Piazza at Cape Quarter in Green Point, is the perfect venue for these appetizing and satisfying Latin American specialties.
With a varied menu that offers something to suit all tastes, from vegetarian bites to chunky bits of chicken, meat or fish, new additions to the menu (like whitebait) make tapas the partner for a drink after work or for a longer more relaxed evening as you dip into the wide variety. If you’re looking for something more substantial, the wraps and bigger bites are for you – delicious fillings and a menu selection that makes your mouth water.
For a superb style of eating plus a taste of hot sexy dancing means a hop down to Fiesta ( the salsa dancing every Friday makes this a must!) to try their great specials on until the end of October.
Here are some of the specials;
Between 4pm and & 7pm come celebrate with friends and pay only 50% on the final bill (does not apply to specials)
Any two tapas from the menu plus 2 glasses of wine for ONLY R59
Any one tapas from the menu plus one Wrap & two glasses of wine only R79.00
Beef or Chicken Burger plus one Wrap and two glasses of Wine or two Local beers for only R99.00.
Fiesta Tapas Café & Bar / Shop 12a / Cape Quarter / 72 Waterkant Street / De Waterkant / Cape Town / info@fiesta-tapas.co.za / www.fiesta-tapas.co.za
In South Africa, the number of microbreweries is relatively small – a startling find when you consider that beer is SA’s favourite beverage.
Chef Pete Goffe-Wood is at the forefront of the artisanal beer trend. And, like any good chef worth his weight, he has tailor-made a menu to prove it.
Date: Wednesday, 8th September , Cost: R280.00 p/p
This kind of pairing doesn’t amount to a garden-variety lager and salty bar peanuts. Artisanal beer is a serious business. Brewmasters use the best ingredients and no additives to make sure that their slow-brewed, 100% natural tipple is an experience in a glass.
Cut, complement, and contrast. These are the three Cs of beer and food pairing according to Zak Avery, author of 500 Beers - the layman’s guide to international beer, and Pete’s Micro Brewery Menu will knock the socks off even the most jaded palate.
There’s been one such evening already, on 4th August, and this is what was served;
Welsh Rarebit Ravioli with James Mitchell’s Gone Fishing Cider.
Mussel-and-Fennel Risotto with Birkenhead’s Honey Blonde.
Chicken Liver Parfait with Jack Black Draught Lager
Veal Sweetbreads with Lentils and Mustard Sauce with Union Step Weiss.
Pete’s Homemade Toulouse Sausage on a delicate mound of creamy mash with Birkenhead’s Pride.
Sticky Toffee Pudding with &Union Unfiltered Dark
By all accounts, this is not an opportunity to be passed up on. Book now to reserve your spot at the next beer-pairing night on 8 September.
Wild Woods / Main Road /next to the Chapman’s Peak Hotel / Hout Bay / Cape Town / Tel: 021 791 1166 / Email: info@wildwoods.co.za / www.wildwoods.co.za
Posted on: August 28th, 2010 BHWild Woods
See Featured Restaurants.
TH: ***½
GS: ***
RL: ***
BH: ***½
Average Rating: ***½
Wild Woods, at the base of Chapman’s Peak in Hout Bay, is the new venture by Peter Geoff Wood of Kitchen Cowboy fame.
Hout Bay is usually a day out for most Cape Tonians but Peter’s reputation tempted us into a mid-week excursion into the Deep South. In all honesty, Hout Bay isn’t that far away, especially if you’re living on the Atlantic Seaboard, and traveling 30min isn’t going to kill you…if you know the trip is worth it.
Naturally, we were expecting great things from a local celebrity chef so we may have gone in with an unfairly critical eye, but other than a few small things, we found our experience to be very enjoyable.
The restaurant interior is a little disappointing, although I guess it is casual and understated, well-suited to its location. The fireplace adds a lot to the space, becoming quite a focal point. There is a slot window into the kitchen but I get the impression it’s more for the chefs to check on the patrons rather than to be on show. A major negative is that the restaurant is very bright. There are 2 very strong ceiling lights that make the space feel a little like a canteen, largely obliterating the intimate feel of the fireplace. The ambiance was a bit lacking, but it was a quiet night. It has the potential to be really nice on a weekend, if busier. The restrooms border on too rustic, even for the casual feel of the restaurant.
The service at Wild Woods is very attentive. Our waiter, although casual, was very efficient and never let us feel abandoned. Although RL felt it was almost too much, our waiter faithfully asked each one of us how our meal was, not just a simple, “everything okay?”, but a “Ma’am, how are your Mussels? Sir, how are your Croquettes?…” I quite liked the personal touch it added but I think it was largely due to his light-hearted nature. By dessert, it was a bit of a running joke.
The wine list has a good selection, although a bit on the pricey side, it did have some cheaper options, including a very reasonable house red available by the glass and by the 500ml carafe. It was also a nice change to see a selection of artisan beers for those looking for a bit of variety. These beers are perfectly suited to the menu, since it was more traditional fare, done extremely well.
Wild Woods offers a daily menu, as proven by the date at the top of the menu, which promotes seasonal favourites and fresh produce. The menu, while small, offers something for everyone and it was pleasant to experience a small menu that wasn’t just the same ingredients added to a different meat choice. Each dish is different, offering their own unique combination of flavours. Another joy of the small menu is that between the 4 of us, we were able to sample almost everything on the menu.
RL grabbed the Steamed Saldanha Mussels before the rest of us had even looked at the menu. Served with a white wine and cream sauce, the dish was full of light, delicate flavours but be warned; the portion was huge. TH had the Tagliatelle to start, with a creamy wild mushroom and truffle oil sauce. The flavours were subtle, combined beautifully and the perfect starter size. Polished off quickly, the only complaint was that it wasn’t presented very well. GS had the Duck Liver and Chorizo; the smell of which made my mouth water. GS said it was really tasty and, again, a very large portion. It was served with a tasty, savoury tomato-y sauce that tied it together nicely and, although it did needed a touch of pepper, the salt was dead on. All in all, a good, hearty dish with lots of meat flavours. In fact, the toast is came with was necessary to soak up every last drop! I had the Veal Croquettes with horseradish sauce. They were crispy on the outside, and not at all oily, with moist, shredded veal inside. Delicious by themselves, dripping them in the sauce just elevated the dish to another level. The sauce was so good, when I finished my croquettes, I resorted to dipping my wild rocket garnish.
Having settled in and being impressed with our Starters, we moved onto Mains. Please note, everything is made from scratch (or so the menu claims) and Mains ordered without Starters can take up to 40min. RL had the Lamb Rogan Josh Pie, wanting something a little spicy. It had a nice home-cooked feel, hearty and warm although not as spicy as a usual Rogan Josh curry. The huge pile of wild rocket it was served with was a little spare; not really a salad, but too big to be garnish. It seemed a little arbitary but did add colour to the plate. It was one of the prettiest presented pies I’ve seen. TH had the Aged Chalmar Rump, with Café du Paris butter, chips and rocket salad. The meat was good quality, cooked to a prefect medium rare. The portion was a good size and the herby butter seasoned to perfection. The steak, although not melt-in-your-mouth, was still good. The chips were more like small wedges; soft and moist inside, lightly crispy outside. The rocket “salad” suffered from the same problem as the pie; basically rocket with some olive oil, needing seasoning or dressing to make it special. The presentation simple, honest and unpretentious. GS had the Veal Brisket Bourguignon, a traditional dish with meat and mash, surrounded with a gravy that had some mushrooms in it for character. The Brisket was drippingly tender and really melted in your mouth. The mash and gravy was nicely creamy but once again, needed some pepper to bring it to life. Being a very traditional meal, it wasn’t amazing or exciting but tasty and well executed. I had the Roast Duck Breast with roast tomatoes, grilled baby marrow, wilted greens and béarnaise sauce. Each ingredient was prepared well, with strong individual flavours, but when combined magic was created. The tartness of the tomato played off the sharp marrow flavour, complemented with the wilted greens and elevated to a new level by the creamy béarnaise… then throw in slices of moist duck breast and you have a dish that you want to keep stuffing into your mouth.
After the good sized Starter and Mains, we had to share desserts but in retrospect that was a good idea. RL and I shared the Soufflé Beignet with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce. RL found it a little disappointing, but liked the concept, wishing the soufflé itself had a bit more spice or sweetness. Personally, I enjoyed the dish; it was surprising light, the ice cream was creamy and the chocolate sauce was rich but not too much. TH and GS shared the Plate of Cookies. The presentation was a bit boring but was a nice end to the meal. Probably too large for one person, the plate had 3 biscotti, 4 pieces of fudge and 4 pieces of brownie. The brownies were sordidly good, as GS put it, not overly moist or sweet, just full of dark cocoa and nuts with a hint of something like Cointreau. The biscotti would go down well with coffee but still crunchy and good on their own; nice and nutty and again with a nice citrus zing to it. The fudge was very traditional, if a little sugary in texture (almost crunchy), but tasty.
After such a positive experience, and being owned by a celebrity chef, you’d probably assume that you’d need to sell a kidney to afford to eat at Wild Woods but, quite simply, the restaurant is very reasonably priced. The most expensive thing on the menu was the Rump Steak, at R110. In the end, with a 3-course meal, a bottle and a half of wine and including tip, the bill worked out to R262.50 per person. Add in the petrol cost to get there and it’s still cheaper than dining at most high-end Cape Town CBD establishments.
In short, Wild Woods is all it promised to be; casual and unpretentious with a changing menu of well-constructed meals at a reasonable price.
Ambiance: **
Service: ***½
Food: ****
Wine: ****
Bathrooms: **
Wild Woods / Main Road /next to the Chapman’s Peak Hotel / Hout Bay / Cape Town / Tel: 021 791 1166 / Email: info@wildwoods.co.za / www.wildwoods.co.za
Find it hard to imagine mixing stylish, classic and affordable with high-class and non-pretentious? If you are then you’ll be happy to know this Caveau deal does this with effortless flair and selfless chivalry.
Pay R400 for lunch for four at Caveau at The Mill and receive a bottle of sparkling wine, a cheese & meat platter for four, and any four main courses (value R860).
After sweeping up the romantic antique cellars in the famous Heritage Square building in 2003 to open the first Caveau, a restaurant that has achieved huge success, the food and wine ‘passionistas’, spread their wings and opened Caveau at The Mill in early 2007.
Situated inside the national landmark of Josephine Mill in Newlands, Cape Town, Caveau at The Mill is a restaurant, bar and function venue set in truly exquisite surroundings. The concept behind this intimate wine bar and deli not only afforded the seasoned and enterprising professionals an opportunity to bring the wine route to your doorstep, but to cheekily break outmoded traditions taking taste to where no bud has been before.
With Summer on its way, why not grab those closest to you and enjoy a day in this picturesque setting?
Caveau Wine Bar & Deli - The Mill / 13 Boundary Road / Newlands / Cape Town / Tel: 021 685 5140 / Email: themill@caveau.co.za / www.caveau.co.za/themill
One&Only Cape Town is proud to launch Reuben Riffel’s first urban restaurant on 1 October 2010.
Reuben’s serves deceptively simple, wholesome bistro fare, with fresh flavours, generous portions, and beautifully plated dishes. The restaurant has a sophisticated, but unfussy, brasserie feel and the food provides the exciting combination of local flavours that one would expect from one of South Africa’s most loved chefs.
Reuben rose to fame when his first restaurant, Reuben’s, opened to much acclaim in the historical town of Franschhoek in 2004. Reuben has since won the coveted Eat Out ‘Restaurant of the Year’ and ‘Chef of the Year’ awards.
Reubens’s appeals to the culinary side of the soul and will be enjoyed by young and old.
Reuben’s at One&Only Cape Town will open on Friday 1 October and reservations can be made by calling 021 431 5222 or e-mailing restaurantreservations@oneandonlycapetown.com
For those concerned that this, the third Rueben’s venture, will be Rueben in name only, the man himself has committed to be at the restaurant at least 3 days a week. This should ensure that the quality we’ve come to expect will be maintained.
Rueben’s/ The One & Only Cape Town / Dock Road / V&A Waterfront / Tel: 021 431 5222 / restaurantreservations@oneandonlycapetown.com / www.oneandonlycapetown.com / www.reubens.co.za
Go and enjoy a Sunday afternoon at Hillcrest Estate with wine-maker Graeme Read, for a wine tasting of Hillcrest’s current wines and new releases. Graeme holds a PhD from Rhodes University and spent much of his life working as a Marine Biologist. His background in scientific method makes Graeme incredibly precise and meticulous in what he does.
His enthusiasm for making excellent wine has been described as “off the scale”. This combination of passion and precision will blaze the trail for Hillcrest and ensure consistently high quality wines.
Relax and enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon with them in the quarry, next to a man-made dam, providing an exceptional setting for this event. Feel free to bring the whole family as kids can play on the grass lawn.
Tickets include wine tasting with the winemaker with 3home-made soups and various freshly baked breads.
Wine will be sold by the glass and the bottle.
Unlabeled wines will be on sale!!
Date: Sunday 29th August
Time: 12:00pm onwards
Cost: R120.00 p/p
Bookings: Karlin de Goede (021) 976 1110 functions@hillcrestfarm.co.za or cellardoor@hillcrestfarm.co.za
Hillcrest Estate / M13 / Off Racecourse Road / Durbanville / Cape Town / Tel: 021 975 2346 / cellardoor@hillcrestfarm.co.za / www.hillcrestfarm.co.za
Posted on: August 25th, 2010 BHGot Special?
Do you know about a killer sushi special? How about a once-in-a-lifetime Wine & Dine evening? Or perhaps an incredible seasonal menu at your favourite restaurant?
We, at EA, love sharing news about special deals or events with other foodies.
So, if you know of any deals or events that you think we should share with the world, please let us know!
Email all your news & gossip to info@eatingalphabetically.com and we’ll make sure the word gets out there.
With Blonde’s “50% discount” almost at an end, the Caviar Group has decided that going “cold turkey” would be unnecessarily cruel. So, to make sure no-one has an excuse not to have visited Blonde, they’re extending the discount special, 33% off for the month of September.
That’s right, Blonde is giving you 33% discount off your entire bill!
Special starts on 01-Sept-2010, ends on 30-Sept-2010
Here’s what you can expect;
Starters
Spice-fried baby calamari, sautéed julienne vegetables and spicy peanut dressing
Smoked buffalo mozzarella salad with roast baby onions, sweet vine tomatoes and aged balsamic reduction
Roast tomato tarte tatin, balsamic reduction and Drakensberg goat’s feta
White onion velouté, seared scallops and petite onion rings
Mains
Lamb rump, matafam potatoes, tomato compôte and lamb and mint reduction
Smoked springbok loin, potato fondant, apple and date purée, roasted carrots and beef reduction
Trio of duck, confit duck leg roll, sautéed foie gras, truffle pommes purée, poultry reduction
Pan-fried linefish, warm new potato and rocket salad and roasted capsicum cream sauce
Please note, a discretionary 13% service charge will be added to your bill. Please feel free to ask the waitron to remove it if you are not comfortable with this addition but considering the impeccable service, I’m sure you find it is well earned.
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 18H30 to late
Blonde Restaurant / 129 Hatfield Street / Gardens / Tel: 021 462 5793 / Email: dine@blondedining.co.za/www.blondedining.co.za
Tuck into a juicy, gourmet, double burger for R50, chips included.
Special starts on 17-Aug-2010, ends on 31-Aug-2010.
Available from Sunday dinner, to Thursday dinner.
Polana / Harbour House / Kalk Bay Harbour / Kalk Bay / Cape Town / Tel: 021 788 5755 / www.harbourhouse.co.za/new/polana/index.php
