A night at Diaz

It’s a well-known fact that as soon as winter descends on Cape Town majority of the population transform into complete hermits. In summer, my plus-one and I pop out after dinner for a quick walk on the Seapoint prom, or a glass of wine at a friend’s, or just a drive to watch the sun fall over the sea. The days are far longer, the views around Cape Town are mind-blowing, and the idea of staying in seems totally foreign.

Fast forward from January to July, and the opposite is true. Between bouts of monsoon-like rain, wind that pelts the rain into a sideways motion fooling any umbrella and freezing temperatures, the thought of poking one toe out of the front door is absurd. We sprint home before dark to close curtains and stop the cold coming in. We huddle around the gas heater like we’re the last two people on earth, and my dogs grow into mini fluff balls resembling little grey lambs. Besides the little lamb bit, which I secretly enjoy, winter in Cape Town is totally depressing.

All is not lost however; as I have discovered one little treat which will suit both young and old. Now keep an open mind. The place that I recommend below is well-known by most Capetonians, but not necessarily a first option for a night out. Keep in mind that this recommendation comes on the back of many depressed nights in and the need to stretch your fun muscles.

So here it is:

Dias Tavern. Don’t gasp or shake your head until you’ve read until the end. The key to a good night at this old Portuguese institution is a LARGE group of friends. Don’t bother going if it’s just you and your in-laws – the key to success here is loads of fun-loving people to accompany you. Book a big table in advance (it gets busy). Anywhere in the restaurant is fine, but not near the bar or dance floor.

Yup. This happened at Dias. Your turn.

We’ve been a couple times for birthdays and other celebrations and I find that taking matters into your hands early on and booking a taxi ride there and back is the best way to do it. There is an FNB ATM at the entrance to the restaurant, so if you’ve forgotten cash for transport, no need to stress. The restaurant is warm and welcoming and absolutely packed most of the time. If you’re into sport, get there early on sporting days to watch the major rugby or football games – they seem to screen most of them. 

Once you’re in, don’t delay: Order a pitcher of Katemba immediately. If you haven’t tried it, you haven’t lived. This is one of those ‘when in Rome’ moments. If you’re going to soak in the authenticity of the place then just give in. Katemba is a mixture of Coca Cola and Red wine (another gasp). The benefit thereof is that your head and stomach might cope slightly better the next morning :)

The menu is filled with many delights like Trinchado, giblets, livers, Espetada, Prego (I could go on for ages) – you are bound to find something that suits your taste. I seem to always choose the giblets as a starter followed by the Trinchado. I can highly recommend both – and the hotter the better!

After dinner, specifically on a Friday or Saturday evening there is live entertainment, and hopefully by that time you have warmed up on the Katemba and are in the mood to shake those hips. The crowd is usually completely diverse, but united in their need for a good party. The best thing to do is pack your inhibitions to one side, along with your winter coat, and dance all your stress away.

This picture is blurred to protect the identities of the people having ridiculous amounts of fun at Dias :)

You need to relax and enjoy it – try not be too particular about seating, noise or service. Just get into the vibe and have a great time. We do it often, and we have many hilarious stories to tell about nights out at Dias.

Tell us yours once you’ve been.


xx L

Dias Tavern is located at 15 Caledon Street (off Buitenkant st) Cape Town. You can contact them on 021 465 7547.

One more pea in the little kitchen pod

Wow, how time flies. I feel like I blinked and suddenly I hadn’t posted on the blog for 2 weeks. Apologies to those who might have visited in the interim.

As a stop gap to help me fill the time I am taking on a partner. Someone to help me keep the blog up to date with interesting and relevant content. You would have read posts from Lisa regularly on the blog, so now, to make it official – here are a few details on Lisa...

Lisa & Rufus, Hout Bay

Lisa is a communications consultant living in Cape Town, South Africa. She is a fellow Miniature Schnauzer lover and I’m sure we will see the odd post about her furry babies R&R. Lisa only moved to the fair Cape with her new hubby in Jan 2011, so she has interesting insights on Cape culture and things that many of us take for granted.  She has been heard ranting about the lack of parking ‘in our village’ and happily greeting many a grumpy Capetonian on a morning run. Yes, we’ll admit to not being totally friendly first thing in the morning!

Lisa has fast become my number one exercise partner as well as drinking buddy, and together we conquer many fabulous trail runs, restaurants and recipes.

You can follow Lisa on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lisaedwardssa

I hope you’ll enjoy hearing from both of us, and please leave us your comments below if you have any questions or requests.

xx C & L

It all began with pea and ham…

In the first year of our relationship, I offered to host my husband’s family for dinner. I thought it was the polite thing to do – to prove to them all that I was decent long-term material for their son, and to generally just have a fun evening together. A day later I realised what a stupid suggestion it was. I detest cooking and I am terrible in the kitchen. Those close to me happily regale the tale of me giving my grandfather salmonella poisoning . Oi vey.

So I took it all in my stride.

I threatened my then boyfriend with his life if he didn’t make up an excuse to get out it, and then feigned crippling illness the morning of the dinner. Alas, he was by then aware of my tactics and refused to budge. “You’re amazing” he said. “You’ll be fine” he said. “We’ll do it together” he said. His toe wasn’t so fine after I stomped on it on my way to the kitchen. 

What to do, what to do.

My only option was Jamie Oliver. Mostly because it was the only cook book I owned at the time. And for goodness sake – if he can teach an island full of Brits to feed their kids properly, it can’t all be bollocks.

I won’t venture into the full production now. But I will tell you about the starter that I served. Yes, Starter!  The point of this post is to fully illustrate that this recipe is FOOL proof. I make it at least once a week in winter, and this weekend it was even enjoyed by someone who dislikes peas.

Jamie Oliver’s Pea and Mint Soup

Pg 132 of Jamie’s Ministry of Food

Serves 6-8

• 2 Carrots
• 2 Sticks celery
• 2 Medium onions
• 2 Cloves of garlic ( I just use the minced John West garlic)
• Olive oil
• 2 Chicken (or veg) stock cubes
• 800g Frozen peas
• A small bunch of fresh mint
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 300g Cooked ham (I used bacon)

­    Method:

• Peel and roughly slice carrots
• Slice the celery
• Peel and roughly chop the onions
• Peel and slice the garlic (or just chuck a teaspoon into the pot into pan with olive oil)
• Put a large pan (pot) on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Add all chopped ingredients to the pan and mix together
• Cook for around 10 minutes with the lid askew until soft but holding shape
• Put the stock cubes into a jug or pan and pour in 1.8 litres of boiling water from the kettle
• Stir until the stock cubes are dissolved then add to the veggies
• Add your peas
• Give the soup a good stir and bring to the boil
• Once boiling allow to simmer for 10 minutes
• When the peas have softened, remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper
• Add mint leaves (just a few – it can be overpowering)
• Hand blend or liquidise the soup until smooth
• Chop up the ham and stir it in.

Food Love. Images my own. 

• I served it with Heat and Eat rolls from Woolies and it went down with a treat. 

Enjoy it!

Follow Lisa on Twitter here

A Southern Suburbs institution {Guest Blog}

As you may have gathered from my pics from the weekend yesterday, we spent Sunday lunch at the Vineyard Hotel...

I usually find it quite intimidating eating at hotels. I have absolutely no clue why. 

Ok, that was a lie. I do.

Now please keep in mind that I refer to fancier hotels with the below admission: Hotel guests are usually substantially better dressed than your average South African. Ok me.  What with their Louis Vuitton handbags, Kurt Geiger ballet pumps and clean, fresh European appearance.

In addition, they ARE actually guests at the hotel, not local walk-in’s.  They are always seated when you walk in. There aren’t any available tables. The waiter spots your South African demeanor and ignores you. The service staff are usually akin to the kind you find in boutique clothes shops. Snooty, judgmental and completely unhelpful. It’s unbearably awkward. You fizzle into obscurity.

Dramatic much?

Now forget all that as it wasn’t my impression at all when strolling down the road to the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, Cape Town this weekend. 

The Vineyard Hotel. Image my own. 

We decided to hit the Vineyard patio for a spot of lunch to celebrate a family member’s birthday. We were graced by the most spectacular weather in Cape Town on Sunday, which is rather unusual, and I wouldn’t suggest the patio if the sun isn’t out.  You aren’t allowed to book on the patio, so if you’re a large group, I would suggest arriving at midday if you want to get a table for lunch.

The menu is fantastically diverse offering everything from spaghetti Bolognese to sushi and fillet to Moroccan chicken wraps.  I went for sushi (do I hear an ‘oh no’ dear reader?).  I would love to tell you otherwise, but even the staid Southern Suburbs delivers a fantastic plate of sushi, and this is definitely the case at the Vineyard. A favourite at the table was the battered fish and chips – the upmarket kind – neat wedges and only the best fillet of fish delicately swathed in a light and fresh batter. After polishing off all my husband’s wedges (paired with his tartare sauce accompaniment) I can authoritatively say that it’s a good option.

Before I stole his wedges. Images my own. 

To be honest, I could rant on about the food, but that’s not where the charm lies in this establishment. The Vineyard Hotel is an oasis in a highly dense residential area boasting rolling lawns, bubbling fountains and their very own Cape Mountain Tortoises of fine old ages. 

Postcard Views. Images my own.

Take a stroll along the banks of the Liesbeek River which trickles through the property and enjoy the serenity in the midst of the frenetic Newlands/Claremont area. Not a block away frantic shoppers whip their way around Cavendish. The Vineyard is what the weekend should be about: great food, incredible surroundings, peace and relaxation.

Loving the sunshine. Image my own. 

I have a sneaky suspicion that most Capetonians are keeping this gem secret from us ex-Joburgers, so don’t tell too many people. Pick a nice day and take the family or a bunch of friends for lunch – the setting is serene and the service impeccable.  

Beautiful Venue. Images my own. 

Visit www.vineyard.co.za for more, or ring them up on 021 657 4501. 

Lisa

To follow Lisa on Twitter click here 

Spicy awesomeness, and that’s just this post… {Guest Post}

There aren’t many things that fill the spot in winter like a good curry. Well, to be honest, I can think of a few more things, and before you have to rescue your mind far out of a Calcutta gutter, let me clarify. In addition to curry, you can add butter and garlic naan, vegetable pakoda, biryani and roti to my list. You might say then that I would have been a very happy person to be invited along for a night out at Indian restaurant Chandani. And you’d be right.

 

 Yes. I was this happy - Image from here

The evening began with my first venture into the Cape Town suburb of Woodstock. It’s just about the only suburb within the immediate radius of table mountain to have double digit growth on property year on year, and the character of some of the places is fantastic to see (read: it’s abit of a sh*thole on the upward curve). Chandani is located on the main drag, Roedebloem road, so the parking is on the street which is hard for most of us ex-Joburgers to accept (read: it’s a bloody nightmare – there’s no parking in this village)! 

 Roedebloem Road - Image from here

We ventured into the restaurant which is in an old Woodstock home with really authentic Indian decor. It was lovely and warm and the reception was friendly and welcoming. To cut a long story short – I could ramble for hours – we ordered:

We skipped starters, and I would recommend you do the same, or at least share. The mains are generously proportioned and with rice and naan, they’re hard to finish (which of course is therefore a challenge ;))

Now I have to apologise at this point for the lack of images in this post (besides that ridiculously good looking, happy man above ;)) Curry isn’t the easiest thing to capture on film, and neither were my dinner guests (JOKING!) – so I avoided both.  

Chandani is well-known for its brinjal masala, and whilst I didn’t have it myself, a dinner-mate did, and he had good things to say about it. He’s also a meat eating South African male, so it must be amaaaaazing.

I ordered the Tawa Jhinga which is explained on the menu as prawns and chilli tossed with onions and green pepper in a tangy tomato sauce. After a slight mix-up which resulted in us getting a free veg dish for the table, my food arrived. Accompanying the dish we ordered steamed rice and garlic naan. It was also compulsory for each guest around the table to eat some of the aforementioned garlic naan to avoid any awkward moments.

The prawns in my dish were cooked to perfection although quite scarce, but given the size of each one – it was adequate. I really enjoyed the crunch of the onions and green peppers in the dish alongside the spice of the tomato sauce. I unfortunately asked the kitchen to go easy on the ‘hotness’ of the dish – which meant it was relatively mild. I enjoy a medium curry, so they could have added a little more.

We were all completely stuffed from the mains so sadly had to skip the pudding, but fret not – we’re planning a post with just dessert to make up for it!

Judging from the mmm’s, nom nom’s and aaaah’s from around the table, the restaurant was a good choice and if there weren’t so MANY good restaurants in Cape Town, we would definitely be back.

 Chandani - Image from here

Visit Chandani at 85 Roedebloem Ave Woodstock or call them on +27 21 447 7887. 

The web addy is www.chandani.co.za.

To follow Lisa on Twitter, click here

Or find her @LisaEdwardsSA

     

One Night with a Red Rabbit - Guest Post

Lisa is my running partner, bootcamp wingman, bridesmaid and basically a sister and every so often she lets me cook in her kitchen! Everyone say Hi! Having recently been to Johannesburg on business and visiting a fabulous sounding new restaurant called Red Rabbit, agreed to do a guest post restaurant review on the new French Grill. Hope everyone had a super Mother's Day Weekend!

Follow Lisa on Twitter here! 

Enjoy! xx C

The disclaimer attached to this piece is that I am by no means a qualified restaurant reviewer. I am however a regular restaurant patron at good and not-so-good establishments in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, giving me much fodder to write about. The opinion that follows is gathered from a recent evening at the newly opened Red Rabbit French Grill in the Nicolway Centre on William Nicol in Bryanston.

The Red Rabbit is the second restaurant from well-known restaurateur Thomas Barker of the wildly popular Thomas Maxwell Bistro in Parkmore, Johannesburg.  The Bistro has been open for as long as I can remember and is fully booked most of the time. A good option for a cosy Winter night out I might add.

 Red Rabbit, Nicolway Centre

If you are in to celeb spotting, the Nicolway Centre is the place to be at the moment. With most of these newly opened centres, specifically those that feature Sandton’s favourite brunch spot, Tasha’s, you are bound to spot an SA schleb or two. In my case we were graced by the lovely Kerry McGregor at the table next to us. Many an embarrassing moment ensued when various buffed up Morningside-gym goers approached the table to greet the beauty whom they assumed would remember them from that fleeting introduction at a cocktail party 6 months back. Alas not, to our immense satisfaction.

The setting of the restaurant is good, but if you are looking for a quiet slow environment, then this is not for you. The restaurant is split in two by a walkway and as a result, there is constant pedestrian traffic. You will need to book to get into the Red Rabbit, and I would recommend asking for a table either well within the ‘indoor’ part of the restaurant, or up against the glass of the ‘patio’ side.  

Another must-know is that the Red Rabbit is not yet licensed to serve alcohol. Once we were past the horrified gasps at hearing this news, the waiter quickly reminded us that the Woolworths in the centre is open until 8pm. I am sure it won’t be long until this is sorted, but in the interim, remember to take a bottle or 5 with you.

 Some little nibbles!

Wine in hand and voyeurism under control, we studied the menu. At first look it is relatively limiting,  but the options are in line with what you might expect at a French Grill. I opted for a Salmon Tartare for my starter. The plate arrived and it was beautiful.  The raw Salmon was neatly stacked into a cup shaped pile on the one side of the oblong plate with what appeared to be a crème fraiche and caviar topping. Accompanying the dish was a dollop of mayonnaise and another round of black caviar. Excuse my caviar ignorance! The dish was lovely – the finely chopped red onion rolled into the Salmon stack added a bite to the smooth deliciousness of the Salmon and the accompanying melba toast was put to good use in mopping up stray caviar, mayonnaise and Salmon. A great option and I think fairly priced at R75 given the sizable portion of salmon on the plate.

 Salmon Tartare Starter

For mains I went with a bowl of Chilli and Napolitana Mussels with crispy fries on the side. I have to confess that I almost lived at the Belgian restaurant Belgo’s in Convent Garden during my time in London, so I had high standards for these mussels, and while very different, they didn’t disappoint. The Chilli was mild, and given the sometimes blandness of mussels, I reckon they could ramp up the Chilli in the dish. I emptied small portions of the crunchy chips into the Napolitana sauce and then scooped them up with a mussel for a taste bud ménage a trois.

Chilli and Napolitana Mussels with Crispy Fries

I was disappointed when it came to choosing a desert. The options included strawberry ice cream, more ice cream options, a chocolate fondant and a cheeseboard. Obviously the chocolate fondant won. We were informed that there would be a 15-20 minute wait for the fondant, which lucky for the waiter suited our wine appreciation schedule. The plate arrived looking spectacular. The fondant itself was slightly hardened on the outside with a soft and juicy interior. This chocolaty goodness was accompanied by ice cream and a sliced strawberry as well as a few drops of what seemed to be a berry mixture. It might be the only chocolate option on the menu, but it is a winner.

 Chocolate Fondant

Overall, we had a great night out and the service was good. Go and try it and post your experience below!

To get in touch with Red Rabbit:
http://www.redrabbitfrenchgrill.com 
or call (011) 706 1731

P.S All Images by Lisa