Eat Out restaurant awards

At a big gala event in Cape Town this past weekend Eat Out magazine gave out various awards. Here are the results. 

The top restaurant in the country is The Test Kitchen. Rumour has it that the restaurant is fully booked till February and that they received 300 calls the day after the awards. I am for sure jumping on that bandwagon ASAP - cant wait!

Top 10 Restaurants

1. The Test Kitchen
2. The Tasting Room
3. Jordan Restaurant
4. Overture
5. Rust en Vrede
6. DW Eleven-13
7. La Colombe
8. The Greenhouse (2011 Nr 1)
9. Terroir
10. Hartford House

Chef of the year

Margot Janse of The Tasting Room

Service excellence award

Rust en Vrede

Best Bistro

9th Avenue Bistro

Best Steakhouse

Carne

Best Country-style restaurant

Fresh at Paul-Cluver Wine Estate

Best Asian restaurant

Saigon

Best Italian restaurant

Cafe del Sol

Boschendal style awards in association with Visi

Greenhouse at Babylonstoren

The Sidewalk Cafe - Stop by

The Sidewalk Café

Another gem nestled away in the neighbourhood of Vredehoek is The Sidewalk Café. This is one of the numerous success stories of the Madame Zingara group.

Place where you can relax or finish some last minute work.

First impression: The restaurant looks totally out of place in the neighbourhood. This quaint little building on the corner will fit in next to the beach in a small West-Coast town. Owing to the Madame Zingara style there's interesting decorative features in every nook and corner of the restaurant. A design feature I particular liked was a white painted display of cooking utensils dangling from the roof.

The view was breath-taking. From our table we looked up to beautiful Table Mountain and simultaneously observed the ocean and the Cape Town stadium in the distance. The place was packed with people ordering jugs of Pimms, enjoying the great Cape Town weather and unwinding after a long day. You can sit on wooden benches on the sidewalk or be more comfortable inside the restaurant where you still have a view. To describe Sidewalk Café in one word I would say - RELAXING.

Food: The majority of our table enjoyed the leek, mint, pea and pancetta risotto with deep fried goat cheese balls(R75). It was deliciously creamy and the portion was very filling. The  goat cheese balls brought a smooth and tangy  element to the dish. A famous dish of The Sidewalk Café is their beer battered deep fried fish and chips with home-made tartar sauce(R70). The portion is huge and my brother who tried this dish really struggled to finish it and he loves his food. This dish defiantly comes highly recommended.

Other dishes I observed from a distance which looked delicious were the baby marrow and melon salad with mint, lemon, basil, toasted sunflower seeds and honey dressing(R48) and the red coconut curry that ranges from R70-R105 depending on what protein you choose with it.

For affordable, fresh and an introduction to some new ingredient pairings I would recommend The Sidewalk café. It's and ideal place to come with a group of friends, unwind and feast deliciously.

If you can't make it for dinner be sure to visit them for a breakfast or a lunchtime sandwich.

Drinks: They have a limited cocktail menu but the Singapore sling was delicious. Wine by the glass is from R25 upwards and they stock brands like Brampton, Haute Cabriere and Diemersfontein. Corkage is R35 per bottle and they allow one bottle per table. For the ultimate refreshment I would suggest their Jug of Pimms(R65). You can never go wrong with Pimms :)

Service: Very laid back and to some extent awkward but our glasses remained full and our food did not take long to arrive.

The Sidewalk Café is a warm, relaxing and comfortable eatery where you can feast and be merry without breaking the ban - add the beautiful view and you will leave a happy customer.

Specials: Two for one cocktails from 15:00 - 18:00

When to visit: Monday - Saturday 08:00-22:30 & Sunday 09:00 - 14:00
Address: 33 Derry Street , Vredehoek
Telephone number: 021 461 2839
E-mail: sidewalk@madamezingara.com
Website: http://www.sidewalk.co.za/index.html

I love my Laundry

Welcome to I love my laundry

Courtesy of  Cape Town Foodblog and I love my laundry myself and three friends recently enjoyed a stunning evening of wine tasting and fondue.


We were charismatically greeted by the lovely owner Clayton of I love my laundry. This is one of the first restaurants in South Africa where you can come for coffee,wine, dim sum and have your laundry done while you wait. The laundry usually is done within 3-4 hours and they do sms you when you have to come and fetch it. Clayton told us the idea came to him to open a place in Cape Town after he travelled in America and saw how they combine the boring task of laundry by coupling Laundromats with with gyms and restaurants.

The creatively decorated I love my laundry

 


Arts and crafts for all to enjoy

I love my Laundry is  famous for their Dim Sum. Be sure to visit them on Wednesday where some wine tasting and Dim Sum is made into a fabulous event. R40 for 8 pieces of dim sum and a glass of wine or coffee. The fondue however is traditionally hosted on Thursdays evenings. Be sure to book in advance!

Everyone that attends is seated at a long table so your neigbours soon becomes new friends. The fondue cost R125 pp. On the night we visited there were three pots filled with beef consommé, a three cheese sauce ( which we abused) and a boozy dark chocolate sauce. With that loads of bowels and baskets are brought to the table filled with beef, different types of bread, potato, greenpepper ,mushrooms, fruit, marshmallows -  just to name a few. Empty bowels are generously refilled so the big task is to pace yourself. 

 

 

 

 

We tasted six wines which ranged from Sauvignon blanc, Chenin blank to a few red-wine blends. All the wines were brands that were not known to us which we really enjoyed. I love my laundry prides itself in delivering affordable quality wine.

The space that I love my laundry is in is very busy with crafts, bicycle, sweet treats and art that changes every week. They are currently the only location that stock the fold-up bicycle that has become a new trend worldwide.

For a warm, charismatic, entertaining and new experience please visit this fabulous establishment.

P.s Don't forget your laundry :)

Location: 53 Buitengracht street, Heritage square, Cape Town
Cellphone number: 083 602 0291
Website: http://ilovemylaundry.co.za/
Facebookpage: http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Love-My-Laundry/382208975132801
Twitter : @ilovemylaundry

Clarkes

 

Clarke's is situated in Bree street. They are known for their burgers and being a  hip 'watering hole' at night. The restaurant is modelled after an American diner.  I however visited them for breakfast and can now say that they are know for the burgers, being a hip bar AND they serve delicious breakfast - according to me :)

Choosing was difficult! I am known for my sweet tooth and the French toast with nutella, pecan nuts and apple (R55) kept winking at me but I chose the stuffed omelette in the end. The omelette is filled with spinach, zucchini, smoked aubergine, tomatoes, pan-fried mushrooms and goat's cheese( R55). Goat's cheese is my 'thing' at the moment. The omelette was cooked to perfection. Nice and crisp on the outside but moist and filled to the brim with the fillings on the inside. Its served with a toast and peashoots. This has been one of my favourite omelettes I have eaten to date. Restaurants really struggle to perfect an omelette and Clarke's gets an A+ from me. My boyfriend had the man breakfast consisting of toast, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, bacon and sausage(R50). The quality of the food was great and freshness is ensured.

My only criticism is that I really did not enjoy their coffee. It was very bitter but lets contribute that to personal taste. My boyfriend had no concern with his "cup of joe".

The restaurant was filled with different personalities. Men in suits, women with dogs, a tattooed skater boy and some families. As some of the hipster joints sometimes makes you feel excessively judge as soon as you enter I can ensure you that Clarke's does not fall under that reign.

I will soon return to claim my French toast!

Address: 133 Bree street
When to visit: Mondays and Tuesday 07:00 - 18:00 & Wednesday to Fridays 07:00 - 02:00 and Saturdays 08:00 - 02:00
Website: www.clarkedining.co.za