Scratch me (Video)

Lucy, the wire-haired fox terrier, has a spot on her neck which I must scratch. When I move my hand away, she drags it back. Here is what she does . . .

@Food and Wine a new favourite

Hermanus has a new hotspot and it is worth a visit. 

Situated conveniently in the new Carriages building, an evening out now means no looking for parking and no driving too far out of town if you come from Eastcliff’s side like me.

I have to pause for a moment though and add that the Carriages building is opposite Woolworths. I have spoken to so many people who have not seen a whole new building going up in the Main Road.

So here goes, here is what I thought of @Food and Wine:

We arrived to a very warm welcome. 

I must admit, my first impressions were that this is different. Very different. Every effort has been taken to consider every detail. From décor to dining, @Food and Wine is here to impress.

Within minutes chef Edmund Viljoen was greeting diners and making everyone feel at home.

Our very first impression of the menu is that it is very well priced. Especially when you are considering a three-course meal, you don’t always feel like a huge starter or main, so the smaller options are a fantastic addition.

Before we got started with our food, a small amuse-bouche was served. It was a small potato soup with truffle oil. Give me more please! Buckets more!

I opted for the wild mushroom risotto, which was pure perfection and my partner went with the skilpadjies. Yes, they have skilpadjies on the menu. But, do not be scared. I had a taste and it was amazing.

But, the mains were truly what blew us away.

I had the rump steak with triple cooked chips and some roasted vegetables. My partner had the sticky ribbetjies.

Where do I begin. In my mind there was only one restaurant in Hermanus that could serve proper steak. Well, now there are two.

You could choose between a pepper crust or a basting, and I chose the basting. It was done to perfection. Every bite was a pleasure.

You know that taste you crave when you crave a good steak? You know the one, a mix between the black charcoal of a braai and the red juiciness of the steak? This is what @Food and Wine delivered. It was so good, I was considering skipping dessert and ordering another steak.

My partner’s ribbetjies were also out of this world. Every bite melts in your mouth. And, this includes the softest and smoothest mash you have ever tasted.

All throughout the service was impeccable. There is really a sense of camaraderie among the staff. Everyone serves, takes away dirty plates and tops up your wine.

So yes, I was considering skipping dessert, but boy, am I happy I opted for the dark chocolate mousse. Don’t expect one of those mousses that come out of a packet and are served in a huge milkshake glass. This mousse is much more special. It’s a quenelle of the darkest, yummiest mousse, a dollop of ice-cream and two gorgeously toasted marshmallows.

So that was the meal.

I’m going to have to go and make a cup of tea before I get to the negatives . . . because there are none!

If I have think long and hard about the things I do not like, there really are only 3. And these are a matter of personal taste and not really any reflection on the restaurant itself.

We had to ask for the wine list and later in the evening I noticed that another table also had to ask. I was wondering whether I didn't get the memo about bringing my own wine or something, but we nevertheless ordered an awesome Gabriëlskloof red blend.

For a place that has the word ‘wine’ in the title, I was expecting more of a variety of it. 

But, do you see how I’m nit-picking here?

With the sticky ribbetjies I also expected to get a little finger bowl or even a wet wipe. Perhaps it is not the type of place where you sit and eat the meat off the bone, but, it is so good, how can you not?

Those are my only criticisms, but please, do not let those few aspects keep you away from @Food and Wine. Those few comments have no bearing on the warm and friendly atmosphere that both chef and staff create.

Remember to book. They fill up quite quickly. 

Winter is upon Hermanus, and restaurants cannot afford to alienate their customers with bad service and exorbitant prices anymore. They also can’t freeze customers over with an unwelcome experience and icy stares.

@Food and Wine strikes the balance between a great quality product and reasonable prices. The hospitality of all the staff will warm any cold wintery night.

Can we talk about wine?

On Thursday we visited a local restaurant. It was the first time I went there in a very long time.

A bottle of Caresse Marine cost R95. I’m going to repeat that so that you know what my problem is: a R32 bottle of Caresse Marine cost R95 in this restaurant.

My jaw dropped. This restaurant tripled the price of this wine.

I’m not a wine snob.  I even have a stack of Caresse Marine at home, white and red. In fact, I think Caresse Marine is a fantastic house wine, but R95?

And on the topic of house wines, why are we settling for Chateau Libertas and Tassenberg? A house wine is where a business owner can flex those sommelier muscles and find that jewel among the cheap wines. Here too, local wineries can produce cheaper labels, like Caresse Marine, that are still of a higher quality than the vinegar some restaurants are serving as their house wine.

And, why must a glass of house wine cost R35? As much as a bottle?

Show me that you have made some attempt at negotiating your wine prices with the producer. Show me that you do not want me to have a headache the next morning.

One local business who is getting this balance right is Piccolo’s Pizzeria. The house wine is R25 for about 250ml and it is always good and the owner never hesitates to let you know what you are drinking. There is no need to hide cheap bottles and boxes, because there are none.

He makes the greatest effort of including great local wine on the menu at affordable prices. And, when we take our own bottle, we do not hesitate in pouring him a glass. Wine is there to be shared and talked about after all.

At Piccolo’s Pizzeria you can get a Gabrielskloof wine for R85.

And again, I will write this out so that you know what my problem is.

At Piccolo’s Pizzeria I can get a R65 great, local wine for R85, but at the other restaurant I get a R32 bottle for R95.

I understand the model of doubling the price of booze, I just don’t understand why you have to extort your customers?

We are not all tourists. We are the one who carry you through those dry seasons. We are the ones who brave the cold to visit you. We are the ones who also pay tax in this town, bring feet through your door and choose to spend those special little celebrations around your table. Our hard-earned, ever-weakening rands go into your cash register.

Please don’t only recommend the R360 bottle of wine when I ask what your recommendation is. A good waiter and manager should be recommending a cheaper wine and a more expensive wine. Who knows, maybe one night will call for the Hamilton Russel Pinot Noir, but hunny, that sure isn’t when a bottle of Caresse Marine already costs R95.

While voicing my concerns, some friends of mine spoke about a sliding scale at a wine bar in Cape Town. No, not like refill coffee where the second one is cheaper (although I quite like that idea), but where cheaper wines are sold at a 100% mark-up, but the more expensive the wine is, the less the mark-up is. This means that a R200 bottle of Newton Johnson will not be R400 on a menu, but rather R360. A Caresse Marine will be R64. Does this make sense? 

We live in the most wonderful wine region. It is such a special commodity.

Restaurant owners and managers should be getting excited about tasting, swirling and smelling this red elixir that people come from far and wide to taste. It should be exciting to introduce customers to a new wine which they have never tried before, even if it is the cheap one. 

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