Eats & Drinks.

Caveau Eggs Benedict do not disappoint. A long-standing favourite, served with Black Forrest ham on a croissant.

I know this guy who makes this wine who also happens to have a cool wine shop in Riebeek Kasteel called the Wine Kollective selling only Swartland wines. He also happens to be my landlord in town! His El Capitan 10 is jammalicious, bordering on dessert wine red!

Chourizo and cannellini bean stew, with some couscous, makes a pretty awesome and hearty winter dinner. With tons of red wine, of course. Get your chourizo from Frankie Fenner, it’s good.

Saturdays playing cards drinking Alphabetical red wine out of tumblers. I don’t need much more than that.

“Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.” Sophia Loren said it all, right there. Except sometimes I actually prefer linguini.

One of my favourite wine brands around. The red, er Rooi, is not their best, but their bubbly is one of the best value MCC wines around. From the Boer & Brit duo.

DIY burgers at a friends house. Simple yet so satisfying, no matter how old you are.

Have you had this bubbly? Have you? Probably not since it’s only available at the Glen Carlou cellar and often sells out. It’s damend good though. Lush fruit with a crisp citrus edge and not too dry, the kind you can sip with brunch.

I eat way too many of these.

The Salmon Tartare Habit.

I’m not really one for habit, generally avoiding it wherever possible. At school I used to sit at different desks just to, er, sit at different desks. I even cycled different routes home for the hell of it. To break the monotony. And if anything is monotonous, it’s school. When it comes to eating, monotony kills.  The fun is when you try new things, discover new restaurants, play with recipes and drink new wines. But despite this, I realized I have a serious habit. I’ve found myself eating the salmon tartare on Tuesday’s at Caveau in Heritage Square. Not Tuesday’s on purpose, mind you, just by pure random chance. They do serve it any day from their raw bar, but pretty much every Tuesday for months now, either for lunch or dinner, I’ve had this tartare. And it might be the first habit I’ve picked up that I really enjoy. I’m going to stick to it.

Steak tartare is awesome, but using salmon makes a great alternative, and it’s healthier. Mixed with chopped chives, spring onions, capers, black sesame seeds and other good things, it’s bloody delicious. Served with a side of crispy straw chips and some thin toast to scoop up the salmon with, you’ll wolf it down in a few satisfying minutes. And you won’t feel horribly full or heavy, which is a bonus. Just be warned, a week will go by and you’ll start to crave it. Then you’ll be back there eating it. And if you want to really enjoy yourself, have a glass of refreshingly crisp Jordan Riesling with it. There are far worse ways to spend an afternoon.

Here’s to habits then, well, the good ones.

www.caveau.co.za

Giovanni’s.

Giovanni’s is a bit of a paradox for me. For many reasons. On the one hand, it’s the kind of place you wish you were a regular at because it really is the best urban deli in Cape Town. There’s a formidable lineup of foods at the deli counter. A great coffee bar with outside seating and always a decent crowd of people. Plus a few models for eye-candy. Great. On the other hand, you want to be a regular because if you’re not, the barmen are rather indifferent to you. Seriously, some grouchy guys behind there. Not great. On the one hand, the coffee is really good, but on the other they make a flat white the same way you’d get a cappuccino at Milky Lane in the 80′s: overflowing with foam and covered in chocolate sprinkles. You can get pretty much any imported delicacy and plenty of locally made jams and spreads and all manner of spices and breads and what looks like the whole NoMu range of rubs (which is now about 30 different types) – but, and while there’s often a cute butt at Giovanni’s there’s always a negative but too, everything seems to be a little too pricey here. Go in for a coffee and sandwich and don’t be surprised if it costs you R75. Now if you have the Chalmar Rump sandwich and a real flat white at Jardine, that’s okay. And the steak sandwich at Caveau might be around R90, but it’s probably the best in town, served with fried onions and straw chips. I’m talking about a basic chicken schnitzel sandwich and a coffee for R75. That, with some indifferent service from the barman leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth every time I visit. I mean, if you’re going to make coffee all day, do it with a smile on your face. You don’t have to sing like the Vida boys, but you’re not at a funeral either. Come on, man, you get to look at pretty girls all day!

On a separate note, meandering around Giovanni’s deli area is a dangerous activity if you’re a food-loving shopper with no willpower. The place is littered with awesome foodstuffs: Foie Gras, Caviar and sizeable blocks of Parmesan cheese; Big tins of Portugese olive oil; Jars of Italian artichokes. Mmm, I had just eaten lunch and I was hungry again. They really do have a great selection and it sets them apart from other deli shops. Well, it’s that and the so-cool-it-hurts crowd that congregates there. I’ll be back for the occasional coffee (stick to espresso) or lunch. And it’s always useful to pop in for a bottle of wine. But I don’t think I’ll ever be a regular here.

Giovanni’s. Lots of different foods and some indifferent barmen. 021 434 6893

Wines of the week.

If you enjoy wine, you really enjoy getting a bottle of something great for less. Any red-faced codger with a platinum card can buy great wine based purely on price. Finding a special wine that knocks the ‘big boys’ off their thrones for half the price or less – that just makes me beam with happiness.  I’m not talking about R30 plonkers that outdo the R50 bretheren. I’m talking about wines that sell for R70-R100 that kick the butts of wines selling for R200-R300 and beyond. Those are comparative retail prices – if you’re buying wine for under R50 a bottle at a restaurant, show me where your time machine is. Even Four Cousins sells for more than that in Gugulethu shebeens these days.

It’s not always easy to find these superb wines, but they’re there. At restaurants, it means paying attention to vintages available. It’s always worth a quick scan of the list to keep an eye out for something special. Peddlars on the Bend has been known to sell De Toren Fusion V 2000 for under R300 per bottle. I’m not sure if they still do, but crikey, if they are it’s worth going there and buying whatever they have in the cellar now. This week I had a bottle of Vriesenhof Enthropio 2004 from Caveau in Newlands at around R150. When I say around, it’s because I wasn’t exactly sober when it came to signing the bill, the receipt of which I promptly lost. There’s a good vibe there for brunch on Sunday’s that’s worth checking out. Either way, the wine was an absolute gem. I also drank some Talana Hill Chardonnay, possibly the greatest Chardonnay I’ve had this year. Also, and purely coincidentally, made by Vriesenhof, from a single vineyard in the Helderberg area of Stellenbosch. It has such a fat range of flavours it doesn’t even taste like a straight Chardonnay. Get a bottle of this the next time a ‘wino’ friend comes round, give them a bit and ask them to ‘guess’ what they think it is. Humble them a bit. It’s always amusing doing that.

By far the best wine moment this week was when someone in my office told me he could buy Cordoba Crescendo at R55 per bottle. The Stellenbosch farm has closed down, sadly, though rumour has it will be replaced by an exciting new joint-venture with a Californian cult wine. But for now, whatever remaining stock of Cordoba wines are around must be dwindling. And the Crescendo has always been a good wine. It would retail for at least R160 per bottle normally, so R55 seems, how would you say, ****ing cheap! I had him buy me 12 on the spot. This was through GetWine.co.za, a site that specializes in exactly this sort of deal – selling unlabeled bottles of surplus stock from estates. Amazingly, he ordered the wines around noon and by 4pm they were at the office! I polished off a bottle with dinner this evening and can safely say that this might just be the best wine deal of the year…

Professional luncher.

My speedy lunch from the Engen/Woolworth on Orange yesterday got me thinking about some of the better lunches I’ve had in the last few days. So here they are…

Sushi at Caveau Deli… I think there are some people that have yet to realise Caveau has a separate Deli area. Entrance is on Shortmarket Street and seating in Heritage Square courtyard. Wake up, people! This place is packed for lunch even when sitting outside is barely manageable. They serve the full menu from Caveau restaurant (and you can actually order from HQ next door too), plus you can cruise the pasta station, sandwich/charcuterie area (always order a custom-made sandwich) or sushi bar and decide what you’d like made up. I had a platter of octopus nigiri and sashimi along with some salmon fashion sandwiches (they’re cut smaller than normal, which works better). Sushi is always fresh here. And they make their own soy sauce, less salty than normal. A smart move since most people seem to enjoy drowning their sushi in soy (in case it comes back to life?). The service can be distracted, but wine always helps when you’re waiting. And there’s a model agency office on the square, so you’re guaranteed some quality eye exercise.

Pies from Jardine Bakery… Yes, Jardine Bakery makes great Pain au Chocolat. And delicious sandwiches. And their coffee is always fantastic. But maybe these are all secondary to their stupendously indulgent pies. I’ve had a pork belly and apple pie here that was mind-blowing. I had the mushroom and emmental pie here this week which was also quite spectacular. Rich portobello mushrooms and tasty Swiss cheese in a moreish crust. Can pies be sexy? Who cares. Best part is they’re quite small, so you can still have a proper lunch after…

Pork prego from &UNION…  Amazing beer. Check. Hippest interior design in Cape Town. Check. Famous entrepreneur owners on hand. Check. Artisan meats hanging from the ceiling. Check. Small but quality wine selections. Check. Cute urban foodie hipster girl in the corner. Check. Pork prego rolls so good you want to cry. Check. Longing desire to move to Portugal and raise pigs after eating here. Check.

Chicken pie at Joostenberg Deli… Yes, it’s a little further out than the rest, but I often drive the long way to Stellenbosch (they’re off the N1) just to pass this place. Why? Take a bite of that freshly baked chicken pie, mister, and you’ll stop asking stupid questions. This place has an entire butchery dedicated to pork. Wait, let me repeat that: this place has a butchery dedicated entirely to pork! Most of the cured hams and proscuitto-style meats you buy from your neighbourhood deli are actually made here. But even if you don’t stock up on cured meats, sausages and bacon, just pop in and get one of their chicken pies. You won’t be unhappy you did. Usually sold out by 2 p.m. though, be warned.

www.caveau.co.za

www.jardineonbree.co.za

www.andunion.com

www.joostenberg.co.za

Caveau.

I have a soft spot for Caveau. And I’m talking about the original Heritage Square outpost here. Perhaps my favourite restaurant in Cape Town, it is a bit of a love-hate relationship. On the Love side, there’s the food. Their tapas are delicious. Crispy prawns with sweet chili. Beef cubes with bernaise. lamb samoosas. Pan-fried baby octopus. Fish goujons. Sometimes there is the odd dish on the menu that seems a little out of place (they once had quesadilla’s going. wtf?), but in general the tapas are great.

The mains – no tapas served at lunch – are almost always perfect. The tapas can be simpler, yet no less tasty, but since they only serve about four or five mains at dinner they really make these gourmet dishes, true haute cuisine. I’ve had great lamb shank, beef fillet with bernaise, eisbein, grilled kingklip, roast pork belly, veal cutlets, various risottos and tons more. I’ve had some great meals there, really. Not to mention the great meat- and cheese-platters. And the steak tartares. And one-off items I’ve yet to see again. I once had a 1997 Rust en Vrede Estate blend with a Cote du Boeuf the size of Schalk Burger’s hand.* The wines are another story. And I’ve had some truly fantastic wines there.

They introduced me to Grenache Blanc in South Africa. I’ve tasted verticals of Hamilton Russell Chardonnay, magnums of vintage Meerlust Rubicon, my first taste of Waterford’s The Jem. I’ve sampled hundreds of wines here, thanks to the owners’ generosity that compels them to share with regular visitors. In fact, of the wine I’ve consumed in restaurants over the last two years, probably half was at Caveau. And we’re not talking cheap ‘n cheerful wines here. But that’s where the Hate side comes in. I always seem to leave the restaurant having spent a small fortune. It’s not that they’re overly expensive, though they are a pricey establishment. It’s just that I seem to unrelentingly spend obscene amounts of money here. And i’m not the only one. I have friends who complain about the same thing.

But we all keep coming back. And often! Which says a lot about the quality of the place. And aside from the food and the wine, there is an atmosphere that wins me over every time I’m there. I can’t remember not having a great time with friends at this restaurant. I’m sure the debaucherous nature of our visits has a role to play. But it’s the whole experience that makes Caveau a winner. Perhaps the winner.

www.caveau.co.za

* – There were several of us that night we ate the Cote du Boeuf and drank several bottles of delicious wine. At one point, a friend was feeling overly full, if a little intoxicated. Her boyfriend helped her to his car outside – right outside the front door – where she sat in the passenger seat to rest for a while. As he walked back the stairs she vomited a little onto the street, then closed the door and lay back to sleep. He gazed at the her a moment, then came inside and returned to the table to finish off his steak and rejoin the festivities. True commitment to his meal!