Tag Archives: Brunello

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 2 April

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   ‘Madiba’s Journey’ is a new GPS-enabled App which allows one to follow in the footsteps of the late Nelson Mandela, directing one to sites associated with one of our country’s greatest leaders.  The App was designed for SA Tourism and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

*   An Australian blind tasting of red wines under screw cap and cork by international wine judges has ‘voted in favour of the expressions aged under screwcap, a particularly impactful result to occur on Italian soil, where this closure was until recently banned from use in many of the country’s most prestigious wines such as Brunello di Montalcino, and still remains controversial’.  Australian winemakers are increasingly using screwcaps on their wine Continue reading →

Fantastic Fantinel Italian wines now in SA, good pairing with Mondiall menu!

Fabtinel branding Whale CottageYesterday we went Italian at worldly Mondiall, enjoying nine very fine and fantastic Fantinel wines, with a broad spectrum of Prosecco, light white wines, and rich earthy red wines, introduced by Dr Marco Fantinel, President of Gruppo Vinicolo Fantinel. The company is adding South Africa to its list of elite distribution points.Fantinel DR Marco Fantinel Whale Cottage

We were served a glass of Fantinel Prosecco Extra Dry as the welcome drink, and served canapés of ceviche on sesame crisps, as well as pork belly.  The pork belly canapés appeared just as we were going upstairs for the tasting, and were finished before I could photograph them!

Dr Fantinel traced the development of the company back to his grandfather Mario Fantinel, a hotelier and retaurateur in Fruili, in Continue reading →

Richard’s Supper Stage & Bistro a welcome new Sea Point entertainment venue

A chance Facebook post about Richard’s Supper Stage & Bistro earlier yesterday took me to the entertainment venue last night, and I was delighted to meet entertainment legend and director/producer Richard Loring, who is the co-owner with Roland Seidel, who had owned Seidelberg wine estate.

A double story venue which previously housed Adega restaurant, next door to the 7-Eleven on Main Road Sea Point, will become a 200-seater ‘Supper Stage’ upstairs, with entry via Glengariff Road (the new striking red and white striped awning is a promise of great things to come).  Richard has redone the paving outside the entrance, and received permission to plant a garden on the pavement, to lift the tone of the neighbourhood.  Even 7-Eleven owner Elia Hadjidakis has promised Richard and Roland that this branch will become their flagship, to match the quality of the new entertainment venue.  Upstairs the massive space will sport Richard’s white piano, and some of the guests will see Robben Island from there. Upstairs too will be Richard’s Bar, which will be decorated with all Richard’s memorabilia spanning the past 50 years, the anniversary being celebrated later this year.  All the walls will be covered with wallpaper of Cape Town images, some of Adderley Street in black and white, and others in colour, such as of Bo-Kaap.  On Main Road a new red canopy with see-through ‘windows’ protected the Bistro deck downstairs from the strong southeaster wind.

Richard’s wife, former model Jeanette Stuart, is in Johannesburg, packing up their house there for the move to Cape Town.  Richard owned a house in Camps Bay for many years, but has now bought a house in Gordon’s Bay. In Johannesburg Richard ran the Sound Stage Theatre and dinner venue for 18 years, having put on 40 productions in this period. After selling the theatre he worked for the 1100-seater Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City as theatre show consultant before moving to Cape Town in November.

I asked how Richard and Roland had met.  ‘African Footprint’ promoter Wolfgang Bocksch introduced Richard to Roland about eight years ago, and they talked loosely then about doing a theatre in Paarl.  Nothing came of this, but Roland did make an African Footprint wine to be sold at the ‘African Footprint’ shows. After an illness, which necessitated the sale of Seidelberg to Fairview last year, Roland contacted Richard, and they rekindled their idea of a show, choosing Sea Point. Originally the idea was to get Adega to provide the food service, but increasingly Richard and Roland realised that they should be in control of this side of their business too, and appointed Chef Ulli Stamm.  Richard and Roland have developed the story for ‘Kaapse Stories from the Mother City’, with Basil Appollis writing the script for the show.  They are busy casting for the show, which will be specifically aimed at tourists, but also at locals.  The cost of the show and buffet dinner should be around R350.  The show will be a fun mix of dance, humour, pathos, and history, a celebration of what Cape Town is all about, Richard said. Richard sees their venture making a contribution to tourism, in informing tourists about the history of the Cape, in allowing the employment of about 40 staff members to run the operation, and the development of new local entertainment talent.  While we were chatting Richard was keeping an eye on his staff all the time, giving them feedback about do’s and don’ts.

Chef Ulli previously worked at Arnold’s, Papino’s in Hout Bay, and then owned Trattoria Maranello in Camps Bay.  Despite his German background, there are no German dishes in his extensive menu, instead being more focused on Mediterranean cuisine, and specially Italian.  The tables on the deck outside have grey tops, and the chairs are grey plastic.  There are no table cloths but there are material serviettes.  Each table has a red candle in a glass, a salt and pepper grinder, and Willowcreek decorated olive oil and balsamic vinegars jars were brought to the table. Cutlery is ordinary. Small self-baked seed loaf slices were brought to the table. The menu is introduced by Chef Ulli in English, French, and Italian, and he writes: “It has always been my passion to bring the real culinary traditions of the Mediterranean to my table and ‘Richard’s’ is my way of sharing this experience. We proudly use locally raised and organically grown ingredients wherever possible and make sure high quality imports are used wherever necessary. Our menu is designed to encourage you to sample many different items. My team and I are honoured to cook for you and look forward to seeing you again and again and…” . The rules of the house are also listed, children under three years generously eating for free, food tolerance information is welcomed, all dishes are prepared ‘al minuto‘ and can be ordered without chilli. All dishes come with a side of salad or vegetables, and a choice of starch.

Ten starters have a good price range from R26 (foccacia) – R79 (carpaccio of smoked salmon), typical Italian dishes including minestrone, calamari, bruschetta, and antipasto. Six salads range from R45 – R62 (Moroccan lamb), including Caprese and Greek salads. Sandwiches (around R50) and burgers (even a salmon one at R89) are available. Pasta dishes range from R58 (Capellini al salmone) to R89 (prawn risotto). Fish dishes include cod, queen and king prawns, and calamari.  I had a fish dish off the specials board, a kabeljou with plain white rice and the most heavenly caper cream sauce (R108).  Steaks range from R96 – R135, and chicken dishes cost R69 – R88. Thirteen pizza options, made from Eureka Mills stone ground flour, include two Flammkuchen choices, and range from R46 for margherita – R97 for a salmon pizza, ensuring that no one will go hungry at Richard’s. Dessert options are plentiful, and cost R34 – R 49, including a good Tiramisu (R37), gelato, cassata, and Créma Catalana.  Coffee is by Italian Makamba. There is a separate breakfast menu.

The winelist has about three brands per variety, the regions are specified but the vintages are not.  Bollinger Special Cuveé Brut costs R1500, and Moët & Chandon R850. Prosecco Tereza Rizzi (R38/R220) and Maximilian (R240), Krone Borealis (R35/R199), and Pongracz (R194) sparkling wines are offered.  Shiraz options are Excelsior Paddock (R34/R115), Annandale (R440), and Rickety Bridge (R169). Local wines made from Italian grapes Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Barbera, and Nebbiolo are on the winelist, as are imported Italian wines, including Brunello (a 2006 at R1350, and a 2004 at R3800).  A wide selection of commercial beers is also available.  I was spoilt by Chef Ulli with a small taste of Limonché, made by local Belgian Jochen Nickmans.

It’s early days for Richard’s Bistro, the menu perhaps being too extensive and unfocused, and the service needing finetuning.  When Richard is there, things will run more smoothly, but no manager seemed to be in charge.  The opening of the new theatre/dinner venue in May is an exciting new tourism attraction for Cape Town, and can be expected to be a slick show.

POSTSCRIPT 31/3: I returned to Richard’s Bistro for breakfast, and had a long chat with co-owner Roland Seidel.  Attractive murals have been added to the walls on the deck downstairs, giving a strong message of the music that will be performed upstairs from May onwards.  The Italian Eggs Benedict cost R47, and included spinach.

POSTSCRIPT 27/7: Chef Ulli Stamm has left Richard’s Supper Stage & Bistro.

Richard’s Supper Stage & Bistro, 229A corner Main and Glengariff Roads, Sea Point.  Tel (021) 434-6738 (Bistro)/(021) 434-4497 (Supper Stage from May). www.richardscapetown.co.za Twitter:@KaapseStories Monday – Sunday 7h00 – 1h00. Free wi-fi.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Restaurant Review: Il Cappero Italian Restaurant has few capers, but lots of Sicilian charm!

I discovered Il Cappero Italian Restaurant earlier this week, in a most unlikely and hard-to-see location on Barrack Street in town.   It is named after the caper, which a notice on the table says should be an essential part of Mediterranean cuisine, but I did not find many dishes with capers on the menu, or much in the dishes that have them.  The owners are charming, and try their very best to please their patrons.

What was once the restaurant of the Parliament Hotel, plus one ex-shop added, has become a pure Italian, or more specifically Sicilian restaurant, run hands-on by husband and wife team Aldo Bezzicheri and Cetti Romano (she comes from Palermo).  Aldo’s English is better, so he handles front-of-house, and does so charmingly, wanting to oblige all the time, while his wife Cetti is in the kitchen.   They opened Il Cappero a month ago, and are slowly becoming known.  The hotel guests eat their lunches and dinners at the restaurant, and this leads to one compromise, which is some non-Italian dishes on the menu, such as bobotie, Portuguese chicken, chicken curry, BBQ wings and lamb curry, all contained in a R75 – R85 price band, to cater for the hotel guests.

Aldo and Cetti have lived in South Africa since 2006, and they spent time in their previous career working on a yacht, he being the skipper and she doing the cooking.  Aldo has also been a pilot.  Cetti has taken the most amazing photographs of South African landscapes, which are mounted, and decorate the restaurant.  They reflect their love for their new country.  The choice of lilac for the walls is interesting and works, but does not give an Italian feel at all.  The colour is picked up in unusual purple, natural and cerise raffia strips which are tied around the material serviette, giving it an unique and neat touch.    Cutlery is contemporary, with a butter knife offered with the sideplate.  Glassware is good.   The chairs are covered with mock-ostrich.  The tables have Olitalia balsamico and extra virgin olive oil bottles, as well as ‘extra bold peppercorns’ and ‘Atlantic sea salt’ in small attractive looking grinders from Cape Herb and Spice, which I have never seen before.  Lavender glass candleholders are on the table.  Airconditioning works well in the venue which has no natural ventilation other than the front door, especially on the south-easter days.  

But the neatly bound black menu has more than enough to choose from for an authentic Italian and Sicilian experience.  In fact, I knew few of the names of the dishes, other than lasagne and the steak.  Aldo told me that Cetti goes to the market every day, to buy the fresh vegetables there, for the simple and healthy food that they serve.   They want their guests to feel cosy and homely, and it works, as I came back a second time a few days later.

As a small taste, Cetti sent the Caponata di Melzane for me to try, being eggplants, tomato, capers and olives cooked in a sweet and sour sauce.   The eggplant dominated, and as it is not my favourite vegetable, I did not enjoy it, especially as it was mushy and served cold.   I did enjoy the crispy ciabbatta.  Other starters, such as a parmesan cake, sweet and sour onion wrap, and a tuna and mascarpone mousse, were unknown to me.   Starters cost R40 – R75.  I ordered Frittura di Calamari, a generous plateful of calamari rings served for R75, which included a separate bowl of rice with red pepper pieces.   The batter was delicate, and Aldo told me that Cetti lightly dusts the calamari with flour, and then fries it in hot olive oil to make it crispy.  Pasta options include lasagne, carbonara, risotto of the day (the mushroom risotto was sold out by the time we came back the second time), pasta alla “Norma” (inspired by the opera), and a penne served with prawns cooked in Martini (R85), a definite for the next visit!  Steak is available, as T-bone, sirloin or fillet, as is involtini di vitello alla Siciliana (stuffed veal rolls).  No meat course costs more than R110.  One can order side dishes, mostly for R20 each, for example patata alla Sicilana, described as “potato in casserole with capers, olives and onions”, which I ordered instead of the baked potato or chip options that come with the sirloin steak, but I did not seem to get anything more than cut-up potato with the capers, olives and onions removed – I had only wanted the onions removed).  Five sauces are offered at R15 each, and the rosemary walnut sauce sounds interesting.

I liked the tiramisu (R40), served in a drinking glass, and obviously pre-made.  It had a rich alcohol taste, which comes from the Sicilian Marsala which Cetti uses.  It was quite compact and less creamy than I am used to in local equivalents.  I liked the chocolate chips on top of the tiramisu.   Cetti insisted that I take Cannolo Siciliano home with me, a crispy biscuit which is filled with ricotta cream and a citrus centre (R30).  Malva pudding seems an ‘intruder’ on the menu, but probably accommodates the hotel guests.   The cappuccino, made with LavAzza coffee, is very strong, but good, and is reasonably priced at R13.  Peppermints as well as a mini-Lindt chocolate were offered with the bill. 

For lunch a buffet is served, and is meant to offer office workers close by a quick and inexpensive way in which to enjoy a quality “eat all you can” lunch, at a most reasonable price of R75. 

The winelist is small, and vintages are not supplied.  I was impressed to see Brunello (at R380 for the bottle) on the list, and remembered how I nurtured a R75 glassful at a Tuscan restaurant about five years ago, it having been the most expensive wine I had ever drunk by the glass at that time.  Many of the white and red wine brands I had never heard of before but most I found in my Platter’s (Cloverfield, Stellenbosch Drive, Meerhof, Belbon Hills, Umfiki – for the whites – and Gugu for the red).  Seven wines-by-the glass are offered, none costing more than R30.  Bellanda San Fermo Prosecco is the only sparkling wine served by the glass (R40), with “champagne’s” Pongracz and Pongracz Rosé both costing R150, which is a bargain for the latter.

Il Cappero has the most charming host in Aldo.  I felt at home eating there.  The waiter needs training about not stretching when placing the cutlery on the table, and his knowledge is still restricted about the Italian dishes, but he is very willing to be of service.   Branding is not very visible from outside, and because the door has to be closed when the wind blows, one cannot see if the restaurant is open.   I found the lighting inside to be too bright, and missed the Italian music on our second visit.    The food is functionally presented, without any attempt at decorating it or the plate.  There is ample parking outside at night. I’ll be back for the Italian hospitality.

Il Cappero Italian Restaurant, 3 Barrack Street, Cape Town.   Tel (021) 461-3168.  www.ilcappero.co.za  Monday – Friday lunch 12h00 – 14h30, and Monday – Saturday dinner.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage