Tag Archives: Magica Roma

Stellenbosch Hills launches 2012 Best Biltong Blend challenge!

Stellenbosch Hills is the first wine estate to have introduced the ‘Biltong & Droëwors Adventure’ pairing of its wines with biltong and dry wors in its tasting room, and therefore launched a ‘Biltong Maker of the Year’ challenge to wine and biltong lovers four years ago, an annual event.  This year the competition pairs this South African speciality with the Stellenbosch Hills Shiraz 2007.   The art of wine blending is as specialised as drying and spicing meat, says the winery’s media release.

A group of food and wine writers was invited by Stellenbosch Hills to attend a function to announce the 2012 competition.  At the premises of master spice suppliers, and first-time sponsors of the competition, Freddy Hirsch in Maitland, the group was shown the art of biltong-making.  I had a busy morning, and therefore could not attend this part of the proceedings, but joined the group for the lunch, for which Stellenbosch Hills’ PR consultant Nicolette Waterford had chosen Magica Roma in Pinelands, due to its close proximity to Maitland.

Stellenbosch Hills is on the road that connects the N2 to Stellenbosch, near Spier, and represents 14 farms on the Polkadraai Pad. It was previously a co-operative. We drank a Polkadraai Red (70% Pinotage and 30% Merlot, costs R30) and White (70% Chenin Blanc and 30 % Sauvignon Blanc, at R26) blend with the Antipasto platters of grilled vegetables with grilled baby calamari, chilli and garlic; mixed Italian cold meats; a mixed salad; and a Caprese salad; served with garlic and herb focaccia.  I loved the polka dots on the neck labels, a design quirk to emphasise the brand name, and to create the feel of the lively dance it is named after. The name had been registered by Nicolette’s dad Gabriel Kriel, a farmer on this route, which he donated to the winery.  His Chev ‘bakkie’ is illustrated on the back label.  The Polkadraai range also has Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot/Shiraz 3 litre boxes (R75 – R80), and a Pinot Noir Rosé sparkling wine (R46).

Magica Roma has been operating from its premises for years, and little seems to have changed about its decor and menu. The Italian owners Ezio and Franco came to check personally that all was in order for every course.  Cellarmaster and winemaker PG Slabbert introduced each of the sets of Stellenbosch Hills’ wines before each course, and said that the 1707 Reserve range was named in honour of the year in which Governor Simon van der Stel first granted farms in this area.  The 1707 White Reserve 2009 (R60) is a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Semillon, and 10% Viognier, while the Red Reserve 2008 is a 50% Shiraz, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 11% Petit Verdit blend (R82).  Served as a selection of main courses was a pasta and tomato sauce, the line fish of the day, escallops of veal paillard, and Tagliata Fiorentina.

The dessert, a delicious if small portion of tiramisu, was paired with the unique Stellenbosch Hills Muscat de Hambourg 2010 (related to the Hanepoot), the only winery to make this Jerepigo-style fortified sweet wine (R38).  The grapes are grown on the farm of Nicolette’s brother Philip Kriel.  Stellenbosch Hills also sells a Cultivar Collection, with Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon, all excellent value at prices ranging from R28 – R47.

Entrants to the Stellenbosch Hills ‘Biltong Maker of the Year’ challenge must pay an entry fee of R150, which offers them a bottle of Stellenbosch Hills Shiraz 2007; a Freddy Hirsch spice pack with a biltong recipe book, a DVD on game deboning and meat processing, and a detailed ‘Hunters Workshop’ booklet for making biltong, in selecting the most suitable meat, how to spice and marinade the meat, how to hang and dry it, and how to store it; and delivery. Entries of a 500 gram sample of the biltong of any meat-cut must be returned to the winery by 31 August.  The entries will be judged on the pairing of the biltong with the Shiraz, and the winners will be announced in September, with prizes to the value of R60000 up for grabs.

Disclosure:  We received a Biltong King biltong maker, a pack of Freddy Hirsch spices, and a bottle of Stellenbosch Hills Shiraz 2007.

Stellenbosch Hills, Tel (021) 881-3828. www.stellenbosch-hills.co.za Twitter:@STBHills

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

Eat Out 2010 Top 10 Restaurant Award winners: a prediction

Predicting the Top 20 shortlist for the 2010 Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards was relatively easy.  Predicting the Top 10 winners out of this list, which Eat Out will announce at its gala dinner tomorrow evening, is much harder.  Here is our predicted list of Top 10, in no particular order, and admittedly uncertain about the non-Cape Town restaurants.  We have analysed JP Rossouw’s list of 23 three-star Rossouw’s Restaurants (the highest rating he awards), to help us make the prediction.  See more about Rossouw’s list below. 

*   Rust en Vrede – as written before, I boldly predict this will be the number one restaurant on the Top 10 list.  David Higgs is doing excellent work, without any fanfare, and he made top 100 of S. Pellegrino Top 50 Restaurants in the World list earlier this year.  He was also recognised as joint winner as the best vineyard restaurant by the Great Wine Capitals of the World.  An absolute professional. (On Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list, and Rossouw has awarded the restaurant his one and only Platinum Award, motivated as follows: “consistently deliver an exceptional dining experience in all respects”).

*   Jardine – cooking at the gala dinner, and this is a sure predictor.  Chef Eric Bulpitt has returned from 6 weeks of working in the Noma kitchen, the number 1 of the Top 50 Restaurants in the World, at no compensation, demonstrating Eric’s dedication to and passion for his craft.  (Surprisingly, not on Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list!).

*   Jordan’s Restaurant with George Jardine – the interior decor (or lack of) may leave a lot to be desired, but George Jardine is a dedicated chef, and has won many a Top 10 Eat Out award whilst at Jardine (On Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list).

*   Overture – Chef Bertus Basson has been on the Top 10 list for two years running, and re-invents his restaurant continuously.  Stunning location on Hidden Valley estate. (On Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list).

*   The Green House – Chef Peter Tempelhoff has been a past winner, both for this Cellars Hohenhort hotel restaurant as well as for Grande Provence in Franschhoek. (On Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list).

*   The Tasting Room – Chef Margot Janse.  Not liked by all, and very expensive, but probably the most-crowned restaurant in the history of the Top 10 Restaurant Awards (Back on Rossouws’ Restaurants’ 3-star list, after falling off it in the 2010 edition).

*   Restaurant Christophe – Chef Christophe Dehosse is the most charming French restaurateur, serving excellent foie gras and other French-style food.  (Not on Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list, despite Rossouw first highlighting Dehosse’s talents whilst he was at Joostenberg). 

*   Mosaic– chef Chantel Dartnall from Pretoria is cooking at the Awards dinner, and made the number 2 slot last year.  (Not on Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list)

*   The Roundhouse – on the Top 10 list last year, and chef PJ Vadas cooking for the Awards Gala dinner (On Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list).

*   La Colombe – this is a difficult one.  Luke Dale-Roberts has led this restaurant to the top of the Eat Out list two years running, and was recognised internationally in reaching 12th position on the Top 50 Restaurants in the World list.   Dale-Roberts is a consultant chef to La Colombe now, and has opened his own new restaurant The Test Kitchen.  I predict that he will be acknowledged for his excellent performance this year, but will not be awarded the number one position due to his reduced La Colombe involvement.  His recent whirlwind visit to The Fat Duck and El Bulli, both on the S. Pellegrino Top 50 Restaurants in the World list, just after he opened The Test Kitchen, is a reflection of his dedication to improving himself even further.

The other restaurants on the Eat Out Top 10 shortlist are:  Reuben’s Franschhoek, Aubergine, Terroir, and Zachary’s, all of which have also made Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list.    Bosman’s, DW Eleven-13, Linger Longer, Roots, Waterkloof Restaurant and Hartford House are also top 20 finalists, but do not appear on Rossouw’s Restaurants’ 3-star list. 

Rossouws’ Restaurants 2011 3-star restaurant list is as follows: Assaggi, Butcher Shop and Grill, Mastrantonio, The Grillhouse, Thomas Maxwell Bistro, all in Johannesburg; Ritrovo in Pretoria; 95 Keerom, Aubergine, Bizerca Bistro, La Colombe, Magica Roma, The Greenhouse, The Roundhouse, and Nobu in Cape Town; Jordan with George Jardine, Rust en Vrede, Overture, Terroir, Reuben’s Franschhoek, Tasting Room in Stellenbosch/Franschhoek; Zachary’s and Ile de Pain in Knysna; and Marianna’s in Stanford.  Rossouw defines a 3-star restaurant as one that “shines in its price point and offers a truly special food experience…. it’s the all-round feeling of pleasure that’s created by a lovely space, warm hospitality, good service, and crackerjack food.  Track record is also important : three star restaurants should consistently deliver on their promise”.  No doubt his inclusion of Magica Roma will have critics sniggering again, the response to the same inclusion in 2008.

The Eat Out 2010 Awards Gala evening at the Westin Grand hotel will be a wonderfully festive one, no matter what the outcome of the Top 10 list will be.  No doubt it will be controversial, but not anything as controversial as the results were in 2009!

POSTSCRIPT 28/12: I was surprised to see an Erratum slip fall out of Rossouw’s Restaurants when I paged through it at Exclusive Books yesterday.   It concerns the 3-star Restaurant list, Rossouw’s highest accolade.  In the book Glen Carlou was incorrectly added to the 3-star list, and Magica Roma was left out, the note states.   This is a very poor reflection on Rossouw’s editing and production skills.

POSTSCRIPT 15/4:  It has been announced that David Higgs has resigned, and will leave Rust en Vrede mid-June.

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

Rossouw’s Restaurants’ top restaurants rocks (the boat)!

The 2010 edition of Rossouw’s Restaurants, an independent restaurant guide that judges restaurants informally from 1 – 3 stars, has just been launched.   It includes a few surprises in its inclusions, and more importantly exclusions, in its 3-star top restaurant list, coming just 13 days before the announcement of the 2010 Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant Awards.

The biggest shock is the exclusion of Le Quartier Francais’ Tasting Room in the 3-star restaurant category, but is designated as “bubbling under” by the author JP Rossouw.   Other “bubbling under” restaurants include Terroir, a long-standing Eat Out Top 10 restaurant, new restaurant The Roundhouse (on the Eat Out Top 10 shortlist), Belthazar in the V&A Waterfront, The Greenhouse at the Cellars Hohenhort (on the top 20 shortlist for the Eat Out Top 10), and Mosaic (on the Eat Out Top 10 shortlist).

In total 14 restaurants have been awarded 3-stars by Rossouw, of which 8 are in the Cape Town and Winelands areas:   Aubergine, Bizerca, Jardine, Joostenberg Bistro (a surprise!), La Colombe, Overture, Reuben’s, and Rust en Vrede.   (All of these restaurants, with the exception of the Joostenberg Bistro, are on the Eat Out Top 10 shortlist).   The remaining 3-star winners are Ile de Pain and Zachary’s in Knysna (the latter is Eat Out Top 10 shortlisted), Mariana’s in Stanford, Ritrovo in Pretoria and The Butcher Shop & Grill and Thomas Maxwell Bistro in Johannesburg.

Rossouw defines a 3-star restaurant as one that “shines in its price point and offers a truly special food experience…. it’s the all-round feeling of pleasure that’s created by a lovely space, warm hospitality, good service, and crackerjack food.  Track record is also important : three star restaurants should consistently deliver on their promise”.

Rossouw has dropped the controversial 2009 3-star Magica Roma from the 3-star list in his latest guide, for which he received much criticism.   Comments left on Rossouw’s website are critical of his treatment of Le Quartier Francais, given that it is a Top 50 restaurant in the world, but Rossouw was prepared for the question: “The Tasting Room’s move from three stars in 2009 to two stars in 2010 was not a decision easily made, but it was certainly not influenced by what other reviews/guides/Top 50’s say”.  Rossouw adds that he is guided by customer reviews he receives, but the final score is his.   See full details here.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portoflio http://www.whalecottage.com

Top 13 Rossouw Restaurants

Jean-Pierre Rossouw, compiler of  ‘Rossouw’s Restaurants’ guide, has just published his 2009 edition, and awarded 3-stars, his top rating, to 13 restaurants in the country.

The Cape-based 3-star restaurants, according to the Weekend Argus, are Aubergine, Bosman’s, Ile de Pain, Jardine, La Colombe, Magica Roma, Mariana’s, The Tasting Room , Rust & Vrede and Zachary’s.   Other 3-star restaurants are Butcher Shop & Grill and Thomas Maxwell Bistro in Sandton, and Ritrovo in Pretoria.

Interesting omissions are Overture, the scenic restaurant of Bertus Basson on the Hidden Valley Estate and close to Rust & Vrede, and Terroir, outside Stellenbosch, both restaurants being on the Top Ten Eat Out list.   In his previous edition, Rossouw was demeaning to Overture about its driveway being very steep, which is absolute nonsense, and should not have clouded his judgement of the restaurant!