Portuguese times two
Last night was a quick dinner at that icon of reality, The Radium. I know it’s not really a dinner place, but it is going into the guide for its individualism and steadfast character. Music nights are legendary (as are the faded charms of the acts) and this is a great place to catch a friend for a beer. One of my friends says that it’s the only reason to drive up Louis Botha. He also said that it was wise to stick to bar food here and he was right. Prego rolls and fish and chips are about the limit of the kitchen’s capabilities. I tried some salmon and it was the pale colour of Fish TM. Stephan ate a T-bone and didn’t remember it a moment later. And Shirley stuck to the fish and chips - and even this was not great on the night. A maderised wine to match, and the night was only redeemed by UEFA semi-final footie.
Today, I found myself deep in the belly of the beast, the Mandela Square in Sandton. On a whim, and after careful consultation with a shoe-shine man, I decided to try Pigalle for lunch. A fabulously faux interior pulls out all the stops to be grand in an old school fashion, the service is swift and unctuous, and the fact that they specialise in seafood platters is made clear. A correspondent has mentioned that they do great oysters, and the langoustines certainly looked great, but I was going to put them to the Caesar salad test, followed by some bacalhau, which I was excited to see tucked away at the back of the menu.
The Caesar was a travesty. Cos was advertised, but I got frilly fancy leaves. I also got tomato? The dressing was mayo and the bacon was stone hard. It was a big portion, about the only positive. I told the waiter that this was not a Caesar and he them hurriedly informed me that it was their “twist” on one…
After a long wait, the bacalhau arrived and this was solid and very traditional. In fact you could have “gomes sa” or “a bras” in addition to the grilled with onion and olive that I had. A good plate.
In all, this is an expense account masterpiece of a restaurant as the many business people attested to.
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