http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com Mon, 12 May 2008 07:07:05 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Welcome to the new home for Rossouw's Restaurants, your independent, "tell it like it is" guide to the restaurant scene. As you may know, Rossouw's currently only reviews the eateries of the Cape, Winelands and Garden Route - but my team and I are now diligently eating to bring you ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/04/first-bite/ On Friday, The Hungry Man, Bevan Newton Johnson and I ate at David Higg's Rust en Vrede restaurant. It was my first visit and it will not be my last. From the greeting along the garden path, to the relaxed but sexy interior of this renovated old wine cellar to ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/05/rust-en-vrede-stellenbosch/ "I'm feeling too pleased with myself to think of it" was how The Hungry Man responded to his very unusual neglect in calling the waitress over. If there is anyone who knows how to conduct the floor and its staff, it is THM. The reason for his inappropriate and out ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/05/terroir-stellenbosch/ Really fresh tuna, such as the hunk that The Hungry Man gave me a few days ago, has been caught that day or the day before. It's been bled immediately, and stored on ice. When you sear it, it keeps its deep red interior, the crust firming and becoming tan ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/05/nicoise/ Today, The Hungry Man and I ate here. I have heard a good deal about it, and I'm a great fan of the spirit that the owners (the Dalla Cia's) have brought to the Cape (and I'm not not only speaking about their tasty grappa, tsha-boom!). The Hungry Man suggested ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/04/pane-e-vino-stellenbosch/ South Africa is by all accounts going through an economic wobble. Higher interest rates, higher petrol prices, higher food costs - and the restaurants on a Sunday public holiday, are packed full. So are things not really that bad? Or will people eat cake nevertheless? Sunday was instructive. On our way ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/04/holiday-queues/ One of the challenging parts of this job is getting the ground covered. Sometimes I take on double lunches to move along more swiftly, to get to see all the restaurants that may or may not deserve a spot in the guide, or a re-review. Yesterday was a double lunch ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/04/double-lunches/ Many of my Jozi friends have expressed a concern when we make reservations: “Have you checked about load shedding?” With our national electricity supplier, Eskom, failing to provide a consistent supply, the country is undergoing cyclical black-outs that last around two hours and have wrecked many a restaurant visit. For ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/04/tashas/ 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 ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/04/portuguese-times-two/ I am in Johannesburg this week, eating for the expansion of the guide. My first stop, with steak fresh in mind, was one of the city's famous steak houses, the Grillhouse in Rosebank. It's a foursquare kind of place, another of those that tries to relive the "glory" days of ... http://www.rossouwsrestaurants.com/blog/2008/04/steak-ii/