The Local Grill - Parktown North, JHB

There’s something special about having a “local”. Is it the convenience of being able to walk across to enjoy a meal, or the fact that you know what to expect in terms of quality and taste? Or is it the fact that the owners/managers know you, greet you and offer preferential service, making you feel like a VIP or part of their family? As with most of our reviews, it’s what makes dining out a memorable experience. In this instance, it’s more about a sense of community than anything else.

Since Dimitrion’s “local” – Tasha’s is closed in the evenings, our good friends Nick & Greg invited us to join them at their “local” – a little restaurant just down a flight of stairs from their apartment in Parktown North. We’d been to the branch in Sunninghill, but the experience at their local Local Grill was different.

We were greeted at the door by one of the lovely waitresses and were soon seated at a prime table. Ordered a few drinks, some onion rings and a yummy salad for the table before Llewy, the energetic and ever-friendly manager came to sit with us to discuss politics and what the best cut of meat was that evening, as well as provide us with other great suggestions from the menu (or even off it).

Nick ordered a kilo of grain-fed steak grilled to perfection on it’s T-shaped bone. Dimitri tried the tender fillet, spiced, and Ion went for Llewy’s suggestion of the ribs which came a close second to those served at Scusi, another one of our “locals”. Yes, this is primarily a meat restaurant!

The meat is served without any sides (order those separately), so the cut is the centrepiece of the plate – the quality and taste of the steaks is exceptional – one of the best in town.

To end off, Llewy offered us, and joined us for an espresso.

Hint: Save a little space for their Chocolate Brownies (not too Rich) served with ice cream.

What is your favourite “local”? Tell us at best@yourtastebuds.com

Until we eat again.

Your Taste Buds,

DimitrION

Delicious - Pretoria

Just Delicious

We find ourselves in Dimitri’s hometown, P-Town. We found this little gem after a game of tennis with friends John and Marcus. This is a perfect little lunch spot for sunny Saturdays, Delicious Carlton Café (Better know just as Delicious). But be warned the place is small and booking is a must for Saturdays.

We started off with real lemonade and honey infused hot drink with cinnamon stick, wow... The first thing that caught our eye was the Deli sandwiches, so we called our waitress and ordered the most amazing sarmie. This is needs to be seen to be believed, take a look at our website at: www.YourTasteBuds.com We went for the plain vegetarian option and parma ham option (basically a vegetarian sandwich with added parma ham). These sarmies were made fresh in the tiny open planed kitchen with the best ingredients. What makes this sandwich different was the care in the creation of it and the ingredients. It’s a must for first time visitors. We sat back and discussed this point, where are the best sarmies? We now know that Delicious is on our list, do you have the best place for a sarmie, email us at: best@YourTasteBuds.com

To end off our taste-bud explosion, Dimitri noticed the chilli hot chocolate on the menu. Dimitri found a little piece of heaven in a little espresso cup. The rest share a baked cheesecake and had cappuccinos.

The toilets that are part of the building need a major facelift. (But Delicious tries to compensate by giving you a little basket of goodies for the bathroom)

Until we eat again,

DimitrION

Batuke - What is in the name? (Closed Down)

Is the name of a restaurant as important as the food? We have driven passed this little gem in Parkhurst, Jo’burg, many times but have never popped in as we could never relate the name to good food. We were invited by our friends Derrick and Gabi to Batuke on 4th Avenue and we were pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is comfortable with a good vibe.

We started off with the peppered mozzarella salad…Mozzarella, roasted peppers and baby tomatoes over a bed of rocket tossed with a fresh basil dressing. (Take a look the photos at: www.YourTasteBuds.com). As usual Dimitri ignores the menu and calls one of the owners, Janine, over to the table (who is also the main chef). Chatting to Janine, the choice was simple; the boys were going for the meat option, a T-Bone and the girls the lighter option from the menu, the tuna. The T-bone was perfectly cooked and seasoned with fresh herb and came with home-made French fries, perfectly crisp... The best! The tuna was seared to perfection with roasted veg. Our evening ended off with the traditional well brewed espresso.

So what is in the name? Batuke, a Mozambican name meaning what? And how do we pronounce it? Baatook-e or Batook? Nevertheless, the food was good and we will be going back for some awesome food and elocution lessons.

Like the old saying of never judge a book by its cover, as DimitrION would say never judge a restaurant by its name…

Have you got a spot worthy of DimitriON’s taste buds? Email us: best@yourtastebuds.com

Until we eat again,
DimitrION


Tip: It is recommended that you book for weekends and book a table away from the main door.


Closed Down

New Restaurant Called: SALSA - Illovo

Cornuti - Illovo and Plett

Cornuti Mania

Ask two different people what comes to mind when they hear the word Cornuti and expect three different answers. The Greek or Jewish yuppie will tell you Plet, while the Italian yuppie will tell you Illovo (and the meaning of the word which we preferred not to mention). Both will mention pizza.
And both Cornuti’s get our stamp of approval and are fond favourites at different times of the year.

If you love crowds & people watching, December’s definitely the time to visit Cornuti Al Mare - the most famous & popular restaurant and bar in Plettenberg Bay, where the pizza's generally cannot be faulted (although there always appears to be a shortage of avo at that time of the year). If you’re hungry, get there really early during the holiday periods to avoid waiting for hours, literally, for a table, otherwise a few drinks before (and after) dinner is always a good idea (at the time!). The views both from the restaurant and within it are spectacular. Casual designer brands are essential here.

The rest of the year is pretty quiet in Plet but Cornutti in Illovo is always busy. The most popular choice is the pizza, for good reason. It’s not a bad idea to share a salad to start off with while waiting for the pizza’s to be prepared. On our last visit, Ion chose his favourite – La Collina (bacon, olives, avo & chilli). Dimitri went for the Four seasons, and his wife Sasha ordered the yummy vegetarian, which we helped her finish… For something different try the cranberry & brie cheese pizza. We normally enjoy a few bottles of Lambrusco with our meal and finish it off as always with a good espresso…

Both Cornutti’s have managed to capture casual, trendy dining at its best…

Until we eat again,

Your Taste Buds,

DimitrIon