Until We Eat Again - Our Top Picks

Until We Eat Again

Friends, fans ad foodies. It’s with heavy hearts and stomachs that we bid thee farewell. Your favourite Blogamists will (for now) not be there when you open Page 2 of the Times every Friday for good suggestions on the best places to eat, drink and be merry.
But don’t despair, DimitrION will soon be known as the Termin-EATers – we’ll be back! Our world-famous, global reviews will still be posted on http://www.yourtastebuds.com/ with a twist and whilst you won’t find us here, we’ll be pursuing bigger, better things (anyone from SABC/E-TV reading this?)…

At this time, we’d like to thank everyone that made your taste buds tingle – friends, families, restaurateurs, the guys at the Times and of course you – our readers and fans (as you can see we’ve already written our Oscar acceptance speech!)

So apart from the newly revamped http://www.yourtastebuds.com/ where will you find DimitrION? Obviously at one of our favourite dining spots in town. Here are some sure bets – our favourites to date…
The Grill House, Scusi, the Fishmonger (Illovo), Tasha’s and Cucina Italiana in Jo’burg and Pigalle, Tank or watching the sun go down at Caprice in Cape Town. Life is good!

Until we eat again

Your Taste Buds,

DimitrION
http://www.yourtastebuds.com/

The Attic - Parkhurst, JHB

The cheesecake is amazing...

This week we tried out a new restaurant in Joburg that’s created a lot of hype - The Attic in Parkhurst. It’s almost full daily and has a great buzz so DimitrION decided to investigate the most important aspect, the food.

We pre-booked a week before to secure a table and arrived there with our friends, Derrick and Gabi.

Dimitri called the owner and interrogated him about what a virgin guest to his restaurant should savour. He suggested the lobster ravioli to start with and the tuna or pork belly for mains. The owner needed to confirm with the chef about one of the ingredients on the menu which was a little concerning - if he didn’t know, how could the waiters know? The 3 piece ravioli was delicious but the salad portion was tiny and could not be shared. The mains arrived and looked awesome but once we got into our third bite it was average. The tuna had a fishy taste and the pork belly a little bland.

We ended off with a mediocre espresso and the highlight of our meal - an awesome baked cheesecake. We would go back there for the cheesecake and drink. If you’re looking for good food and service go next door to Cilantros or opposite to Georges.

Until we eat again,

Your Taste Buds,

DimitrION

Salvation Cafe - 44 Stanley, Milpark, Joburg

Milling around in Millpark

We decided to head off to 44 Stanley in Milpark for a lazy afternoon. We strolled through the unique stores which range from Clothing to Coffee. After 30minutes of walking we were ready for lunch and decided to try Salvation Café, a new little gem in the Dimitrion file. The place does not look like much when you look inside but the deck makes it so go there when the weather is good.

What makes the food extra special is that they use (wherever possible) organic products. For drinks, Dimitri had the Pimms cocktail with cucumber and strawberries and Sasha had a freshly squeezed carrot, ginger and apple juice, they were both yummy.

Dimitri ordered their famous homemade burger with avo mash and potato wedges, wow this is amazing! Sasha had the prosciutto salad with melon and ricotta cheese….take a look at the photos at: www.YourTasteBuds.com

We ended off with an espresso and a baked cheesecake; this was one of the better cheesecakes in SA and is worth the extra kilojoules ladies.

Great comfort food but without the added hormones or antibiotics. This week we would like to hear about your best spot that serves organic meals. Email us at: best@yourtastebuds.com

Until we eat again,

DimitrION

Chain Stores - Whats in the Name

Chain Reaction

What’s in a name? We analysed that question in a previous article where the name of a restaurant made an impression on the type of experience you could/would/should have there. Expectations though are set even further in stone when restaurants branch out & share their name, brand and identity. In Vancouver, the names Milestones, Joeys, Cactus Club and Earls have all become synonymous with good quality smart-casual dining, after work drinks, modern, trendy décor and good looking people being served by even better looking, very friendly waitresses. You’ve gotta love the hiring policy in these establishments! In essence it’s like News Café replicated in North America.

So with a tasty and extensive food menu and an even longer drinks menu, these chains have cemented themselves in the urban landscape and will always bring in a crowd. But there are two sides to the coin. On the one hand we love the grilled seafood salad at Milestones and the burgers and yam fries are really good at the Cactus Club, and you know that whichever branch you go to, the quality of the food, beverages & eye candy will be just as good and consistent.
On the other hand – it’s a chain. The unique character disappears to a large degree, individuality is out the window and personalised service seems to be dictated by a manual. That “special” dining experience seems to make way for eating out in efficient, trustworthy and satisfying surroundings, with not much room for surprises.

We feel that there’s a time and place for everything, so whereas we prefer dining in family run restaurants with character, warmth and uniqueness, the option of sharing a plate of nachos and drinking a couple of cold ones with the boys at the “brand name in dining” down the road, is always a good one.

What is your favourite chain of restaurants and what separates it from the rest? Tell us at best@yourtastebuds.com

Until we eat again.

Your Taste Buds,

DimitrION