In my last review I allowed a platter of starters to defeat me. I am ashamed. How I could have let this happen I’m not quite sure. Many people actually messaged me to say they were disappointed in my level of gluttony. I disappointed myself. I knew I had to up my game. What could be more rich, more decadent and more indulgent then Mediterranean food? Oh, but one thing…
Italian.
A Tavola, on the border of Claremont and Kenilworth, has red drapery, moody lighting and wooden furniture, reminiscent of an old-fashioned, family-owned restaurant on a cobbled street in Sicily. David, chef and co-owner, who studied at a cooking academy just outside of Rome, told us that although creatively he wants to try extravagant, fusion dishes, he insists on staying true to real Italian cooking.
David told me that South Africans can’t eat like Italians, so I told him to put me to the test.
Antipasti | “Before the Meal” | Appetizers
1. Carpaccio Cipriani.
Thinly sliced, raw beef fillet, topped with rocket, lemon, shaved parmesan and a Cipriani dressing. The meat was cut beautifully: wafer thin and almost opaque. The Cipriani dressing which is traditionally made with egg yolk, oil, lemon juice and mustard was light and well seasoned. A delicious starter, I had difficulty sharing.
2. Frittelle di Perce | & | 3. Alici Bianchi
Two starters served next to one another, which sadly for the one, was left the dust. Alici Bianchi are marinated, fresh white anchovies served with crusty bread. They were very nice but completely overshadowed by the Frittelle di Perce; prawn and yellowtail fish cakes, served with a light, creamy home-made herb aioli. The fish cakes were so incredibly delicious, they, above everything that is yet to come, stand out as one of the highlights of my meal.
4. Zucchini Fritti
Baby marrow chips, which may not very pretty, are wonderfully crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and some how ease the conscience into thinking that you are eating something healthy and not deep-fried. I mean hey, it’s just a vegetable. Yum yum.
5. Cozze Tarantina
Mussels in a tomato, chilli, garlic and white wine based sauce served with bruschetta. My friend, who isn’t the biggest fan of seafood, wasn’t in love with this dish, although he did admit that for seafood, it wasn’t “seafoody”. The sauce was glossy and thin, with no chunks of tomato, which can distract from the flavour and texture of the mussels, which were perfectly seasoned and cooked.
Insalata | Salads
1. Insalata di Mozzarella | & | 2. Insalata di Formaggio di Capra
On the left we had a traditional salad made with handmade Mozzarella and a light balsamic dressing. Simple and unpretentious but slightly boring. To the right we had salad greens topped with roasted veg, pine nuts and deliciously smooth, creamy, grilled goats cheese. It was phenomenal.
Primi | “The First Course” | Pasta
1. Linguine Mariana
Thin pasta with a sauce of tomato, mussels, prawns, calamari, chilli, garlic, ginger and lemon. It was interesting to see how the seafood pasta compared with the seafood starter, and I preferred the latter. The flavours in the pasta overpowered each other and the actual seafood had broken down to almost nothing.
2. Tagliolini ai Funghi e Tarfuto
This isn’t just a pasta, this is actually my future husband. I am marrying a meal. Why? Because it is f***ing incredible. Its not often that a vegetarian option can elicit such a response from me, but this one has me hooked. Wild mushrooms marinated in garlic and olive oil, with rocket, parmesan and truffle oil. So often restaurants throw around truffle oil on their menu, but you cant even taste it, well in this dish, you could taste every last drop.
Secondi | “The Second Course” | Meat
1. Filletto della Casa | & | 2. Vitello ai Funghi e Vino Bianco
The Filletto della Casa is thinly sliced beautifully tender, rosemary marinated beef fillet, seared and then topped with rocket, roasted potatoes and parmesan. Although you can’t see the potatoes, they were golden and crispy. This dish is up there with the prawn fish cakes.
In the centre of photo is baby spinach with parmesan cheese and to the right we have Vitello ai Funghi e Vino Bianco. This dish is made up of marinaded veal scallops with wild mushrooms, white wine, rosemary and thyme, served on pasta. The flavour was undoubtedly amazing. Each component held its own and wasn’t overpowered by the rest. Although correct in its making, the coating on the veal was slightly “soggy”, a texture that took a mouthful or two of getting used to.
3. Cotoletta Milanese
This dish you wont find on the normal or the specialty menu, but need to chat directly to David. A chop is cut from a rack of veal; the meat is then tenderized (ie. bashed until it is double its size) crumbed and fried. The final dish is served with herbed roasted tomatoes, which you use as a “sauce”. It was soft and tender with a delightful crunchy coating. A simple, yet satisfying dish.
Dolci | “Sweet” | Dessert
1. At A Tavola, a Dom Pedro comes with the shot on the side. This way you can see what you are getting and you can control the amount of alcohol that goes into your drink.
2. Panna Cotta
Flavoured with white chocolate and vanilla pod and served with a fresh berry coulis, this dish literally means “cooked cream”. It’s made by simmering cream, milk, sugar, gelatine and the flavouring together and letting the mixture cool and set. My friend Max had to stop me from licking the plate. It was just too amazing.
And then, we were full.
We completely and utterly inhaled the food that was set down in front of us. The wine list was extensive but at the same time, personal, because the restaurant has remarkable relationships with the estates. The main menu is set and changes very rarely but the speciality menu changes every few days to utilise fresh, available produce.
A Tavola isn’t trying to be trendy, or pretentious or flamboyant, all they want to do is be real and true to Italian cuisine. In my opinion, they are doing it very, very nicely.
PS: I woke up with a food hangover the next day. Tired, full and grouchy, but it was so worth it.
