SIGNAL RESTUARANT AT THE CAPE GRACE AND PAUL CLUVER WINES

On Thursday night I was invited to attend the Food and Wine Dinner at the Cape Grace Hotel in their Signal Restaurant paired with Paul Cluver wines - All compliments of The Cape Grace Hotel (thank you!)

View from the library window

We started out in the library  at 7pm with canape's and white wine and some chatting. I had the lovely husband with me to talk to (phew) as I'm not so good at meet and greets.


After half an hour we were led through to the restaurant for dinner. To my great surprise we were seated at our own table of 2 and each party of people had their own table depending on the amount of guests they had booked for. It was like any usual night in a restaurant seating wise. I really liked this as I didn't have to make small talk with other diners but just enjoy the evening with my husband. I sounds like I hate talking to people - I don't I promise! but it was nice having the husband all to myself :)

After a brief talk by the chef Malika van Reenen explaining the menu and then a talk by Andries Burger from Paul Cluver wines about the wines that would be paired with our food. Both were interesting. Andries made me want to visit Burgundy in France from his stories. It sounded so beautiful and amazing.

Starter
green gazpacho toasted cumin flat bread, homemade blueberry yoghurt cheese paired with Paul Cluver Close Encounter Riesling 2011 - I have to say I really loved this wine and drank it through out the night - it paired well with everything! I have added it to my list of must buy wines.

Main
twice-cooked crispy duck leg with wild mushroom and lentil ragout, beetroot gastrique paired with Paul Cluver Pinot Noir 2009 - The duck was lovely and the mash very creamy. The wine wasn't to my taste - then again I'm no wine buff.

Dessert
summer strawberries, rose and litchi paired with Paul Cluver Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2010 - The summer strawberries was served in the form of a sorbet which was very light and refreshing, it was lovely. The wine was very sweet - being a dessert wine and lovely.


PRIOR TO THE EVENING:
I had let the hotel know that my husband is allergic to nuts a few days prior to the function and The Cape Grace were really good at making sure that he didn't have any food containing ANY nuts!
They really were very thorough. I felt that they had taken the time to prepare their staff and several of the waiters and staff were aware of the allergy and made sure that everything was nut free.


*Thank you to Leah De Klerk who helped organize everything