Home-made pasta and artisan mozzarella infuse these 2 new Cape Town restaurants with Italian flavour.
Two Italian eateries have opened within a block of each other in De Waterkant in the last year, each with a different take on authentic and unpretentious Italian food and hospitality.
Osteria Tarantino
Tucked up a staircase off Waterkant Street, this small family trattoria is a hidden gem. Owner Enrico Tarantino is both chef and host. Italian-born, he grew up all over Africa, lived for many years in Mauritius, where he opened the country’s first Italian deli, and came to Cape Town two years ago.
The short and simple blackboard menus feature home-made pasta, a few veal dishes, a selection of antipasti and a brief, well-chosen wine list. “The secret is good ingredients,” says Enrico, and the beautiful mozzarella and creamy burrata reveal that he’s tracked down the best Italian artisan cheese maker in Cape Town. For authentic flavour, he says certain things must come from Italy, especially the prosciutto and the Illy coffee.
We love the signature pasta, the 4Ps (pappardelle, pancetta, porcini and peperoncino in a tomato-based sauce). Another hit was the ravioli filled with spinach and ricotta, with a delicate but rich black truffle sauce. The veal meatballs were beautifully seasoned and baked with a tomato sauce and a melted mozzarella. At lunchtime the restaurant is rustic, with bare repurposed pallet tables, come evening the fire is lit and tablecloths laid for a cosy and intimate atmosphere.
Stepbrothers
With a love of good food, stepbrothers Giono and Baz opened their vibey Italian bar and restaurant on the corner of Chiappini and Waterkant streets. With a big screen TV and music playing, it has an upbeat feel, reminiscent of neighbourhood bars in urban Italy.
Food is a mix of traditional and contemporary, with classic home-made pasta made using their grandmother’s recipes, fluffy ricotta and Parmesan gnocchi, big trays of pizza al taglio, meatballs, and steaks cooked on the braai in the back.
“Food is awesome,” says Giono with a smile. “Our meat is really good; we specialise in steaks.” In true Italian tradition, the stepbrothers have gone for the best suppliers, including Richard Bosman, Ryan Boon and Puglia Cheese and, to finish off your meal in true Italian style, fabulous Moro Gelato.
Experience for yourself:
Osteria Tarantino | 076 505 1771 | facebook.com/OsteriaTarantino
Stepbrothers | 083 657 3184 | stepbrothers.co.za
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood,Sunday Times.
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