7 Worcester Street
Published: 01 Mar 05
Category: Pan-African
This is, to my mind, what Grahamstown has always needed - a premier guest house. It's owned by Carl Disantis and Erika Stewart, who also own the CC Africa-managed Kwandwe Game Lodge in the area. Even though the restaurant was meant for the guest house, local residents' support has made it the premier restaurant of the area.
Ridgwell is a Silwood-trained cordon bleu chef with a solid history at CC Africa, as head chef at Ngala Game Lodge and operations manager at Kwandwe. She reveals that 7 Worcester Street was built in 1836 as a homestead for one of the foremost figures of recent history, Sir Andries Ferdinand Stockenstrom Maasdorp.
A decision about empowering local potential talent meant that 150 people ("literally off the streets") were interviewed and trained.
Ridgwell's menu is internationally influenced, designer-edged comfort food. And all the sauces, breads, cookies - "even chutneys and preserves" - are created in the kitchen.
At dinner, my starter is butternut soup with coriander and coconut milk, with a main course of loin of pork done quickly on a flat-top grill with a herb-infused cream reduction - and then finished off in the oven.
Other starters include smoked salmon crostini (ripped salmon, chopped onion, ginger, chilli, olive oil on a crostini with coriander pesto), or curried corn, coconut and coriander soup.
Mains on the menu (which changes daily) include fillet of beef with mustard seed Bearnaise and roasted pepper, cashew and basil compote. Alternatively, there is grilled Norwegian salmon with pomme frites and a fennel and lemon butter.
The cherry on top is the Crème Brulée or the Frangelico-poached pears dipped in chocolate with Camembert cheese and figs.
The wine list is short and would appeal to most palates. It offers a few treasures but I would have been happy with a slightly more expanded list of special finds, in keeping with the overall quality of the place.
Even if one is not staying in town, a short trip from the nearby Sunshine Coast of Port Alfred, Kenton on Sea and Bushmans River is more than worth it - for the interesting town and, especially, for this restaurant.
Average three-course meal: R140.
br />Food: 4
Wine list3.5
Ambience: 4
Service: 4
Value: 4.5
This is, to my mind, what Grahamstown has always needed - a premier guest house. It's owned by Carl Disantis and Erika Stewart, who also own the CC Africa-managed Kwandwe Game Lodge in the area. Even though the restaurant was meant for the guest house, local residents' support has made it the premier restaurant of the area.
Ridgwell is a Silwood-trained cordon bleu chef with a solid history at CC Africa, as head chef at Ngala Game Lodge and operations manager at Kwandwe. She reveals that 7 Worcester Street was built in 1836 as a homestead for one of the foremost figures of recent history, Sir Andries Ferdinand Stockenstrom Maasdorp.
A decision about empowering local potential talent meant that 150 people ("literally off the streets") were interviewed and trained.
Ridgwell's menu is internationally influenced, designer-edged comfort food. And all the sauces, breads, cookies - "even chutneys and preserves" - are created in the kitchen.
At dinner, my starter is butternut soup with coriander and coconut milk, with a main course of loin of pork done quickly on a flat-top grill with a herb-infused cream reduction - and then finished off in the oven.
Other starters include smoked salmon crostini (ripped salmon, chopped onion, ginger, chilli, olive oil on a crostini with coriander pesto), or curried corn, coconut and coriander soup.
Mains on the menu (which changes daily) include fillet of beef with mustard seed Bearnaise and roasted pepper, cashew and basil compote. Alternatively, there is grilled Norwegian salmon with pomme frites and a fennel and lemon butter.
The cherry on top is the Crème Brulée or the Frangelico-poached pears dipped in chocolate with Camembert cheese and figs.
The wine list is short and would appeal to most palates. It offers a few treasures but I would have been happy with a slightly more expanded list of special finds, in keeping with the overall quality of the place.
Even if one is not staying in town, a short trip from the nearby Sunshine Coast of Port Alfred, Kenton on Sea and Bushmans River is more than worth it - for the interesting town and, especially, for this restaurant.
Average three-course meal: R140.
By Gwynne Conlyn
Address: 7 Worcester Street, Grahamstown; Tel 046 622 2843. Booking essential. Open Wed, Fri and Sat, by arrangement.
Wine list3.5
Ambience: 4
Service: 4
Value: 4.5
