Dio Bacco
Published: 01 Dec 07
Category: Contemporary eclectic
The man may make his living putting people to sleep (no shame here as he's an anaesthetist) but he has a knack of finding both fabulous restaurants and wines.
He'd heard about Dio Bacco which quietly opened its doors with no hype and fanfare and was already becoming popular in food circles thanks to the best recommendation of all - word-of-mouth. It boasts Mediterranean food as well as specialities from the Dalmatian Coast (as in Croatia and not the pelts worn by Cruella de Vil).
It sounded intriguing, so one particularly dark and stormy night we set off, not quite sure what to expect. We didn't bump into Frank 'n Furter and Co but we did meet Croatian Chris Kovac, the man behind Dio Bacco who ran the original Doppio Zero in Greenside for five years. Croatian cuisine reflects the country's history, geography and culture. The Hungarians brought meat stews such as goulash and paprikash; the Italians left behind various pasta while the Turks added rolled dough and a type of sauerkraut.
Kovac is a consummate restaurateur who is charm personified and has an infectious passion for food. The menu is described as "Mediterranean Fusion" with a strong emphasis on Italian fare but there are some interesting specialities which ensure that it's not just another neighbourhood trattoria.
For antipasti, along with the soups and salads, there are Portuguese-style chicken livers served peri-peri; mussels in a Napoletana sauce and fried haloumi served with a fabulous pistacchio pesto but we opted to share one of Kovac's specialities, the Venetian inspired bussara - a fish stew made up of mussels, scallops, prawns and calamari with wine, sweet paprika and chilli served with grilled bruschetta. It's robust and moreish.
There are a number of pizza and pasta dishes on the menu. For something different try the Minerva pizza with its baked sauerkraut, bresaola (air-dried beef) and roasted red pepper pesto which Kovac would do well to bottle and sell. The first two ingredients are also in the wonderful maltagliati con bresaola e verze, rough sheets of home-made pasta tossed with baked cabbage, beef and liberally topped with Parmesan. The flavours were superb - cabbage has never been gourmet until Kovac got hold of it!
Our party also tried the spiedino (fillet cubes wrapped in pancetta, skewered with cloves of garlic and marinated with rosemary), grilled and served with marinated red pepper and baked cabbage. Beautifully spiced is the stufato - slices of silverside, a meat not often seen on menus, pierced with garlic and slow-roasted in red wine, dried fruit with hints of cloves and cinnamon. It's served with polenta.
There's a compact winelist to suit all tastes and budgets. We washed the wonderful food down with a bottle or three of the Guardian Peak Merlot (R98).
The restaurant was bustling with customers during a torrential Jozi downpour - a real testament to the unpretentious but fabulous food served in welcoming surroundings. Pity Brad and Janet didn't make it - the food's much better than that served at the Frankenstein place!
Average price of a three-course meal: R110
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Address: 48 The Avenue in Gardens (Norwood).
Open for lunch Tues – Sun; dinner from Tues – Sat.
BYO R30.
Tel: 011 728 2826
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
The man may make his living putting people to sleep (no shame here as he's an anaesthetist) but he has a knack of finding both fabulous restaurants and wines.
He'd heard about Dio Bacco which quietly opened its doors with no hype and fanfare and was already becoming popular in food circles thanks to the best recommendation of all - word-of-mouth. It boasts Mediterranean food as well as specialities from the Dalmatian Coast (as in Croatia and not the pelts worn by Cruella de Vil).
It sounded intriguing, so one particularly dark and stormy night we set off, not quite sure what to expect. We didn't bump into Frank 'n Furter and Co but we did meet Croatian Chris Kovac, the man behind Dio Bacco who ran the original Doppio Zero in Greenside for five years. Croatian cuisine reflects the country's history, geography and culture. The Hungarians brought meat stews such as goulash and paprikash; the Italians left behind various pasta while the Turks added rolled dough and a type of sauerkraut.
Kovac is a consummate restaurateur who is charm personified and has an infectious passion for food. The menu is described as "Mediterranean Fusion" with a strong emphasis on Italian fare but there are some interesting specialities which ensure that it's not just another neighbourhood trattoria.
For antipasti, along with the soups and salads, there are Portuguese-style chicken livers served peri-peri; mussels in a Napoletana sauce and fried haloumi served with a fabulous pistacchio pesto but we opted to share one of Kovac's specialities, the Venetian inspired bussara - a fish stew made up of mussels, scallops, prawns and calamari with wine, sweet paprika and chilli served with grilled bruschetta. It's robust and moreish.
There are a number of pizza and pasta dishes on the menu. For something different try the Minerva pizza with its baked sauerkraut, bresaola (air-dried beef) and roasted red pepper pesto which Kovac would do well to bottle and sell. The first two ingredients are also in the wonderful maltagliati con bresaola e verze, rough sheets of home-made pasta tossed with baked cabbage, beef and liberally topped with Parmesan. The flavours were superb - cabbage has never been gourmet until Kovac got hold of it!
Our party also tried the spiedino (fillet cubes wrapped in pancetta, skewered with cloves of garlic and marinated with rosemary), grilled and served with marinated red pepper and baked cabbage. Beautifully spiced is the stufato - slices of silverside, a meat not often seen on menus, pierced with garlic and slow-roasted in red wine, dried fruit with hints of cloves and cinnamon. It's served with polenta.
There's a compact winelist to suit all tastes and budgets. We washed the wonderful food down with a bottle or three of the Guardian Peak Merlot (R98).
The restaurant was bustling with customers during a torrential Jozi downpour - a real testament to the unpretentious but fabulous food served in welcoming surroundings. Pity Brad and Janet didn't make it - the food's much better than that served at the Frankenstein place!
Average price of a three-course meal: R110
by Janine Walker
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Address: 48 The Avenue in Gardens (Norwood).
Open for lunch Tues – Sun; dinner from Tues – Sat.
BYO R30.
Tel: 011 728 2826
Food:
Wine list
Ambience:
Service:
Value:
