If you ever saw out my first blog, My Love Affair with Italy, you’ll know that my number one activity while touring through that incredibly beautiful country was definitely: eating. Italians love their food and it’s therefore a big part of their culture. (along with family, fast cars & fashionable dressing of course)
So no surprise then that I was super excited to hear about Societi Bistro‘s 2013 Tour Through Italy! (some of you might remember their 2012 Tour Through France).
They’re planning 10 weeks of Italian cuising, each week dedicated to a different Italian region with a different menu & carefully selected wine. I sadly missed out on their latest menu tasting session which took place this past Saturday (as I already had another commitment), but I’m definitely going to be paying them a visit for the full Italiano esperienza…
Things kick off this Wed, 15 May and will run until the week of 17 Jul. This is what’s waiting there for you each week:
- Region 1 Sicilia- Wed 15 May to Tue 21 May
Pasta alla Norma R55
aubergine, tomato and ricotta
Cape fish of the day served with Caponata R115
traditional agro-dolce aubergine dish
Cannoli alla Siciliana R40
Sicilian ricotta pastries served with vanilla ice cream, citrus syrup
Suggested Wine: Flat Roof Manor Pinot Grigio - Region 2 Calabria & Basilicata - Wed 22 May to Tue 28 May
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca R42
Spaghetti with tomato, anchovy, olives, capers & basil
Melanzane Parmigiana R70
aubergine, pomodoro, Grana Padano bake
Chilli Infused Gelato R10 per scoop
Honey
Suggested Wine: OBiKWA Moscato - Region 3 Puglia - Wed 29 May to Tue 4 June
Orecchiette con Broccoli R50
“little ears” pasta with broccoli, garlic & chilli
Braciole al Sugo con Polpette R90
fresh mussels steamed with tomato, white wine, garlic, chilli and finished with olive oil
Bitter Chocolate & Cherry Gelato R10 per scoop
Suggested Wine: Thelema Muscat de Frontignan - Region 4 Campania - Wed 5 June to Tue 11 June
Mozzarella in Carrozza R25
deep fried mozzarella sandwich, dressed rocket
Braciola di Maiale Pizzaiola R89
pork chop with Pizzaiola sauce
Chocolate & Almond Gelato R10 per scoop
Suggested Wine: Idiom Bianco di Stellenbosch Pinot Grigio - Region 5 Molise, Abruzzo & Marche - Wed 12 June to Tue 18 June
Spaghetti all’ Aglio Olio e Peperoncino R42
spaghetti with garlic, olive oil & chilli
Cape Fish served with Inzimino & Salsa Verde R115
traditional chickpea, swiss chard & tomato stew with green sauce
Salame di Fichi Gelato R22
fig, almond & walnut ‘salami’ crumbled into Gelato served with an espresso
Suggested Wine: Idiom Sangiovese
- Region 6 Lazio & Umbria - Wed 19 June to Tue 25 June
Lenticchie Con Salsicce R45
lentil stew with sausages
Saltimbocca R118
veal escalope, Prosciutto, sage
Gelato al Espresso R15
espresso flavoured ice cream
Suggested Wine: Idiom Rosso di Stellenbosch - Region 7 Tuscany & Liguiria - Wed 26 June to Tue 2 July
La Ribollita R38
hearty Tuscan bean soup
Bistecca alla Fiorentina R145
grilled 500g T-bone steak, fresh lemon
Candied Fruit Gelato R10 per scoop
Suggested Wine: Terra del Capo Sangiovese - Region 8 Emilia – Romagna - Wed 3 July to Tue 9 July
Chicken Broth with Tortellini Bolognese R52
pasta filled with pork loin, Prosciutto & Mortadella stuffing, floating in a rich chicken broth
Lasagnia al Forno R80
oven-baked lasagnia with Ragù alla Bolognese
Grappa Gelato R10 per scoop
Suggested Wine: La Vierge Satyricon - Region 9 North Western Italy - Wed 10 July to Tue 16 July
Canederli R45
broth, bread dumplings
Osso Bucco alla Milanese R130
veal shin, bone marrow & saffron risotto, Gremolata
Chocolate & Hazelnut Gelato R10 per scoop
Suggested Wine: Steenberg Nebbiolo - Region 10 Veneto & Fruili, Venezia Guilia - Wed 17 July to Tue 23 July
La Jota Triestina R42
rich bean soup from Trieste with bacon
Fegato alla Veneziana R89
sautéed calf ’s liver, caramalised onion, soft polenta
Tiramisu R40
Suggested Wine: De Grendel Pinot Gris
Mmmmm… they had me at Gelato… (OK and many many other things) To make your reservation, give them a shout on: 021 42 42 100.
And then their address for those who are new to Societi Bistro: 50 Orange St, Gardens
Ciao ciao for now signore e signori! (that’s my last Italian reference, I promise - at least you can’t see my hand gestures from where you’re sitting. I mean we all know the Italians can’t speak without their hands
)
xxx
PS. Check out the Tour Through Italy page for more info on the regions & the different wines.






















































