Today, the nominees for the premier category of the 2011 Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards were announced.
There are 20 nominees on the list from which the Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Service Excellence Award as well as the Top 10 Restaurants will be chosen. The nominees are: Azure Restaurant, Babel, Bosman’s, DW Eleven-13, Grande Provence, The Greenhouse, Hartford House, Jordan Restaurant, La Colombe, Mosaic Restaurant, Nobu, Overture, Pierneef à La Motte, Planet Restaurant, Roots, The Roundhouse, The Tasting Room, Terroir, The Test Kitchen and Tokara.
This year Eat Out will also announce winners in six new categories: Best Asian restaurant, Best Italian restaurant, Best Steakhouse, Best Country-Style restaurant and Best Bistro as well as the Boschendal Style Award for the most stylish restaurant. Restaurants from across the country are eligible for these Awards and the winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony taking place on 20 November.
The Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards are judged by Eat Out Editor Abigail Donnelly. The criteria are stringent and assisting Donnelly in the compilation of the shortlist was Eat Out’s national panel of over 30 professional restaurant reviewers as well as consumer reviews received on www.eatout.co.za.
Says Donnelly about this year’s nominees; “2011 is definitely the year of the egg and the wild sorrel. Many chefs have displayed a strong sense of nature through foraging in forests or veggie gardens, and pure South African storytelling has also been celebrated. I have tasted remarkable creations cooked with enthusiasm, and the combination of flavours and rigorous techniques has made sure that the element of surprise is sustained.”
The awards will be announced at a gala function at The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay, Cape Town on Sunday 20 November. A limited number of tickets are available to the public via www.eatout.co.za.
