The Big Easy: a Food-Lover's Tour of Stellenbosch by Rosanne Turner
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Good friends, a charming guest house and imaginative global-class food all added up to a recipe for a perfect night away. Tired of family friendly restaurants, and planning get-togethers around the kids, we decided that the grandparents needed to spend some quality time with the children - or rather we needed some quality time away from them. Ernie Els’s new signature eating spot THE BIG EASY came highly recommended, and so came about our night out to the Winelands town of Stellenbosch.
We arrived mid afternoon at the Hoopenburg Guest House, situated on the Hoopenburg Wine Estate, a little way outside of Stellenbosch. We were enthusiastically greeted by Sky, the Border collie, who briefly stopped his obsession with herding the chickens, to welcome us to his home. Charlene, the proprietor showed us to our room, elegantly furnished in a typical country style. A roaring fire and glasses of sherry were much appreciated on a crisp winter’s day.
With wine in hand, we reclined to the stoep to take in the view of the snow on the distant mountains and the naked winter vines surrounding the guest house. Sky went back to his antics of herding first the geese into the dam, and then the chickens into the house. This obsession continued the entire afternoon and kept us amused as we waited for our friends to arrive.
First Impressions Count
As you enter the building, the sheer opulence of the place leaves you in awe. The attention to detail given in restoring and decorating this grand old building is evident. Situated in historical Dorp Street, this elegant Cape Dutch type building is known as La Gratitude. Built in 1798 by the first Reverend of Stellenbosch, it boasts a blend of Cape Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture and is now home to this elegant eatery.
Our evening started in the bar, a tribute to the Big Easy himself, Ernie Els. Photographs and news-clippings adorn the walls and trophies stand proud on the mantelpiece. The wine list is impressive with a selection of over 170 fine wines from the Stellenbosch and surrounding areas to choose from. Good news is that patrons are able to enjoy wines from the cellars of the owners, at cellar door prices. Jean Engelbrecht of Rust en Vrede and Engelbrecht Els Wines, was instrumental in putting an impressive wine list together. The other owners, Johann Rupert (L’Ormarins) and Paul Harris (Audacia) have added their credibility to what will be a great success with connoisseurs. The fifth partner is businessman, Guiseppe Cuicci, of Stonehage, a wealth creation company.
Before being seated at our table, my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked general manager Craig Draper for the grand tour. Large establishments can often feel cold and uninviting. Not so in this case. The thick internal walls have been retained to create several private and intimate dining rooms, each uniquely furnished. Even the bathrooms are a must see, and look as though they have come straight out of a page of a glossy décor magazine. A member’s only club takes up the entire top floor, with leather couches, book-filled walls and the smell of the thatch roof, giving it a colonial feel.
The Food
Even though starched napkins and crystal glasses dress up the tables, the atmosphere is not stiff or formal. Service is attentive, yet relaxed and the food is sophisticated yet unpretentious. Irish-born chef Ronan O’Dwyer has created a menu that is imaginative and incorporates local flavour. Deciding what to have was difficult, although I doubt there could have been a wrong choice. I started with a Tartlet of beetroot & butternut with chive crème fraiche, which was delicious and light. The Caesar salad was laden with crisp pancetta, crunchy croutons, and a generous portion of parmesan shavings, in a rich creamy dressing. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his interesting seafood starter of Pan-fried soft shelled crab, fishcake, avocado citrus & celeriac remoulade.
Main course was equally as impressive as the starters. It’s not often that all at the dinner table rave about their meal, but The Big Easy didn’t disappoint. Again the choice was difficult, but I opted for a Risotto of wild & cultivated mushrooms, tortellini & truffle infusion. The risotto was expertly cooked, using a fine white wine and flavourful stock. Others at our table enjoyed the Big Easy lamb burger with sweet red onion, minted yoghurt, falafel & French Fries – a robust meal for a fine dinging restaurant. The Roasted rump of lamb, polenta in a pizza style with roasted aubergine, peppers & matured goat’s cheese, rosemary jus, was an excellent choice for a winter’s evening of red wine drinking, as was the Risotto of confit duck, roasted breast & Grand Marnier jus.
For the sake of pure gluttony, we ordered tasting platters of desserts; a selection of tempting treats, ranging from home made fruit sorbets to Ronan’s famous chocolate fudge. As we wanted to make the most of the decadent surroundings, we moved to the lounge, and relaxed next to an expansive fireplace, lingering over yet another glass of wine, not wanting the evening to end.
We returned to Hoopenburg guest house, to sit around the fire again, chatting about the evening’s fare, before retiring for the night, to comfortable beds; little knowing that we would wake to yet another gastronomic feast of breakfast in the morning.
The Morning After
Luckily the roosters woke up late. Or perhaps we didn’t hear their sunrise calls. I woke up at the unheard of hour of 8:30 am to the smell of breakfast on the go. I am not a late sleeper, so will blame the country air and comfortable beds, rather that the copious glasses of good wine for my late rising. Before breakfast we gathered again on the stoep with coffee, to watch Sky herding the fowl again. One goose had enough of being rounded up, and gave him chase, but this didn’t deter Sky for too long. The smell of bacon soon lured everyone inside, away from the farmyard activities. Breakfast was a true country affair, with a cold buffet of fruits, cereals and yoghurts, followed by a hearty cooked breakfast.
If you are in need of a night away from the kids, to catch up with good friends and rejuvenate the soul, give the grandparents a call. There’s nothing like a bit of pampering and excellent food (that you haven’t cooked) in beautiful surroundings to make you feel new again.