Italian food. It’s up there with Chinese for being misunderstood and mauled. Say Italian and most of us think pizza, lasagna and alfredo. You can’t really blame us, for the offerings of most Italian restaurants are limited to pretty much that. They’re mostly badly done too, which is why I generally baulk at the thought of eating out Italian, and rather just cook it at home. My gran’s tender spring lamb with lemon, my own rich lamb and tomato ragu, my version of caprese…
So it was with considerable delight that I recently discovered a new Italian gem on the food scene – Volare at Peddlars & Co in the Constantia Valley. Now Volare has been around for ages, but I say new, because it’s been given a shake-up of note – a brand new interior, a brand new menu and a brand new chef in the form of the talented Brad Ball (formerly of BistroSixteen82 at Steenberg).
This is not kiddie/family-night-out stuff. You won’t find plastic tablecloths, crayons or high chairs. Of course they let kids in the door (they’re cool that way), but for me the new Volare with its incredibly elegant décor is more grown ups/date-night stuff. ‘Elegant’ is a bit like ‘interesting’ – a dangerous word open to interpretation. I easily equate it with stuck-up, unfriendly, pretentious. The kind of place I feel REALLY uncomfortable in. But not at Volare. Because they have managed to create a luxurious, upmarket, modern interior that manages to be warm and welcoming too.
I kiss Brad’s feet, because the menu contains NO PIZZA. No lasagne or alfredo either. There is pasta, but it’s not the main star of the menu. Instead, he and his team focus on offering the diner the real deal – Italian food the way I experienced it in Italy. For antipasti think Buratta (Puglia mozzarella with tapenade, micro basil, focaccia toast and tomatoes.) Think Arancini (mozzarella-stuffed risotto dumplings with truffle, parmesan and Napolitana sauce.) In the pasta space, there are delights like Farfalla Primavera (with peas, leaks, zucchini, artichokes, parsley oil and pea shoots). Or – one I simply have to go back for – the charmingly-named Gnudi Fritti (home-made ricotta gnocchi with braised beef tongue, red wine and rosemary pangritata). That’s the problem with a menu like this – I want to eat it all.
Volare’s talented chef, Brad Ball: Their menu says life is too short not to be Italian. SI!
Decisions had to be made though. So for starters my (much better) half, who likes his flavours fresh and clean, opted for the Tono Crudo (yellow-fin tuna carpaccio with capers, lemon, basil emulsion and a shallot dressing). If I were a better writer, I’d do this dish justice. Instead I’ll just say WOW. I’m a carb freak and a pork fanatic, so I opted to start with a small portion of Pork Ragu Pappardelle consisting of braised pork belly with tomato, fennel seeds rosemary and goat’s cheese fondant on sublime pasta. I’ve been having improper dreams about it ever since.
For mains we had the Roast Porchetta – Oak Valley pork belly with artichokes, sage, Parma ham, broccolini and absolutely stupendous crackling. Having had pork for starters, I opted for the Agnelo Al Forno – Caledon lamb, caponata raviolo, peas, onion condito, bagna cauda and jus. What can I say, it made we want to cry. Fall-of-bone soft and rich, the last time I had lamb anywhere near this good was in my (quarter Italian) gran’s farm kitchen 25 years ago.
Being not just a foodie but a wino as well, I was delighted to see a smallish but very well thought out wine menu containing some Italian imports, but mostly local wines and, thankfully, not the usual suspects. Spring Cove Pinot Grigio, Nabygelegen Lady Anna Chenin-Sauvignon Blanc, Glenelly Unwooded Chardonnay (our choice for the evening and so lovely) and a Beau Constantia Bordeaux blend to name but a few. You are of course welcome to bring you own and pay corkage of R40 per bottle. But with the selection they have, and what I thought were very fair restaurant wine prices, I would not bother.
I really could not manage pud, and more’s the pity because the Chocolate Torta (with Valrhona chocolate, espresso ice cream and chocolate crumble) had my name all over it. For that matter, so did the Zabaglione (with marsala, sour plums and vanilla bean ice cream.)
Subsequent to my visit to Volare, I made it my business to eat at all the other Italian restaurants in the city that I would put in the same category as Volare (and a few I wouldn’t). I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that, right now, Volare is top of my list for Italian in Cape Town. I will be back. The Gnudi Fritti await.
Note: I was an invited, sponsored guest at Volare. Please see entry below about invitations and posts.
where
13 Spaanschemat River Road
Constantia, Cape Town
when
Mon-Sun
time
11:00-23:00
contact
021 794 7747
About this article: I only write about places and things I actually really like. Should I receive complimentary meals/tickets/diamonds, this will always be revealed. I’m not in the rubbishing business, so if something is not my cup of tea, I’ll simply not write about it (but I’ll keep the diamonds). Therefore this is not so much a review, as a personal recommendation of places and things I like. Living in Cape Town, I focus mainly on the Western Cape, and I can only cover so many places (there is that troublesome thing of trying to make a living, after all). This is where I need your help. Please share your favourite markets, festivals, restaurants and wine tasting experiences from all over the country with others by using the ‘COMMENTS’ section below.
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