Vegetarians have been over-affirmed of late (I got a complaint from Jimmy Manyi*) so in order to correct the imbalance we go in search of steak at Carne, where the idea of a salad is three types of meat drizzled with olive oil. Actually that’s not quite accurate, they do that simple and superb creation, the caprese. The rest of the salads include raw and cooked animals in various forms: kudu, tongue, roast chicken, biltong and beef.
We opt for tongue done two ways: carpaccio and poached strips with salad. Save for the lovely olive oil and a rich pesto-inspired blob on the carpaccio slices, it is difficult to distinguish between the two. Tongue is not known for its strong flavour but they are equally bland. At least the slices, which are cut against the grain, have a bit of texture, which is part of what tongue is all about: a bit like kissing a …(okay we won’t go there).
My companion for the evening, James McLaughlin of Carthage (disclosing here that he designed this website), has eaten here just two days ago and is thrilled to be back so soon.
“I had the best steak of my life,” James gushes on about the hanger steak.
A tray of red cuts including a T-bone, rib-eyes, sirloin and the hanger is presented to us. I seize on the reddest of the lot, the hanger. Our man holding the tray promises a potent flavour with a hint of cow innards due to the fact that it hangs next to the kidneys. God bless his soul, it is bloody marvelous. No wonder butchers (when we still had them) kept this morsel for themselves. Today it goes into supermarket burger patties.
The carnivore team doesn’t only treat red meat with respect, the accompanying beans are a shiny green.
The trifle is forgettable but then this age-old pudding has never got me going. No wonder the Italians call it Zuppa Inglese, or English Soup. And we weren’t there for the pudding.
A tempting trolley of grappa bottles is unfortunately left intact (it is a school night).
Despite the cosy cellar setting, due to the unashamedly carnivorous menu it is not recommended for a blind date, unless you really want to put your prospective partner to the BIG test. But then you might as well go the whole hog and wait for Offal Week at Savoy Cabbage. Actually Carne have two primi vegetarian options: penne with tomato sauce and gnocchi with gorgonzola.
* Manyi is the debonair, though quick to complain, advocate for the most exclusive brand of black elitism. He is president of the Black Management Forum, also known as Cry Wolf Inc.
Tom Robbins
November 11, 2009
Carne SA
+27 (0)21 424 3460
Email: info@carne-sa.com
www.carne-sa.com
70 Keerom St (opposite Giorgio Nava’s other restaurant 95 Keerom)
CBD
Cape Town
Tags: 95 Keerom, Black Management Forum, butchers, Carne, carnivore, carpaccio, Carthage, grappa, hanger steak, Jimmy Manyi, kidneys, kudu, offal, rib-eye, Savoy Cabbage, sirloin, steak, T-bone, tongue
