Bistro 13 makes winter in Stellenbosch about your favourite things.

Monday, 25 May, 2015
Bistro 13
If there was any season to be picky about what you do with your time, winter is it. To get out of a toasty bed when the storm clouds blanket the sky in grey, and rain becomes the back track to everything — winter is the time to get more of your favourite things!

Winter in the kitchen is never a problem. Stock pots, ovens and just-baked bread make the kitchen a cozy little nook. But what comes out of it needs to warm the hearts of diners. "Soup, for instance, is a bowl of food that restores, brings back memories and hits that spot," says Chef Nic van Wyk, kykNet's Kokkedoor celebrity chef and owner of Bistro13. "Winter dishes manage to capture something special, and it’s this that attracts me to winter cooking."

During season, eating out is about getting out, seeing friends and spending time exploring Cape Town. But winter is about keeping warm and looking for anything and everything that makes life a little cozier. Bistro 13’s fireplace sets the scene for such a cozy place; a few degrees above the average temperature.

Hearty fare on the menu: Six starters ranging from roasted tomato soup with cheese and basil, to lamb kidneys with a sweet and sour red wine sauce. Nic’s very popular take on fish and chips is pan fried calamari with a black tomato and red pepper sauce, potato crisps and a lemon butter cream — proving to be a fast seller and a feel good winter starter.

For mains, hearty South African favourites include a braised lamb shoulder on a green bean and potato ragout and a white pepper sauce, and a prawn with papperdelle pasta. "Whenever I change seasons on a menu, I think about what I like to eat," says Nic. "Comfort food is never not going to be a favourite of mine because winter lends itself to remembering why people are drawn to comfort food." The popular steak dish gets a winter makeover with creamy garlic and thyme sauce, while the crumbed pork fillet gets sauerkrout and juniper jus. Venison also makes an appearance on the menu, as well as hearty chicken pie. "When you understand flavour and which combinations work, it makes creating interesting interpretations really easy, no matter what the season. My passion lies in creating food people want to eat," continues Nic.

It can never truly be a winter menu without a dessert menu to make the greyest of days a little sweeter. Diners can look forward to a warm chocolate pudding with peanut butter caramel, a malva pudding with turkish delight custard and a soft nougat with poached quince and almond meringue, to name a few.

Apart from the a la carte menu, there will be a Feed Me menu, discounted for winter to R225 per person, allowing guests to explore five dishes off the menu in smaller portions.

What is winter without pot on stove conjuring feel good memories and enjoying the extra cuddling up to stay warm? For winter at Bistro 13, a new ‘sharing’ menu, Our Table, priced at R185pp, will feature a three course meal for two, with some items plated and others shared at the table. This menu features dishes like mussel and smoked paprika soup, braised chicken with tarragon and mushroom sauce, beef short rib ragout and a roasted pumpkin risotto, and naturally some belly warming desserts to join the lineup.

The Saturday night steak special offers diners a sirloin or onglet steak with béarnaise, chimichurri, or parsley and butter sauce, with beef fat potatoes, onions rings and green beans, with a glass of Welmoed wine, for R115 per person and will continue to run until 31 August 2015. Early birds have until 21 June 2015 to jump on the breakfast special of buy one breakfast and get the second free off the a la carte menu.

When in Stellenbosch — the perks of being on a wine farm: Welmoed is home to Stellenbosch Vineyards and their eight wine brands. During winter all diners will get a wine taster with lunch or dinner to introduce or continue their experience with the farm’s signature brand, Stellenbosch Vineyards.

The Stellenbosch Vineyards range consists of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Heyden’s White — a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Verdelho and Gewürztraminer — and Heyden’s Red, a blend of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Special winter event evenings: Bistro 13’s winter programme makes eating out in winter much more interesting. We invite some of our favourite people to dine with us as well as introduce the Lucky 13 Burger, making an exclusive appearance on the menu every Wednesday evening.

The Lucky 13 burger was born out of the restaurant’s first wine festival, showcasing restaurant dishes as well as the wild card burger, because what is more satisfying than a great burger. It starts with a great patty, lamb or beef, rocket for added freshness, aioli to make it even juicer, cheese, cucumber pickle and tomato jam, making each mouthful nothing short of a party. "Our philosophy is about food done right, making the supposed most simple things, something amazing to experience, " says Nic.

Every second Thursday, until the end of August, will see Bistro 13's doors open to a food experience to share with friends or fellow Capetonians — exchanging an evening under a duvet for an evening next to a fireplace enjoying comfort food and delicious wine.

Programme:

Thursday 28 May: What came first, bacon or the pig? Long table style dining dedicated to all things bacon, including a palate test of whose rather rules them all!

Thursday 11 June: South African cricketer Faff du Plessis comes for dinner, an avid foodie, he may even do some cooking.

Thursday 25 June: Kokkedoor evening- faces from the show.

Thursday 9 July: Neil Patterson: sulphur free wine and the French classic-cassoulet.

Thursday 30 July: Offal evening with Chef Westley Muller of Towerbosch Country Kitchen at Knorhoek. Throw your perceptions out the window and prepare to perhaps become a fan! For long time fans- revel in a menu made specifically for you.

Thursday 13 August: Huiskok Errieda du Toit joins Nic van Wyk to create dishes with a feminine touch inspired by nostalgia. Expect some familiar foodie faces too.

Thursday 27 August: Women of the world inspired menu in celebration of Women’s Month.