.: MENU visits the Karoo and the Garden Route 15. Supper at the Cattle Baron, Addo

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

MENU visits the Karoo and the Garden Route 15. Supper at the Cattle Baron, Addo

On our last night in Addo we fancied spoiling ourselves with dinner out. We had heard very good things about the Cattle Baron at the main camp, so we made a booking for 6.30. The game area of the park closes at 6, but the area enclosing the accommodation, the shop and restaurant is still accessible until the park's gate closes at 8.30 pm

The restaurant is large inside and nicely spaced for Covid
There is a very large area at the side, covered with thatch, which is more open
They serve breakfasts and lunches here too

They have a good corkage policy, One bottle free, then R60 for the next bottle, unless that bottle is already open, with some of the wine already consumed – which fit our profile to a T as we did have an already opened bottle of red with us

So at 6.30 we were back, confronting the large and somewhat retro menu. It is quite varied, even for those little folk who insist on eating plant based 'meat' (apologies to Dame Edna). Our wonderful waitress Themba took our order for two Deep fried Camemberts with Cranberry sauce, which were excellent and came, rather strangely, with a huge dollop of sour cream and 3 melba toasts, not needed on board. We had this deliciousness with Jordan's 2019 Inspector Peringuey Chenin Blanc - tropical notes on the nose, but lovely, linear lime and lemon crispness on the palate with white peach and litchi

Our main courses were also excellent. John had the Blackened Pepper Fillet with a Green Madagascan sauce
To gild the lily, they flame it in brandy at the table, which does cook it a little more than the medium rare ordered
The flaming was done very skilfully by our waitress Themba, and the jug was rather full

Lots of brandy was involved

Lynne had the Pork Ribs and Prawns
Four huge King prawns with a lemon garlic butter sauce and a half rack of tender and well sauced ribs
Nice and sticky and, yes, we had a finger bowl brought to us
Understandably, we could do no more, so no desserts were necessary and some ribs went 'home' with us in a doggie bag

Our red bottle was the rest of the previous night’s Rhebokskloof MGS, enough for a small glass each
As good as any similar, well prepared meal we could get in Cape Town and probably better