CAPE DUTCH
Supreme Fork Restaurant Review
CAPE DUTCH
By J . Wickliffe Cauthorn Cauthorn Nohr & Owen jwc @ cauthornnohr . com
Woodfire Grill was once my favorite restaurant in Atlanta , from the friendly knowledgeable yet unpretentious servers to the seemingly endless ability to find great chef after great chef , it had everything you could want in a special event restaurant . Now occupying the same space is Justin Anthony ’ s cure for the common steakhouse , Cape Dutch . Walking in the front door , you quickly notice that this place is shooting for hip and young .
The bar space offers plush low seating and room for several groups of people ( the night we visited , there was a group of 8-10 sharing small plates and enjoying drinks in one of the nooks near the front door ). Although there were plenty of people in the room , it didn ’ t feel crowded , and you could easily walk through the area to the hostess stand without worrying about knocking someone ’ s elbow or spilling a cocktail .
The newly decorated dining room is much brighter than Woodfire Grill . They have upgraded the seating and added a couple of large high top tables that comfortably accommodate groups of 8-10 . Cape Dutch would be a good option for either a romantic dinner or cocktails and supper with colleagues ; it ’ s certainly the type of place to entertain out-of-towners .
The cocktail list is old fashioned . Literally . Old fashions dominate and range from the classic rye – sugar – bitters combination to a latin themed tequila – agave – mole bitters version . The classic was perfect and just what I needed to get ready to relax and enjoy my dining experience . Don ’ t let the cocktails fool you , though , stodgy this place is not .
The “ Braai ” section of the menu is an homage to South Africa and features enormous 30 ounce porterhouses , 18 ounce ribeyes and a whole lobster (“ Braai ” is an Afrikaans term that refers to cooking meat over an open fire or hot coals ). Although large cuts of red meat and “ Braai ” sauces dominate half of the menu , Cape Dutch is more sophisticated than a regular steak house , and the rest of the menu is devoted to refined smaller-portioned plates like seared sea scallops , porcini ravioli and seared sea bass . If you ’ re not hungry for a huge dinner , there are several options that can easily be shared .
Cape Dutch offers quality wines from all over the world . You don ’ t have to break the bank to enjoy yourself , either . I had a delicious cabernet and my wife had an excellent chardonnay / pinot noir blend , both by the glass . If you want to order a bottle , there are numerous options at any price range , any one of which you will enjoy .
We started with seasoned spinach and arugula salad and seared sea scallops . For our main course , we ordered a ribeye with sides of frites and brussel sprouts , which were served in sharable portions , and porcini ravioli . We split Belgian-style chocolate soup for dessert .
The scallops were delicious and perfectly cooked . They came with mint and were served over a quinoa tabbouleh . The mint added a freshness making the already light dish even lighter , but the quinoa added nothing except an odd texture . The salad was absolutely fantastic with “ braaied ” oranges .
The ribeye was a ribeye – delicious , but three times more than I could eat . The porcini mushrooms stuffed ravioli made you forget you were eating a vegetarian dish . It was the best thing we ate . The Brussels sprouts were caramelized in the grill , and if you like pomme frites with a creamy sauce , then Cape Dutch is for you .
Well-balanced bitter-sweet chocolate soup with brandy capped perfectly punctuated the evening .
All in all , Cape Dutch is an exciting addition to the Atlanta food scene , located on Cheshire Bridge Road . Serving classic cuts , it also has a more refined and modern selection of dinner entrees . The price ranges from $ 5- $ 24 for starters , $ 14-market price for the Braai , and $ 19- $ 43 for entrees . The wine selection is large enough with options for everyone . You ’ ll want to valet park , and uber home .
20 THE ATLANTA LAWYER January 2016 The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association