Ending the fancy Fairview winter evenings on a high note
28 Oct 2017
I love heading to the winelands - especially in winter. I recently enjoyed a cosy evening at Fairview's Goatshed restaurant in Paarl. It was the last of its winter evenings and our theme for the night was Moroccan.
Even though these winter evenings have come to an end, I thought it'd be a shame not to share it with those who might want to book their seats for next year's events. Plus, it'll still give you an idea of the magic that happens in the Goatshed kitchen. You'll certainly miss out if you don't drop by.
The Goatshed restaurant isn't usually open for dinner, but specialises in breakfasts and lunches. However, during the winter months, on some Friday evenings, the crackling fireplace turns it into a cosy haven of food, wine, and good conversations (if you take the right dining partner, that is).
On our special Moroccan evening, co-owner of the country-style eatery, Shannon Riley played host while resident chef, SJ Nel served up well-loved Fairview classics alongside tasty Moroccan inspired dishes.
We were started off with a beetroot and yoghurt spread, baby spinach with almonds and zhoug, flatbreads, olive oil and rosemary, Khobz Kesra (traditional Moroccan bread), lemon and olive chicken drumsticks, spicy roast pepper dip, eggplant salad with chermola, Harira - tomato lentil & chickpea soup, and a fattoush salad. A kind of tapas affair, we slobbered up every drop of the beetroot and yoghurt spread which went really well with the flatbreads.
The starters were paired with Fairview’s Verdelho white wine.
For mains, we had a rich braised goat shoulder curry served with mint cous cous, Labneh and accompaniments. The goats used for this dish are apparently not from Fariview's milking stock but from Charles Back's Karoo Farm. The traditional Boer goats are a sustainable meat source and deserve much more attention in future.
Our mains were paired with the Fairview Mourvedere.
Dessert was a date pudding with cardamon custard and orange preserve, served with the Fairview La Beryl blanc.
Be sure to treat yourself to one of these delicious winter evenings when they come around again!
Fairview is open Monday-Sunday from 9am-5pm. For more, go to www.fairview.co.za.
About Ilse van den Berg
Ilse is a freelance journalist and editor with a passion for people & their stories (check out Passing Stories). She is also the editor of Go & Travel, a platform connecting all the stakeholders in the travel & tourism industry. You can check out her work here and here. Contact Ilse through her website here.
