Eat Out nominees announced

The nominees for the premier category of the 2011 Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards have been announced. This year there are also six new categories: Best Asian Restaurant, Best Italian Restaurant, Best Steakhouse, Best Country-Style Restaurant and Best Bistro as well as the Boschendal Style Award for the most stylish restaurant.

7 Oct 2011

There are 20 nominees on the list from which the Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Service Excellence Award as well as the Top 10 Restaurants will be chosen.

The nominees are:

Azure Restaurant
Babel
Bosman's
DW Eleven-13
Grande Provence
The Greenhouse
Hartford House
Jordan Restaurant
La Colombe
Mosaic Restaurant
Nobu
Overture
Pierneef à La Motte
Planet Restaurant
Roots
The Roundhouse
The Tasting Room
Terroir
The Test Kitchen
Tokara

Restaurants from across the country are eligible for the awards.

The editor, national panel and consumer reviews

The Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards are judged by Eat Out's editor, Abigail Donnelly. The criteria are stringent and assisting Donnelly in the compilation of the short list was Eat Out's national panel of over 30 professional restaurant reviewers, as well as consumer reviews received on www.eatout.co.za.

Donnelly said of this year's nominees: "2011 is definitely the year of the egg and the wild sorrel. Many chefs have displayed a strong sense of nature through foraging in forests or veggie gardens and pure South African storytelling has also been celebrated. I have tasted remarkable creations cooked with enthusiasm, and the combination of flavours and rigorous techniques has made sure that the element of surprise is sustained."

The awards will be announced at a gala function at The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay, Cape Town on Sunday, 20 November. A limited number of tickets are available to the public via www.eatout.co.za.