Eat Out DStv Restaurant Awards nominees announced

The Top-10 Restaurants will also be chosen. The nominees are: Babel, Bizerca Bistro, Delaire Graff Estate Restaurant, DW Eleven-13, The Greenhouse, Hartford House, Jordan Restaurant, La Colombe, Makaron, Overture, Pierneef à La Motte, Planet Restaurant, Restaurant Mosaic, The Roundhouse, Rust en Vrede Restaurant, Tasting Room, Terroir, The Test Kitchen and Tokara.

The additional categories of 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 will be announced at the awards ceremony at The Westin Cape Town on Sunday, 25 November, 2012.

London-based food columnist

This year the awards are judged by Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly and London-based food columnist for the Wall Street Journal Europe, Bruce Palling. Palling has been on the judging panel for the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards for the past six years and blogs at www.gastroenophile.com

Assisting Donnelly and Palling in the compilation of the shortlist was Eat Out's panel of 24 professional restaurant reviewers around the country, as well as consumer reviews received on www.eatout.co.za

Said Donnelly about this year's nominees: "This year chefs are having fun, but have also pushed boundaries and will continue to strive for perfection. This is not only evident through contemporary dishes, but also through the level of care and service. Complex plates have been celebrated that seek to challenge South African storytelling."

Bruce Palling had this to say about judging the awards: "The range and dedication of South Africa's leading chefs made my task both easy and challenging - how to judge the truly outstanding from the exceptional. There were very few disappointments and some of the chefs would rank in my personal top 20 anywhere in the world."

First Eat Out Conference

Also of interest to food lovers and industry insiders is the first Eat Out Conference, which will be held on Saturday, 24 November at The Westin Cape Town. Speakers include top international chef Massimo Bottura (chef at the fifth-best restaurant in the world, Osteria Francescana); Bruce Palling; and British food designer Andrew Stellitano.

Local speakers include the reigning Eat Out Chef of the Year, Luke Dale- Roberts; executive chef at Le Quartier Français Hotel in Franschhoek, Margot Janse; and prominent members of the local restaurant industry, who'll join a panel discussion led by Eat Out editor and judge, Abigail Donnelly.

A limited number of tickets will be available from Julie Potgieter at az.oc.bupaidemwen@stneve or +27 (0)21 417 1257. Go to www.eatout.co.za for more information.