Local Grill is first Wolftrap Steakhouse Champion

The top three

According to convenor JP Rossouw: "The top three steakhouses were all excellent in terms of selection, knowledge, maturation and preparation of their meats, but what gave The Local Grill the edge was the fantastic meat experience it offers in terms of range of cuts (including grass and grain) and even choice of bovine. The fact that you get a tour of the meat locker if you show the slightest bit of interest, is also fantastic and says it all about a place that truly 'preaches' steak!"

The top three were completed by Carne SA (Cape Town) and Little Havana (Umhlanga Rocks). The awards were held at Luke Dale-Roberts' Pot Luck Club, where his platters of Chalmar beef accompanied The Wolftrap wines. Winner, Steve Maresch of The Local Grill, and runners-up, Martin Lombard of Little Havana and Giorgio Nava of Carne SA, were all in attendance to receive their respective awards.

The search

The awards conclude a search that began with an open round during which the public nominated their favourite steakhouses - and nearly 200 establishments were named as contenders in the Championships. The top five from this nomination round then joined an experts' selection of nine award-winning steakhouses to go into the play-off round in April, during which the 14 steakhouses went head-to-head with personal visits by the judges, led by well-known MasterChef SA judge Pete Goffe-Wood.

Goffe-Wood said, "The standard of the last 14 was very high indeed and it is clear that the steakhouse category is alive and well in South Africa. Of course, steak is a South African passion and the steakhouse is the quintessential South African restaurant experience - it's who we are - and this competition celebrates those who push the envelope of that experience."

For further information, go to www.votesteak.co.za or email az.oc.kaetsetov@ofni.