Hudsons Burger Joint, nuff said

If you’re a burger person, this is your kind of joint.  With over 18 different burgers to choose from, even vegetarian ones (just to be trendy that way), you will be craving these grilled burgers for months to come.  If you’re feeling carnivorous there is the option of a 250g patty and chips on the side or if you’re feeling slightly less so then order the 180g patty  – tailor-made to your appetite! The buns are fresh, the meat is grilled to perfection, and the ensemble of each burger design is art with ‘beef n buns’. My personal favourite is The Player, a beef burger with generous toppings of avocado, feta cheese and crispy bacon pieces. You can’t even have ‘beef’ with the bill as the Hudsons Burger Joint is fairly reasonably priced!

There is a diverse but not limitless cocktail menu with all the staples, the two originals are their Makers Mark Moonshine and the Makers Mark Mint Julep. Cocktails range from R32 to R50 with an average around R35, be prepared to get your money’s worth in a goblet which dwarfs you. For you draught lovers there is a choice of three, Hudsons Pale Ale, Jack Black and Black Label draughts.

This particular Hudsons is situated on Kloof Street, the happening place to be with a grumbling stomach or a deathly thirst if you’re in town. On a beautiful day the sun streams into the cabin-like interior of the restaurant and gently warms the eco-friendly succulents which line their walls, the recycled cardboard designer chairs, and the recycled cardboard menus. Because of course, none of us want to feel guilty about the environment while devouring a 250g sizzling beef patty…

I fully recommend the Hudsons on Kloof, it’s an all-round winner; the food, the atmosphere, the drinks, the price, even the location do not leave it wanting. More on The Burger Joint at this site: http://www.theburgerjoint.co.za/

The Stellenbosch Wine Festival

If you didn’t hear any of the hype leading up to the Stellenbosch Wine Festival then you should seriously consider that you are moving in the wrong circles. This festival is the oldest and biggest running country food and wine festival in the Cape, this weekend (28-31^st July) being the 10^th Annual festival.  The festival showcases over 500 wines from the surrounding farms, including sparkling wines, and is incredibly popular – so book tickets early! The Wine Festival has its own gravitational pull, as though it were a compulsory class every student enrolled at Stellenbosch University could be found on the fields of the Paul Roos Centre sampling glass after glass of premier wine.

The most popular by far was the JC le Roux stall, which had a constant horde of eager tasters bustling in front of it, threatening to deplete their stocks. A new addition to the festival this year was the MCC lounge which featured the most elite selection of bubbly; where one tasting coupon would get you a taste of wine, four would get you a lick of this delicacy and it would be well worth it. If you are a wine fundi you would consider yourself in your element with over 500 wines to choose from and all without much travel. There was some food being showcased – sushi, cured meats, and chocolates – however the Spur temporary tent had a snaking line of 200 meters.

Thankfully the festival planners put a limit on the amount of tickets sold; after being open for about two hours the festival grounds were already crowded and difficult to move through and the centre itself a noisy, bustling mass, making  queuing and tasting itself a bit of an arduous task. However, if these big crowds aren’t for you Sunday is considered the Family Day which I would imagine would be quieter – the masses will be recovering from Saturday.

For more info visit http://www.stellenboschwinefestival.co.za/ , the Stellenbosch Wine Festival 2012 is booked for the 2-5^th August 2012.