On Monday I popped out of the office for fresh air and a bite to eat. On the lookout for somewhere nearby, newish and delicious, I headed to a place I’d heard much about.

After a few spoons of over-al dente penne, I gave up on that one. Slightly dizzy from hunger, I got to the next on my list, only to find that it had decided to close for lunch on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Nearly succumbing to Nando’s for their consistently good chicken livers, Mozzarella Bar caught my eye. Third time lucky.

Happily, owner Giorgio Nava was there to keep me company and talk food. I’m convinced he has a twin; you will always spot him at his restaurants around town. The mozzarella in carrozza (mozzarella in a carriage) was the best toasted sandwich ever. Stuffed with the real deal and anchovies and then deep fried, it was well worth my wait. And the concluding shot of sweet, icy coffee made my colleague go into raptures.

There will be no toasted sarmies this year at The Eat Out Restaurant Awards, but we have a fabulous team of chefs to prepare dinner for our gourmand guests.

Feast your eyes on the line-up for 20 November 2011: 
The Nobu team will delight with the starter; a sensational first main will be handled by Luke Dale Roberts from The Test Kitchen; and Michael Broughton from Terroir will bowl us over with his main dish. Something sweetly seductive for dessert will be showcased by George Jardine from Jordan, and lastly, Giorgio Nava (representing Caffe Milano this time) will be there to break the bread.

Quite a chef’s table it’s going to be.

See you there!
Abigail

PS. Book your tickets now by emailing Alicia Erasmus at alicia.erasmus@newmediapub.co.za, or download the form here.