CATHARINA'S RESTAURANT AT STEENBERG HOTEL REIMAGINED WITH LIGHTER & BRIGHTER LOOK

CONSTANTIA, South Africa (09/2013) - Award-winning Steenberg Hotel and Winery outsideof Cape Town, continues the transformation of its dining experiences with the updating of Catharina’s Restaurant, a celebrated culinary destination. 

Studio Botes was brought in to reimagine a formal fine dining room into a space that is light, bright and airy and to bring to life the story of Catharina Ras, the Cape’s first female landowner, a feisty, outrageous, but beguiling historical figure. 

“While steeped in history, the design and décor juxtapose the traditional and the modern, creating a visual overview of the eclectic nature of the Cape as a trading outpost in 1682, as well as Steenberg’s past and present,” says Brandt Botes, founder of the studio that bears his name. To achieve this, the studio used a mix of vintage, eclectic and contemporary elements including a copy of the actual 17th century deed granting Catharina the right to the land as well as a modern diorama and light boxes customized for the space. In the book-like menus, Catharina's life is portrayed by six different illustrators through six illustrations united by design and color. 

The huge windows of the dining room allow light to flood the room that is finished out in shades of steel, gray, blue and white. Heavy barnwood tables inspired by farm-style harvest tables further impart an informal, family-style feel to the space. The restaurant’s acclaimed chef, Garth Almazan says: “The new dining room is reflective of the inviting and unimposing elegance of Steenberg. We look forward to welcoming diners to our new home. Our Summer Menu [November – February] is very much inspired by the dining 
room’s fresh feel,” says Almazan. 

As guests enter the dining room, they are likely to see the multitude of origami swans suspended from the ceiling. These figures serve a symbolic purpose – Steenberg’s original name was “Swaaneweide” – The Feeding Place of Swans. Back in 1682, Catharina had mistaken the spur-winged geese of the Steenberg region for swans!

A single black swan also hangs from the ceiling, acknowledging Steenberg’s past and future. “The black swan represents Catharina Ras who truly stood out, in her time and in ours. Furthermore, the black swan nods to Steenberg’s logo, unique offerings and indomitable spirit, inspired by Catharina herself,” says Anetha Homan, Marketing Manager of Steenberg.

FAMILY HOLIDAYS AT THE STEENBERG IN SOUTH AFRICA

Situated on the Cape’s oldest farm, only 20 minutes from the center of Cape Town, the five-star Steenberg offers an activity-packed package for the whole family. The hotel has conjured plenty of fun things to do at the hotel and nearby to keep everyone busy while enjoying the Constantia area, one of the most beautiful on the Western Cape. Accommodation for a family is in the two-bedroom Khoi Khoi Suite duplex at R14,850 (approximately $1,750) per night per family.

Upon arrival, each child under the age of two will find a soft toy in their room and children over two receive a treat-filled gift packet. Kids enjoy meals from the kiddie menus and are free to play with the pool items and games at the pool.  DVDs for children are available and there are croquet and boules on the lawns. Two mountain bikes for adults and one for a child are available for complimentary use. A trunk of toys and craft items that guests may use is also available and nannies are on call 24 hours so parents may have a little down time too.

Near the Steenberg is Planet Kids, a large indoor/outdoor activity center catering to all children. The Porter Estate Market held every Saturday is family friendly and offers kids activities. Boulder’s Beach at Simon’s Town is a great place to swim with the penguins. There are also sandboarding lessons in Fish Hoek and Atlantic Rail train rides from Cape Town to Kalk Bay to Simon’s Town daily. Kite watching is great on Muizenberg Beach where an annual Kite Festival is held every October. Excursions to Cape Peninsula National Park take guests to Cape Point where they can view bocks, baboons, ostriches and a wide range of bird life. Whale watching season is between August and December and can be experienced from the shore. Dolphins can be viewed all year round.

Adults have their activities at the Steenberg, too. Wine tastings are held every day in the new winery tasting room either inside or on the outside with reflecting pools overlooking the gardens.  Dining is either in BistroSixteen82 in the winery or in the more formal Catharina’s.  A championship 18-hole golf course, spa, walking trails and nearby shopping keep parents busy and happy.

Accommodations at the Steenberg are luxurious but very comfortable for families with children. The Khoi Khoi Suite is lavished with amenities. It covers 1,753 sq. ft. and contains artifacts and original illustrations depicting the Khoi-Khoi tribe’s marvelous animal paintings found on rocks and cave walls throughout South Africa. Like all three Heritage Suites, the Khoi Khoi Suite offers butler service, in-room complimentary refreshment bar, complimentary laundry service, complimentary wi-fi and internet service, and an audio entertainment system.  There is a working fireplace for nippy Cape nights, big thirsty bathrobes, indulgent sleeping on Egyptian cotton sheets and a soft duvet, flat screen TV in bedroom, I-pod station, large work desk, extra-length King-Size beds, professional hair-dryer, original art work, separate bedroom, living room and dining room.  The bathrooms hold a walk-in shower, large separate tub, mini TV and mist-free mirrors. 

The family package includes breakfast, complimentary use of the mini-bar, butler service and babysitting. A family is considered a maximum of two adults and three children.

For further information or reservations at the Steenberg Hotel and its spa, please visit the web site at www.steenberghotel.com.

FANCOURT AND STEENBERG LAUNCH SIX-NIGHT “GOLF TOTAL” PACKAGE WITH ROUNDS ON GARY PLAYER- AND PETER MATKOVICH-DESIGNED COURSES

Steenberg, the award-winning hotel and winery that offers the ultimate Cape Experience, and Fancourt, member of the Leading Hotels of the World, have joined forces to offer golfers a six-night package that includes rounds of golf on world-class designer courses as well as a variety of perks.  Rates for a six-night package per person sharing range from US$1491.53* to US$1567.57*, depending on the season.  There is a supplement for singles. The package is valid for all of 2013.

FANCOURT INCLUSIONS	STEENBERG INCLUSIONS
3 nights’ accommodations in a Fancourt Luxury Room including daily breakfast	3 nights’ accommodation in a Standard Luxury Room including daily breakfast
Complimentary use of the driving range	Welcome cocktail on arrival
A round of golf per person, per night stay on either the Montagu or the Outeniqua course	1 three-course dinner Set Menu per person in Catharina’s Restaurant or tapas in BistroSixteen82 during guest’s stay
Non-golfers are entitle to 3 US$52.43* Spa vouchers per person	2 complimentary rounds of golf per person during stay at Steenberg Complimentary shuttle to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront in Cape Town twice daily
Welcome gift in room on arrival	Wine tasting and Cellar Tour at Steenberg Winery
Complimentary access to the Hot Spa area and the Fancourt Gym in the Leisure Centre	Transfers within a 3-mile radius of the hotel

*Based on exchange rates of 01/09/2013 and subject to change

Championship Steenberg Golf Club, a Par 72, was chosen in 2012 by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) as the Top Foreign Golf Resort. The course was designed by world-renowned course architect Peter Matkovich.  Steenberg Hotel, “minutes from Cape Town, miles from the world,” was chosen in 2011 by the readers of CNT as the number one hotel in Africa.  It is the oldest wine farm on the Western Cape, features charming Cape Dutch architecture, modern luxuries, gourmet cuisine and world-class wines.

Fancourt boasts no fewer than three original Gary Player-designed courses, which Golf Digest ranked #1, #7 and #18 in South Africa for 2011.  The Fancourt Hotel, a fine blend of modern luxury and classic elegance, is located along South Africa’s storied Garden Route, a verdant trail that meanders along the coast’s numerous lagoons and lakes.

Fancourt:

Tel:  +27 44 804 0100

reservations@fancourt.co.za

Steenberg

Tel: +27 21 713 2222

reservations@steenberghotel.com

STEENBERG HOTEL’S WORLD OF WINE & FOOD JUST GOT “FUNNER”

In keeping with culinary trends, Steenberg Hotel & Winery, one of the oldest wine farms in South Africa’s Western Cape and winner of numerous awards and accolades, is changing its food and wine direction from the formal to the fun.  Now, Steenberg offers so many options that guests can dine the whole day through.  And, with 80 staff and only 50 guests, the fun is sublimely served up.

Catharina’s Restaurant

“We believe people want a more casual ambiance and lighter fare,” says Gaby Gramm, General Manager of the hotel.  “Beginning now, we’re turning Catharina’s from a fine dining establishment to a more casual, light-hearted restaurant, with fresh summer feasts.” (Summer in South Africa is mid-October to mid-February.)

Catharina’s courses are pared down to two or three and matched with the winery’s award-winning wines such as Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2010 and Steenberg Red Blend 2009. Local produce is brought from the farm to the table under the deft hand of “celebrity chef” Garth Almazan.  Sample menu:

Starter:  Pear and Courgette Soup

Main:  Snoek fishcakes with sweet pickles; Apricot relish; Salad of soft greens and snap peas

Dessert:  Steamed custard or Farm yogurt, roasted quince, star anise compote with toasted pistachios

Plus Steenberg wines to match.

Family platters will feature such items as free-range baby chicken stuffed with herbed sausage; sides of roast potatoes; farm green beans and baby carrots; salad of sliced tomato and onion with tarragon vinegar.

Gorgeous by Graham Beck

The first brand-exclusive bubbly bar in South Africa is contiguous with Catharina’s and is being integrated more closely with the restaurant.  Gorgeous offers a full selection of Graham Beck Wines’ award-winning bubbly (called Méthode Cap Classique) along with tasty canapés prepared exclusively for Gorgeous by Executive Chef Almazan. The canapés – one is a decadent dessert – have been created to complement the Graham Beck sparkling wines, available either by the bottle or the glass. Prices start at $4.50* per flute and $22.50* per bottle.

Bistro Sixteen82

Named after the year in which Steenberg was first established, the 70-seater cellar door eatery under the direction of Chef Brad Ball serves classic bistro fare, incorporating the rustic style of Provencal food, and Steenberg wines. Sumptuous breakfasts are available in the morning, snack platters from the Raw Food Bar throughout the day, and Tapas in the late-afternoon and at sunset.

Picnics

Picnics come in wine boxes, a small feast of charcuterie and other goodies plus the choice of a bottle of red or white Steenberg wine.  Picnickers can opt to take their repast on the Steenberg Estate or travel out to Cape Point and savor it there.

Interactive Dining

When his schedule permits, Chef Almazan will involve guests in cooking demonstrations and discussions of the why behind his famous dishes.

*Based on exchange rate 10/08/2012

For more information visit www.steenberghotel.com

Design of the Times

FOR LOVERS OF THE SWEET LIFE, AFRICAN TRAVEL, INC. PRESENTS A DECIDEDLY TASTY CULINARY TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa is popping up on more and more “bucket lists,” and no wonder – the country is a must destination for veteran travelers who want amazing, new and fulfilling experiences for themselves and their loved ones.

South Africa offers the pleasures of a wonderful climate, friendly people, great safaris, exciting cities, superb surfing, exotic landscapes, and, on top of all that, unforgettable culinary adventures that run the gamut from the messy-finger affair called bunny chow to such high-falutin’ dishes as springbok carpaccio served with truffle remoulade. And the wines? Mwah! South Africa is a wine lover’s paradise, largely because those French Huguenots who settled there in the 17th century brought vines from their homeland and the know-how to cultivate them.

To savor the eclectic cuisine and world-class wines of South Africa, African Travel, Inc., invites travelers on an exclusive Sweet Life Culinary Tour of South Africa’s finest. The itinerary includes private wine tastings, gourmet meals, local recipes, culinary secrets from top chefs, a tour of the vaunted Winelands, hands-on cooking lessons and enough leisure time to visit bustling Cape Town as well as to take an elephant-back safari under the stars.

The tour begins at the Steenberg Hotel & Winery, an historic, five-star hotel located in Constantia, one of the four great wine regions of the Western Cape.

Day 1 – Fly from JFK/US to Johannesburg and on to Cape Town.

Day 2 – Arrive at the Steenberg Hotel & Winery, winner of the 2010 Travelers’ Choice Award for excellence and ranked as one of the top 10 luxury hotels in South Africa. Settle in to your stylish, African art-filled suite.

Enjoy a light, late lunch at the Steenberg’s new and innovative cellar-door restaurant, Bistro Sixteen82, comprising a Raw Bar, a Wine Tasting Bar, a VIP Tasting Room, a Wine Tasting Terrace, and a Wine Tasting Lounge, where guests can relax in front of a crackling, wood-burning fireplace.

Executive Chef Brad Ball (formerly the cooking master of two of Cape Town’s best known eateries – the River Café and Olympia Café), orchestrates a symphony of healthy, raw food- sashimi, gravalax, ceviche, carpaccios, oysters and tartares, freshly prepared by designated sous-chefs, and harmoniously paired with Steenberg estate wines.

Walk the grounds and discover why the vineyards are bordered by white rose bushes.

In the evening, dine at Catharina’s, Steenberg’s newly-renovated fine dining restaurant, presided over by Chef Garth Almazan, a born and bred Capetonian and culinary whiz who is 10-time winner of American Express’ Award for Fine Dining. Choose from among his simply sophisticated signature dishes- caramelized king scallops served with cauliflower purée or roast pork sirloin with red onion marmalade, ciabatta crouton, asparagus, and wild mushrooms.

Overnight at Steenberg

Day 3 – After an elaborate buffet breakfast, drive to Cape Town to see the iconic Table Mountain and the historic Cape of Good Hope. Then take a four-hour lesson in Cape Malay cooking complete with shopping the local market. Learn how to whip up Bobotie, the classic Cape Malay spiced ground beef curry.

Return to the Steenberg for a refreshing spa treatment followed by a pre-prandial wine tasting on Bistro Sixteen82’s Wine Tasting Terrace. Savor the award-winning wines created by expert winemaker John Loubser- Steenberg’s Sauvignon Blanc Reserve and Catharina’s, a red Bordeaux blend.

Dine in Catharina’s Restaurant where Chef Almazan will discuss the evening’s menu and recommend the best Steenberg wines (or Graham Beck champagne) to pair with such melt-in-your-mouth dishes as Sautéed Prawns and Tempura Soft Shell Crab served with litchi aioli, sweet chilli and market greens.

Overnight at Steenberg

Day 4 – After breakfast, tour the Western Cape’s vaunted winelands. Visit the 300-year old Morgenster Wine Estate in Somerset West, a thriving olive farm and winery, producing Bordeaux-style wines and prize-winning extra virgin olive oil. Participate in an olive oil tasting and take home some of Morgenster’s excellent bottled oils or other olive products, perfect gifts for foodies back home.

Next, visit Groot Constantia, the oldest wine farm in South Africa, dating to 1685. The elegantly-gabled Manor House is the finest surviving example of Cape Dutch architecture and now houses a cultural history museum containing a superb collection of Cape furniture, porcelains and maritime art.

On the grounds of Groot Constantia is the beautifully-appointed Simon’s Restaurant, offering indoor and outdoor dining options. If the weather is warm, relax on the rolling green lawn with a boxed picnic lunch that can be pre-ordered twenty-four hours in advance (021-794-1143) and collected from the picnic kiosk.

Afternoon and evening at leisure.

Overnight at Steenberg

Day 5 – Leave from Cape Town Airport for Johannesburg and on to Hoedspruit where you will be met by a guide from Camp Jabulani, a super-chic Relais & Chateaux, five-star safari camp that supports a world-class endangered species center.

After settling into your chalet, enjoy a light lunch served on your personal deck beside a sparkling plunge pool.

Take an elephant-back safari under moonlight with the shimmering Milky Way as backdrop. Your groom carries a searchlight for spotting game as your elephant tramps through the wilderness. Before night falls, you’ll dismount from your comfy saddle to enjoy sundowners (pre-ordered) and canapés served from a buffet table set in the bush. Safari over, visit the elephant stables and feed your favorites.

Dinner will be served in the stylish main lodge with the chef making suggestions on the day’s offerings.

Overnight at Camp Jabulani

Day 6 – Join fellow guests in the main lodge for a South African-style buffet breakfast.

Visit Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre to see the Vulture Restaurant (vultures are endangered, too, and these poor, put-upon birds need to be fed), Lover’s Lane (where the female cheetah chooses her mate), and the large pack of family-oriented wild dogs, one of the most endangered species in Southern Africa.

Lunch at Hoedspruit.

Return to Camp Jabulani for a delicious spa treatment on your deck or in your room.

Dinner in the lodge is a communal affair, where international guests can exchange travel adventure stories, “best bets,” and “must-sees.”

Overnight at Camp Jabulani

Day 7 – Breakfast at Camp Jabulani followed by a drive to Sabi Sabi, a luxury game lodge within the 160,000-acre Sabi Sands section of Kruger National Park, a wildlife paradise. Settle into your lodge.

Lunch

Afternoon game drive to observe at close quarters the Big Five and other species of African animals and birds.

Dinner at Sabi Sabi is served in your lodge or on your private deck, if you so choose.

Overnight at Sabi Sabi

Day 8 – Early morning game drive is followed by breakfast.

Afternoon at leisure.

A barbecue-style dinner tonight takes place within the boma, a fence-enclosed area used for outdoor meals and parties. Of course, at Sabi Sabi, the basic boma is elevated to a fabulously memorable communal meal in a sublimely romantic torch-lit setting. You’ll drink in the atmosphere as much as the fine wine.

Day 9 – Breakfast at Sabi Sabi then drive to Hoedspruit/Fly to Johannesburg

Settle in to the Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas and Spa, chosen by Conde Nast Traveler as the best boutique hotel in Africa. The Saxon was originally a private mansion and it’s where Nelson Mandela stayed after leaving prison. Such luminaries as former president Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey are frequent guests.

Enjoy a light lunch around the pool.

A scintillating dinner a deux will be served at the Chef’s Table set in the Saxon’s newly-expanded main kitchen. Saxon’s sommelier will be on hand to suggest wine pairings, and the lucky twosome can watch the kitchen magic conjured by the Head Chef, who believes in using only the freshest local ingredients, transmuted into colorful and experiential dishes.

Overnight at the Saxon

Day 10 – Morning starts with a breakfast buffet composed of seasonal fruits and berries served fresh or made into compôtes and coulis.

Tour the Saxon’s wine cellar and tasting room.

The cool, wide Pool Terrace is an inviting area for relaxing and whiling away the late afternoon, sipping sundowners and taking in the spectacular sunsets. From there it’s easy to gravitate to the Olive Bar, beyond which you will find the well-stocked, impressive koi pond that never fails to amaze.

Dinner at the Saxon

Overnight at the Saxon

Day 11 – Breakfast in your room.

Enjoy a sybaritic spa treatment at the Saxon’s Spa & Studio, named by the Tatler as one of the top 100 day spas in the world.

Day at leisure, until it’s time to depart for Johannesburg Airport, where you can shop for South African wines and specialty packaged food items to bring home the memories.

Leave Johannesburg for return flight to US.