Dining Out: Cape Dutch

I'm betting many of you have been to 10 Degrees South, a South African restaurant which has been a tasty part of the Atlanta dining scene for at least 15 years. Well, the owners have finally expanded their dining offerings by launching a new spot, Cape Dutch, in the space which was formerly occupied by Woodfire Grill (RIP). Like its earlier occupants, the chef makes good use of the wood-fire grill by serving up "braai" dishes which is South African for grilled and roasted meat. Think of Cape Dutch as a South African take on the steakhouse.  While the oven is obviously in the same location, the view is now blocked. What remains of the space is a vibe which is warm and not too loud. The exception is in the front of the restaurant where there is a VERY happening bar scene, JUST like 10 Degrees South.

So let's start with the starters.

We were there on a cold night, and soup duo gave me the chance to sample a couple of flavors: the butternut squash and the seasonal soup, cream of mushroom.  The squash soup was great, but the mushroom soup was a positive show stopper.

The broth was woody and rich, and the mushrooms roasted to a perfection which made me weepy. I debated canceling the rest of my order and feasting on the soup alone.

I will put this on my personal list of top dishes. SO incredible!Billy opted for the arugula and spinach salad with, get this, a goat cheese sorbet! I'm sure the entire salad was great, but I again freaked out about the sorbet.

Yes, it's strange to have a savory sorbet, but I'm telling you it works. Just brilliant!

For my main order, I couldn't resist the pull of mussels in a lemon grass broth. While it was a solid execution of a staple dish, I would try something different next time.I enjoyed the side of green beans, naturally but next time I'd try the mushrooms. Billy had to go with the unusual and ordered the Elk chop with a baked apple, spaghetti squash, and oyster mushrooms. This would absolutely be a repeat dish. Neither of us had elk before; it's not at all gamey, and the pairings were great.The apple stuffed with berries was just divine!The dessert was my least favorite part of the meal as everything felt a little too sweet and sticky for me.But really, who needs dessert any way?

Definitely check this spot out for a nice ($$) dinner!