It’s been awhile since we intrepid foodies went sniffing around y’all hear? So we have been on a bit of a binge lately. We can blame our lovely sunny climate for this….nothing better than to drive off into the countryside like food-seeking-missiles in da bush!

First out of the blocks was Brauhaus am Damm near Rustenburg about a one and half hours drive from Honeydew, Johannesburg. My other half had driven past the hills and mountains a few weeks earlier and said we had to go explore. So we did.

 

Home to the Brauhaus Brewery and fine German fare, but not exclusively so, it is nothing short of a visual fantasy coupled with good, home cooked food and beer, well red wine for me.  One could just sit and stare at the rolling hills and dams. Breath-taking views. We watched the summer storm come rolling in plopping its grey cloudy load for a 30 minute downpour. Even the weather didn’t prevent us staying outside under cover.

Some wonderful vegetable lasagne and of course, a cheese burger for moi and away we were, as happy as a bratwurst let loose in the countryside.

It’s worth the drive, the food is really very good and what better spot is there to munch away in and take some downtime than being surrounded by utter beauty?

Beep! Beep! A few weeks later we experimented a little closer to home, Bidon Bistro, in Muldersdrift, west of Johannesburg. Set near the Cradle of Humankind – known as The Cradle to locals –  Bidon Bistro is relatively new to the cuisine scene. Located on old farmland this little bistro offers light meals of extremely high quality. Out in da countryside (again sigh!) this gem of a place offer a light meal  breakfast and lunch menu. So you are going to find fresh fruit, flapjacks, poached eggs, bacon, pizzas, burgers, salads, small steaks and chicken dishes – all cooked as you wait. Yes, yet again a homemade cheese burger was tried and devoured. What I enjoyed about the burger was that it was a normal sized patty and not some grotesque huge lump of meat that can never be finished. That it had red onion mixed into the beef mince threw me slightly until  I had established that fact and realised it wasn’t under cooked. I believe the minced chicken burger was equally scrumptious.

Being on one of Johannesburg’s main cycling routes it is as popular as hell, and be prepared for the helmet clad spandex smooth leg type, quenching their healthy tonsils on fresh juices… and beer.

We gotta go back to try out their breakies. The service is great and Management and Chef come and say hi  – nice touchy-pooh guys.

Swiftly eating on to the Culinary Table at Lanseria – right by Lanseria International Airport‘s runway for all ya plane spotters. Booking is essential here. It is not quite in da bush, maybe half in da bush, and not being a busy airport it is not noisy either. All their veggies are home-grown in the garden in front of the restaurant.

Breakfast for us was curried eggs for partner in tow and poached hollandaise eggs for me. Beautifully served. Beautifully cooked. Beautifully presented.

The welcome upon entering – even if we did come through the back door – was helpful and warm, thereafter once the food arrived the service slowed down a bit, but not to such a degree that we will not return …. we will to try out their lunch menu.

Vroom! Vroom! Fast forward to Medeo Restaurant at the Palazzo Hotel to meet best friends in town from Dublin. I had been here once before for lunch and was ‘uber’ impressed. As the sun went down the light over the hotel gardens was magnificent and the menu looked even better.

Joined by another burger fanatic Gourmet Cheese Burgers were on order, while others chomped on  freshly made chicken pasta and grilled sole dishes. These burgers were for me anyway, quite large, with home baked chips and a side salad. Thank you… a restaurant that offers me the perfect combination for a burger meal YAY!

Medeo is fine dining at its best – our taste buds danced the fandango all the way home – coupled with excellent service. The ambiance is relaxed and comfortable and whilst there were one or two shorts and t shirts around it is essentially a smart/casual venue. Oh yum yum.

Perfect glassware and crockery and linen napkins. Nothing beats the finer things in life sometimes.

While Medeo is not in da bushes, it is close enough to the ‘Wild West’ of Northern Johannesburg to nearly qualify, da only bushes they had were da rose bushes near the pool.

After all, one has to stray from home-cooked to the sublime from time to time.

You might see a beached whale in the gym trying to swim off all these burgers ….. but then again you might not.