A Pizza the Action at Meerendal's Carlucci's Restaurant

If you thought the Meerendal Estate was all about wine and nothing else, you'd be hugely mistaken.

Brendan Payze at Meerendal Estate

While the acclaimed estate does make magnificent, award-winning wines under the watchful eye of the remarkably talented Liza Goodwin, Meerendal is also known for its biking and running trails, paragliding (when the weather's just right!), and its family friendly weekend vibe, when Cape Townians flock to this Durbanville Wine Valley estate to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the fabulous food on offer.

While the estate boasts, two eateries - The Crown Restaurant and Carlucci's - it's the latter which fills up fast so that come lunchtime, one would be hard pressed to find a seat in the restaurant - either in the undercover area or the garden with its sweeping views of the Boland mountains.

The man in charge of this popular venue is 41-year old Tableview resident Brendan Payze who took a quick break during table service to answer a few questions:

Tell us about Carlucci's? When did it open and how did it come about?

Carlucci’s was started in 1997 by Giovanni Esposito - from the famous Giovanni’s Deli in Green Point. I started working there in 2004 and, after working for Giovanni for a number of years, left to open and run Carlucci’s in Blouberg which opened in 2007. It probably still has the most perfect position for a restaurant in the world with its breathtaking views of Table Mountain. Nine years later - in 2016 - we opened a small branch at Meerendal Wine Estate where it has evolved into a full blown restaurant with rolling lawns, ample space for kids to play in a safe environment and the biggest jungle gym in Durbanville!

You always seem very busy. How many pizzas do you serve on an average weekend?

Meerendal Wine Estate is generally a busy wine farm. Our mountain bike and running trails are very safe so it appeals to many people. We serve close to 600 pizzas most weeks. That's apart from the other dishes on our menu which include the likes of Baked Chorizo Eggs from the breakfast menu (Carlucci’s Napoli Sauce with Spanish-style chorizo sausage, mushrooms, eggs and feta baked in the pizza oven and served with toasted ciabatta) and a variety of sandwiches, wraps, burgers and pasta dishes from our lunchtime menu.

How much flour/cheese/tomato paste do you go through in a week to create those delicious pizzas?

On average, we easily get through more than100kgs flour, 50 litres of tomato sauce and about 150kg of cheese.

What are some of the more unusual and popular pizza toppings?

The Le Tour de France Pizza, with preserved fig, brie and camembert cheese and the Chicken Tikka Pizza with grilled chicken breast marinated in tikka spices and Greek yoghurt, topped with fresh coriander, avocado and oven roasted sweet bell peppers are our big sellers.

You also do a Pizza and Pinotage pairing.
Yes, we recently had Jack and Charlie Stein here - Rick Stein's sons - filming a TV series and they are big fans of our Pizza and Pinotage pairing which they had never come across before - and even suggested they might try something similar back in the UK. The Meerendal Pinotage Rosé, with its taste of fresh strawberries and Turkish delight pairs perfectly with the Tour de France Pizza; our Parma Ham & Rocket Pizza, is paired with the Heritage Block Pinotage - the pepperiness of the rocket and sweetness of the Balsamic glaze working very well with the tannins of the wine's concentrated berry; and then our new Pulled Pork Pizza is served with the Meerendal Pinotage, the smokiness of the pulled pork complimenting the cherry tobacco and cedarwood notes of the Pinotage.

Enjoying the Pizza and Pintoage pairing at Carlucci's are from left to right: Charlie Stein, Brendan Payze, Jack Stein and Bennie Howard

A little bird tells us that you are planning on opening another restaurant at Meerendal. Can you tell us more?

Indeed! We have just started work on that. It will occupy the space that used to be the estate's tasting room and art gallery. We looking at a very bucolic feel with a touch of elegance. On the menu will be rustic, wholesome dishes with some Afrikaner and Dutch heritage, which combines well with the history of Meerendal. We want to bring back a "langtafel" dining experience which can incorporate three or four different guest groups who hopefully, by the end of the evening, have made friends. Our produce will be sourced from the West Coast, Namaqualand and Swartland areas with the likes of fresh seafood from Paternoster and wild boar from Wellington. I have teamed up with Isabella Niehaus, ex food editor for Sarie magazine, who currently runs "langtafel" lunches and dinners from her home in Langebaan. She will be consulting on the seasonal menu. We also aim to bring some classic French style service with crepes suzette flambéed at the table. It's due to open in December. Fingers crossed.