Scotty's Restaurant & Bar

Hey, all you special people who love food and are habitués of  Plettenberg Bay, there is a new restaurant in town, Scotty's Restaurant & Bar.  This is something special.

Scotty's opened its doors on June 11th 2010, the first day of the World Cup.  It has been full or nearly full ever since.  The locals have embraced it and visitors are beating a path to its door. On a very recent trip to Plett, Eugene and I ate there four times in a week.

Scott Rattray and his lady, Andy Gibor, are the owners of this gem of a place.  Scott is the chef extraordinaire and weaver of culinary spells and Andy is the administrator, front of house person, waitress, in short, everything else.  Theirs is a great chemistry; this is the bedrock of their success.

Of Scottish heritage, Scott gained a diploma in hotel management at Norwich.  After a stint in Ireland, he moved on to work for Ian MacAndrew, chef and author of cookbooks on poultry, game and fish.  MacAndrew recognised the potential of this young man and eventually sent him to Claridges in London to learn and experience the discipline and regimen that professional cooking requires.

Africa called and he heeded the call.  Having visited Africa with the English television chef, Keith Floyd, he returned to Africa and worked at Londolozi Game Reserve, creating delectable food for people on safari.  For some years he moved around Sub-Saharan Africa, opening lodges. In 2004, when establishing a lodge at Phinda, he met Andy who was a game ranger there.  Yes, a game ranger!  You know, one of those fascinating people who understand the dangers of wild animals, drive jeeps through the bush wearing khaki gear and carrying rifles.  I bet she looked wonderful.

Their journey has taken them to Plettenberg Bay where they live on a smallholding.   They grow wonderful fresh produce, much of which they use in the restaurant.   Their restaurant exudes informality, yet at night there are crisp white linen cloths and napkins on the tables.  Echoes of a candlelit meal at a special lodge in the African bush?  Covering just the top of the table is a sheet of white paper.  'Welcome to Scotty's' or more often 'Welcome Back to Scotty's'  and the names of the lucky ones who will occupy the table, is written in broad black strokes.  Rather special to be a name that lives and breathes outside of a reservation book.

The day at Scotty's begins with breakfast at 9.30am.  Wonderful omelettes, made the French way, i.e. not diluted with water or milk or cream, light as air and with delicious fillings; French toast with bananas and syrup, oh yum; mushrooms with brie and fresh tomatoes for the vegetarians; all sorts of English breakfast combinations and eggs in every incarnation.   The excellent coffee is sourced in Cape Town by Scott's brother. Teas or hot chocolate may be your choice or fresh orange juice and of course the bread is homemade.  On Sunday there is a brunch which combines all the favourites of the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus

Scott spends the mornings baking his own bread and prepping for the day ahead.  I asked if he did all the cooking for all the meals and the answer was very much in the affirmative.  He does not have the luxury yet of a sous chef.  But he is training staff all the time and cites the example of Sonwabile who started as scullery staff.  He so impressed Scott that after 6 weeks he was in the kitchen helping with the tasks that Scott assigned him.  Andy, who is a dab hand in the kitchen herself, is roped in occasionally to do chopping and prepping.

The menu at Scotty's changes every day.  The lunch and dinner menus are written up on blackboards and also printed on the day and handed out.  Great idea as this caters for those of us who have difficulty peering at the blackboards.  There is a tapas menu which includes delicious things like Risotto Balls (I adore them), grilled brinjals, white anchovies, divine salted hake and garlic fritters and much more.  One can make a meal of the tapas and enjoy a light repast or combine something from the tapas menu with something from the lunch or dinner menu.  We loved the choices.

The lunch menu is  lighter than the dinner menu and depending on what is on the blackboard that day,one can savour an excellent mushroom risotto with baby marrow and parmesan, or beer battered hake with chips and salad and tartar sauce. Try the roasted tomato soup with goats cheese or delicious home made paninis with fries and salad.  There are crisp and tasty salads full of interesting ingredients that are a meal in themselves.  The portions are generous at Scotty's Restaurant & Bar.  

The dinner menu also includes tapas options.  Again one can choose to eat just tapas or combine them with the dinner menu. We had such wonderful meals there.  I absolutely adored the chicken curry with basmati rice, salsas and poppadum.   The herbs and spices were so skillfully blended that the curry was not blazingly hot, but fragrant and tasteful.   Braised lamb neck in red wine, tender and falling off the bone, with mashed potato and vegetables was another memorable meal.  On one occasion, Eugene enjoyed Leek and Potato Soup as a starter and another time was tempted by an excellent chicken terrine with beetroot relish and salad leaves.  Succulent Roast Gurnard, prawn and prawn butter with fresh vegetables or beautifully tender grilled fillet of beef with battered onion rings, roast potato and pepper sauce, are just some of the choices.  Actually, one needs an extra stomach at Scotty's Restaurant & Bar.

The desserts are described as decadent and delicious and my goodness, they are!!  We sampled chocolate brownies with chocolate ice cream.  Divine decadence! Of course everything is homemade at this restaurant. The dessert menu includes a baked strawberry cheese cake, wonderful ice cream and sorbets and a crème brûlée that sings on your palate.

Scotty's has a full bar and a very good wine list.  Wine is available by the glass and I enjoyed a sauvignon blanc house wine from the excellent Leopard's Leap vineyards.   I found myself happily drinking 2 or 3 glasses.  Eugene drank either a house red or a Peroni beer.  Somehow on holiday one's capacity for food and drink is exponentially increased.

Andy and her serving staff  all wear red t-shirts and long white aprons.  Red is a dominant colour at Scotty's and one wall is painted the same warm colour.   I loved the red stylised pictures of cats which adorn one corner of the restaurant.  On a cold night, a fire crackles in the grate and mirrors reflect the candlelight and enhance the warmth and friendliness of this lovely place.  There is a bar at the back of the restaurant where guests can have a drink before their meal or simply choose to sit there and enjoy some tapas.   In summer one will be able to sit outside and eat alfresco.

Scott and Andy are preparing to open a deli next to the restaurant, marvellously named  'Fresh Ideas', packed with homemade products to take away.  Exotic chutneys, relishes and pestos, their own seasoning salt, ice creams, ready meals and much more.  There is no end to the talent and possibilities that exist for these two dedicated young foodies.

Scott has just come second in the 'Sunday Times Chef Of  The Year' competition.   This is no mean feat.  He competed against some of South Africa's finest.   To qualify, they had to create African dishes from a list of 8-12 ingredients.  They then submitted photographs and all menu details and waited for the judges to decide whether they would be chosen to go to Johannesburg and compete in the finals.

Scott was chosen from 48 entries to go to Johannesburg.  There was a tense two-day cook-off and ultimately the final 6 had to create dishes from a mystery basket, the contents of which were two pigeons, a side of sea bream, a fennel bulb and a guava.  The result, 2nd place, and the promise of great things to come for this extraordinarily talented young chef and Andy, his comrade in arms.

Every table is adorned with a black Scottie dog.

Scotty's Restaurant & Bar is open:
Wednesday to Saturday - breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9.30am to 10pm
Sunday - brunch and dinner from 9.30am to 10pm

Booking is essential.

Tel:   044 533 4945
Email: scottys@fresh-ideas.co.za
Address:  82 Longships Drive Plettenberg Bay

Eugene and I love eating out and we always pay for ourselves whenever and wherever we go.

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