With the warmer months approaching, I am coming to realise it’s much too late to attempt starting the “summer bod” challenge. To be fair, it normally ends in failure, or so I have heard anyway. I love food way too much to try it for myself, and I have the fear of suffering from separation anxiety. So, instead of making my life and everyone else’s life around me miserable, I decided that this winter I am going to stay fed and happy rather than hangry. How better to give a diet the middle finger than with an indulgent Italian meal. Not half arsing it either, might I add, but the full experience. Starters, mains, dessert and of course, some red, red wine. I did some research into an authentic Italian restaurant, with the filter on finding a spot that does a traditional ragu. Personally, I am a ragu over a bolognese type of girl. This is when I stumbled across The Woodlands Eatery. Oh my word, their menu looked absolutely divine. If you enjoy reading menus as much as I do, I can highly recommend adding this one to your reading list. Not only did they have ragu, but slow cooked lamb ragu. I will get into the review in just a moment but I just have to tell you that you can get this beautiful meat sauce with fresh homemade pasta or risotto. Stunning, I know. It was at this moment I made the booking. It was like it was made for us. Why? Well, I just so happen to be a pasta slut, and Tumi is obsessed with risotto. We share the same amount of love for lamb, it is definitely the superior meat, in our opinion anyway. 

Thursday was approaching and I was getting a tad worried. It is the first year I can remember that it didn’t rain on the 1st of September. Could it be true? Was it possible that I could have made a mistake? Choosing a hearty meal on a Spring kind of day? Thankfully, I am never wrong and I never make mistakes. The clouds were low and there was a chill in the air Thursday morning. What a relief! I even had to cancel my walk before lunch because it was too cold. Oh well. We hopped in the car in Muizenberg, with a dream and my cardigan… If you know the song, you know. If you don’t, let’s just say our afternoon wasn’t quite like a party in the USA, but it came very close, if you’re a foodie like me.

“It delivers honest, confident Italian cooking in a space that feels both intimate and unpretentious. Be prepared to be treated like family.”

Once we arrived, we were instantly met by an incredibly warm and passionate Italian man. He had that type of flair that tells you you’re in for some real authentic, tasty food. Smiling all the way, he showed us to our table, and left us to browse the menu. I took the opportunity to have a little look around and I must say, I absolutely love the interior. It has a neighbourhood gem energy to it. It feels like this is a local spot, a place you’d frequent weekly for your pasta fix. Nothing is overly curated, just natural, relaxed, and inviting. The family home vibe gives the feeling of being in someone’s house, rather than a commercial restaurant. The hanging lampshades, chalkboard specials, and framed artwork all feel like little stories waiting to be noticed. As much as I am sure you could pop in for a quick lunch or dinner, this space is perfect to stay a bit longer, sip, and savour.
Talking about sipping and savouring, I ordered a glass of Syrah. Personally, I love the Italian pour. I find they are always a bit more generous than the usual restaurants. As expected, a swimming pool of red wine was placed in front of me. The deep inky garnet colour resembled the colour nail polish I would wear when my boyfriend at the time got on my nerves. That “don’t mess with me” shade of red. I gave it a bit of a swirl, a sniff, and took my first sip. It was silky yet rich, with a peppery hello that hits like a wink. Don’t worry, a wink from a cute guy, not a creepy one. Very much confidence in a glass, but with a softness that makes it incredibly drinkable. An excellent start to an indulgent afternoon.

Personally, I am well past the days of drinking on an empty stomach, so of course we had placed an order of the bruschetta to share. A rustic wooden board carrying nine vibrant little bites arrived just in time, before the wine made its way to my head and my decision making compartment. It truly looked beautiful, it’s the kind of thing you want to photograph from every angle before eating it. Which, don’t worry, I did. I started with the deep terracotta spread bruschetta. I am still unsure what it was, but I am assuming a type of tapenade? It had a concentrated sun dried tomato flavour, sweet but with depth. A bit mysterious, but a vibe.

Moving on, I tried the brightest emerald green pesto bruschetta next. It was definitely my favourite of the three. It was garlicky, salty, and nutty. Definitely not something you would want to be eating on a date, but a very single me was delighted. It was perfectly balanced with a basil punch that tastes homemade and fresh, and just enough Parmesan to give it that sharp cheesy goodness. Full on main character energy. Bold, confident, and undeniably addictive. 

It was time to try the classic bruschetta. Ruby red diced fresh tomatoes glistening in olive oil, with soft mozzarella nestled in between. The tomatoes were sweet and acidic, which was balanced beautifully by the creamy mozzarella. This was all tied together with smooth, peppery, and almost fruit olive oil. Elegant, timeless, and effortlessly iconic. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these tiny flavour bombs, and I must add that the ciabatta was perfectly crisp, warm, and fluffy too. This starter looked rustic, but tasted refined, and honestly, it felt like a love letter from Italy… Or maybe that’s the wine talking.

This brings us to the reason we were there, the lamb. Not just any lamb, but slow cooked inside a wooden fire pizza oven overnight. I mean, I think that says it all. I will still tell you all about it, otherwise it wouldn’t be a Paige review, but hopefully that explanation has started to get your mouth watering. My Ragu di Agnello tagliatelle arrived like a statement piece. It was served on a dramatic matte black plate, and on the plate was a deep, brick red sauce coating every ribbon of homemade pasta. I must add that this was an incredibly generous portion, with a very rustic presentation. No frills, and really letting the food speak for itself. I could go on about how stunning it looked, but oh my word, the smell… The smell! It was heavenly, the smell alone was life changing. I am all for the vegetarian lifestyle, but unfortunately I will definitely never be a participant in that diet. Sorry, not sorry. Okay, let’s get into how it tasted. First of all, the lamb was fall apart tender, the kind of slow cooking that only comes from patience and respect for the ingredient. It was so soft, it just melted in your mouth with zero resistance. The tomato sauce was rich, slightly sweet, and beautifully acidic, cutting through the richness from the lamb perfectly. Then you have the tagliatelle. Silky, al dente, and perfect for soaking up all the delicious flavours from the sauce and juices from the hearty meat. This dish was layered with flavours, like each ingredient had time to marry perfectly, as I’m sure they did. I also loved that you got your own individual little bowl of Parmesan accompanying your pasta. There was no need to fight over it. I thought this was a very nice touch, very thoughtful. The cheese added that umami and salty taste without being overpowering. This is easily one of the best lamb dishes I’ve had in Cape Town. It was like something you’d stumble upon in a tucked away Italian village. Chef’s kiss.

After a wonderful performance from that utterly indulgent meaty main, I decided on a lighter dessert. A classic creme brulee with a twist, well, two actually. Firstly, it was infused with Amaretto. I suppose it is less surprising since it is Italian. But, secondly, it was served with a mango sorbet. This was quite interesting to me, and I found myself wondering how these flavours would work together. Soon enough, it arrived looking minimalist and modern on the same styled matte black plate as the mains. The creme brulee was in the traditional white ramekin, with a very generous scoop of sorbet alongside it. As any normal person would, I started by cracking through the golden caramelized sugar top, perfectly torched with a very satisfying snap. Underneath was a silky custard base, not too firm, not too runny, just right. It was rich with vanilla and had gentle notes of almond from the Amaretto. It was warm, slightly nutty, with a hint of sweetness. I loved the sugary top, it wasn’t overpowering but slightly bitter, contrasting the sweet custard. I must confess, I didn’t find myself bringing the sorbet into the mix, I decided to enjoy it by itself for a refreshing end to a hearty meal. It was light, tropical, and fresh, like a burst of sunshine. A perfect way to end an afternoon of some of Italy’s best comfort foods.

The Woodlands Eatery is that spot where you feel like you’ve been invited over to a friend’s house for dinner, only to find out that their Nonna has been in the kitchen all day cooking up her favourite family meals. If you’re going to go, please do it right and order one of the lamb dishes, you will not be disappointed, far, far from it, actually. It delivers honest, confident Italian cooking in a space that feels both intimate and unpretentious. Be prepared to be treated like family.

Thank you! Till next time!