|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
Lisa Rivett With winter's chill now in the air, Yourcity went in search of a hearty warm meal. This time we ventured to Peer's Place on Buffeldoorn Road in an attempt to take the cold out of our evening. From the moment we stepped out of the car, we had a good feeling about the place. Being immediately greeted by the car watcher, who had a flashlight to illuminate our way, was a nice touch. Even though Peer's Place is located alongside a busy road, once you enter the premises you are transported to a secluded garden. There is some lovely seating on the patio outside the restaurant; however being a winter's evening we chose to sit inside. After being seated at our table, restaurant owner Pierre Van Zyl came to greet us. He explained that he has been in the industry for over 30 years and has learned a lot from owning previous restaurants. For example, Pierre explained that he started out Peer's Place with a small menu so that he could train his chefs properly. Only after they learned to perfect dishes did Pierre extend his menu. It was now time to see if Pierre's method really works. Glancing through the menu, you could see that Peer's Place offers a variety of tastes. Pierre himself explained various dishes to us. Then he left it to us to make our choices. For an appetizer I ordered the Biltong Salad. While this is seen on many a South African menu, Pierre told us that he created the original. Of course my curiosity got the best of me and I had to try it. My guest ordered the Mussels in White Wine Sauce. The salad was crisp iceberg lettuce mixed with pickles in light vinaigrette and topped with shredded cheddar cheese and warm biltong. The combination was lovely and I was pleased that the biltong was tasty and not too dry or salty. The mussels were served with warm pita bread to scoop up the extra sauce. The white wine sauce was light and creamy but did not overpower the mussels. For the main course I had the Stuffed Pork Fillet and my guest had the Avocado Sirloin. The stuffed pork fillet was absolutely divine and I highly recommend it. The pork is stuffed with spinach and Danish feta. It is pan-fried with garlic then Brandy flambéed. After this cream is added to the pan to make the most delicious sauce which is poured over the fillet. I ordered rice as my side dish, which ended up being the perfect choice so I could mix my rice with any of the extra sauce. The meal was also served with fresh green beans that were cooked al dentè. (Translation: flavourful not bland and mushy). For steak lovers the sirloin is a good choice. The meat is thickly cut and was cooked properly to medium-rare. It was topped with creamed avocado and then with a warm cheese sauce. This gave the dish a very nice blend of flavours and textures. The Avocado sirloin was also served with green beans and my guest ordered the baked potato for accompaniment. The portions of both meals were excellent. By this point in our meal it was apparent that Pierre Van Zyl knows his food. We could also see that he makes a special effort to attend to all the details of a restaurant experience. The presentation of each dish was very well done with the right amount of colour and garnishes. The rich dark green and burgundy of the dining room make guests feel as though they are being warmly welcomed to someone's home. Each day there are feature dishes that can be ordered off the menu and the service was great. Our waitress had perfect timing with refilling drinks, taking orders, and bringing food. We never felt rushed, nor did we feel like we were waiting long. No meal is complete without dessert and I was eagerly awaiting my chance to indulge. My guest ordered the Strawberry Cheesecake. It was a huge piece deliciously placed on a plate drizzled with chocolate sauce. The cheesecake was light and fluffy without being too sweet. My favourite part was the large fresh strawberry buried in the middle. To me it was like finding “a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”. My dessert was the tiramisu, and it was equally delicious. Layers of biscuits soaked in Coffee Liquor topped with Marscapone Cheese and Chocolate, it was wonderful. The tiramisu was also a very large piece, and despite my best attempt I was unable to finish. Dining at Peer's Place was definitely a positive experience. The food and service were excellent and just what we needed to take the chill out of a cold winter's night. A recreational Volleyball Tournament was held on Youth Day in Klerksdorp. Several teams participated in this fun event. In the end it was the newcomer team from Cargo Motors Klerksdorp who won the competition. They beat out tournament favorite Team Bowcliffe who placed second. Team Cargo Motors Klerksdorp was delightfully surprised with the results as they had only been practicing for a couple of weeks before the event. Most teams have been playing recreationally for the last few months. They meet on Saturday afternoons for some friendly competition. Anyone interested in playing Volleyball should contact Frans Erasmus on 072-826-7808. The group will be organizing another tournament next month, contact Frans Erasmus for more details. |
||
