In Sandton it’s time for Yoga Péche, for Pain au Chocolat and Fair Trade coffee. Beneath the Convention Center’s industrial-style exposed ceiling, bathed in an electric yellow glow, doe–eyed Danielle Bouic gazes lovingly at a red velvet cake on the counter of the Mastroantonio shop front, it being the newest and most decadent addition to the temporary restaurant’s breakfast spread. The night before saw Bouic and her team churning out hundreds of ‘profitrolls’ and ascolana salads. Apparently the pop up, rugged gourmet style restaurant stall had just packed up at the Taste Festival and moved swiftly here, with Thursday night being their busiest yet.
The opening night of the FNB Food and Wine Fair took the form of an up-market food court. Pleasantly decorative art was placed on the periphery of the main dining area, providing entertainment and conversation starters for the crowd of eager gourmands. Roughly constructed pizza ovens and thin silver frying pans produced small, flavorsome, meals that were quickly sold to blonde girls wearing heels and gray men wearing scarves. Mastroantonio knows how to make people spend money and get happy quickly. The convention center was transformed, for one night, into a cheerful, reasonable place of abundance, success and gastronomic fulfillment. A portion of delicately sculpted capresina mozzarella proved to be a perfect entrée to the more elaborate spaghetti al tonno fresco, a seared tuna oriented main that won the affections of many. Penne Campagnola provided a more herbaceous alternative, the sauce consisting of sautéed brinjal and thinly shaved zuccini folded into a light tomato jiz. The panforte fingers transported one directly to Tuscany, a place not that far removed, at least aesthetically, from the sandy arches and burnt-orange villas of Sandton’s CBD.
Colours and textures existed harmoniously in this culinary palimpsest of aromas and flavours. The demand for the sufficiently palatable Premmy champagne and Idiom wine resulted in bulbous queues snaking through and beyond the peripheral art booths.
The evening was an elixir of muddled Italian home-style cuisine, efficient service and an elaborately decorated setting. Prices were reasonable in comparison to the décor on show, which lacked the convenient and sumptuous appeal of Mastroantonio’s well organized, formally significant, sustainably packaged dining experience. It’s no wonder that the Mastroantonio Franchise’s motto is ‘the art of good eating.’ Thank you, FNB, for feeding us so spectacularly.