I’ve been awarding big ticks and gold stars for additional effort to Harare restaurants recently in my various columns. Report by Dusty Miller
And the latest recipient is…Da Eros, on East Road, Avondale.
First, for successfully hosting a Nederburg wine tasting of at least 40 members of the Meikles Hotel Grapevine Club in a tent…when the heavens opened, on April 21, which was long after the rains should have disappeared until next November.
Entertainer Mandé Snyman had to move her laptop, speakers, mixers, woofers, tweeters and other electronic impedimenta onto the restaurant’s stoep… and then slightly move it all a second time as rain lashed the former colonial dwelling, but then went on to belt out pop favourites of the last 50 or so years, battling against thunder, lightning and the racket of rain reverberating across the rooftops.
Demure Marda Fairlie, sitting on my right, was concerned that a sample menu left on our table before the Cape wine sampling had no vegetarian choice and she and son, Alex, who crooned at the mike when Mandé took a supper break, are strict vegetarians.
But — amazingly — Da Eros were serving this relatively huge additional throng from their sizeable standard a la carte menu. So she and the lad could enjoy their salads and vegetable lasagnas while husband Roger attacked a man-sized bloody steak (and much of a neighbour’s unfinished seafood platter) and I started with insalata di gamberi: prawns cooked in a creamy white sauce on crumbly continental bread, followed by lasagna: but one baked with the pasta featuring good minced beef, not spinach and cheese!
Frozen yoghurt
After the wine tasting, chef-proprietor Nevio Prandini (the family are Ethiopian-Italians, they used to run the Italian Bakery at Avondale) invited me back at the weekend to see what he described as the first frozen yoghurt dispenser in Zimbabwe and a new discounted takeaway pizza counter.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Sadly a full diary meant I couldn’t get back that weekend, but when I did so, the following Tuesday lunchtime, Nevio wasn’t there, the frozen yoghurt machine had been temporarily dismantled following successful trials; (I love the stuff: always associate it with luxury cruise liners) and the alterations for the takeaway weren’t finished, although builders were on-site. (Never believe builders, plumbers, motor mechanics, printers, or advertising sales people when they tell you your job will be ready!)
On this occasion, all from the special daily menu, I had deep-fried prawn tails (every bit edible: try it) with an amazingly zesty soya and chili dipping sauce at US$6.
This was a lovely starter dish, but before it was served a basket of heavenly artisanal mixed breads had arrived with butters and melanzane (a moreish brinjal-and-tomato spread), garlic sauce etc. A crunchy complimentary side salad competently complemented the course.
The other special starter was devils on horseback: chicken livers wrapped in bacon, also US$6. A la carte starters and dedicated salads cost between US$6 and US$8.
Also from the “special” daily menu I opted for a new dish to me: fish ravioli. Various fish and seafoods are minced up, seasoned, cooked and used to fill small pasta envelopes and then a thick, rich, herby home-made tomato soup has lumps, slices and cubes of fishy things (I recognised line-fish, mussels, shrimps and crab sticks) folded in and this is poured over the ravioli. Not over-filling (especially if you go easy on the bread and grated parmesan cheese) for the figure conscious; a substantial feast if you’re hungry (US$13).
Rich dish US$14 main courses were chicken cordon bleu… a very rich dish in which huku breasts are stuffed with ham and cheese; or marinated char-grilled baby chicken served plain, piri-piri or lemon-and-garlic.
I decided to stick with the printed paper special menu, ignoring the handsome brown faux-leather padded job, and went for apple (and sultana) crumble with ice-cream for pudding (US$4) followed by a grand frothy cappuccino. Desserts on the a la carte menu are mainly US$5.
Bottom line: side salad, breads and spreads, prawn starter, fish mains, pudding, coffee, free limoncillo (grappa-type digestif) and a piece of fruit washed down by two Golden Pilsener Lagers: US$28.
There’s plenty of safe parking in the grounds of this indoor-outdoor restaurant which opens 10am (for coffee and cake) until 10pm Tuesdays to Sundays.
Booking is always sensible and vital on Sunday lunch when there’s usually live entertainment. Tel 332044 0776-218-272. l [email protected]
