20 nominees have been selected from over 1000 countrywide restaurants to compete in the 2008 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards for South Africa’s most coveted culinary accolades.
 
The list, which represents the best of the local restaurant scene, features eight first-time entries – Bizerca, Food Barn, Hartford House, Mosaic, Myoga, Overture, Rust en Vrede and The Saxon – as well as renowned favourites.
 
On the judging day convener and Eat Out editor Abigail Donnelly joined a panel of highly respected judges that included restaurateur Dario De’Angeli, Arnold Tanzer, director of the SA Chefs Association, and food alchemist Pete Goffe-Wood.
 
“When judging a restaurant the entire experience is triggered by flavour, which to me is the emotional component of a dish,” comments Donnelly. “Great hospitality is firstly about caring and then service. This year it became clear that menus have been simplified, with modern takes on old classics proving popular.”
 
The Eat Out Restaurant of the Year, Chef of The Year and Top 10 Restaurants will be revealed and celebrated at the Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards ceremony on 30 November 2008 at the Westin Grand in Cape Town. While enjoying a four-course meal prepared by the country’s top chefs, guests will also find out the winners of the following categories:
Eat Out Service Award
Eat Out Lifetime Achievement Award
Woolworths TASTE Bursary Award
 
The 2009 edition of Eat Out Magazine will also be launched at the event and will feature the winning restaurants and chefs, as well as provide a guide to South Africa’s 1 000 best restaurants.

The 20 nominated restaurants in the 2008 Prudential Eat Out Restaurant Awards are:

9th Avenue Bistro (Durban)

Aubergine (Cape Town)

Bizerca (Cape Town)

Bread and Wine (Franschhoek)

Food Barn (Cape Town)

Hartford House (Mooi River, KZN)

Jardine (Cape Town)

La Colombe at Constantia Uitsig (Cape Town)

Linger Longer (Johannesburg)

Mosaic Restaurant (Elandsfontein, Pretoria)

Myoga (Cape Town)

Overture (Stellenbosch)

Reubens (Franschhoek)

Roots at the Forum Homini Boutique Hotel (Johannesburg)

Rust en Vrede (Stellenbosch)

Saxon (Johannesburg)

Showroom (Cape Town)

Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais (Franschhoek)

Terroir (Stellenbosch)

Zachary’s at the Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa (Knysna)