The winner of the Wolftrap Steakhouse Championships 2017 was announced at The Local Grill in Parktown North on 18 July.
The competition saw more than 150 steakhouses competing to become South Africa’s steakhouse champion.
In the first round during May, the public seeded the field by voting, via Facebook, for their favourite steakhouse. The top 10 finalists, as voted by the public, were then unannounced in June by expert judges led by Pete Goffe-Wood, the well-known MasterChef personality. The restaurants were assessed according to a strict score sheet that focused on the steak on the plate, as well as looking at the side dishes and the quality of the hospitality. Ultimately it was debut entrant Rare Grill in Kenilworth that claimed top honours.
This marks the first Cape winner in the five years of The Wolftrap Steakhouse Championships. The runner up, Little Havana from Umhlanga Rocks was the winner in 2015, and in third place, The Local Grill from Parktown North has an incredible three titles to its name.
Local Grill in Parktown North makes top 10 in steak championship
Most of the top 10 finalists were present as well as an excited group of media and friends from the industry. Steve Maresch, owner-patron of The Local Grill, and his dedicated team pulled out all the stops at the luncheon, treating the guests to a 4-course lunch.
The other two new awards this year were Steakhouse Legend of the Year which was awarded to The Godfather in Centurion, a stalwart in the industry, and Steakhouse Chain of the Year which went to the Cattle Baron Group for having four outlets in the top 30: Cattle Baron Tyger Waterfront, Cattle Baron George, Cattle Baron Tableview and Cattle Baron Mossel Bay.
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The Wolftrap Steakhouse Championships is a blend of public involvement and expert arbitration, and the ultimate winner is therefore not only very good indeed, but also a public favourite. The victor receives the ultimate bragging rights of being the champion for a year, and also a full year’s supply of The Wolftrap wine.
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