Why the Dining Room? The Kitchen (next door) is a busy, wonderful, small space, all about variety and sunshiny-ness. What it isn’t: a place to linger and have a conversation. The Dining Room is where you engage at a table. I’m making old-fashioned dining table glamorous again.
Describe the décor. I would call it tongue and cheek nostalgia.
What should diners expect? People at their tables, having a classic dining experience. Our food is delicious and they don’t have to think about what to have. They’ll be served a plate of meat, fish or vegetarian lunch of the day, with lovely salads and veggies.
Signature thing. We do an hors d’oeuvre trolley at our Thursday evening dinners. It’s a lot of fun.
Is it true you were “the other kitchen” First Lady Michelle Obama visited after “getting lost” en route to The Test Kitchen in 2011? No, we were ‘investigated’ a few weeks before her visit. Nothing the Americans do is unintentional. My girls said she’d never come to Woodstock, too much of a security nightmare. But she did. The main road was closed for 40 minutes; they arrived in three SUVs; there were sharpshooters on the opposite roof. We just played our music, made ‘love sandwiches’ for Michelle Obama’s two girls and served our lunchtime salads.
What don’t people know about you? If I wasn’t doing food I’d probably be arranging flowers, singing or doing radio documentaries.
One thing you are saving for. To renovate my poor, neglected kitchen at home. I really want a kick-ass home kitchen.
THE DINING ROOM. 117 Sir Lowry Road, Woodstock. Tel 021-461-0463, The Dining Room.
Lunch at R90 per head on Tues to Fri. Longer Thurs dinners at R250 per head. Private parties.
This appeared in The Times on 8 October 2014.