Richard Brumm, Director of Culinary Operations, Bonita Bay Club
At Bonita Bay Club, we host a monthly vintner dinner for 60 guests curated by our Wine Director & Certified Sommelier Melissa Hemmingway, CWE. These dinners feature either specific producers or, when desired, regions or countries. Because we have a significant number of teammates from South Africa, we decided to highlight this partnership drawing on the strengths and knowledge of our diverse team.
Together, one of our H-2B team members Chef Vanessa Mogashoa and I created these unique, South African-inspired dishes to pair with delicious regional wines, specifically, Raats Old Vine, Chenin Blanc, 2022 with the lobster, and Kanonkop, Pinotage, 2021 with the tenderloin dish.
Our roasted South African lobster dish was an easy decision. Cold-water South African spiny lobster may be the finest in the world, decadently sweet and tender—it needed to be a highlight of the dinner. Pairing this with a decadent sauce made from the shells, crispy calamari, a vibrant pepper sauce enhance with peri-peri, and setting it all off with a striking cracker made of squid ink, this dish showcased native product in a contemporary way.
Vanessa Mogashoa, Chef and H-2B team member
We wanted to incorporate beef into the dinner because of the importance of braai (barbeque). While certainly not a traditional presentation, adding the warm tones of garam masala, and wrapping the beef in greens brought an aspect of ‘rustic charm.’ Pairing this with familiar flavors of butternut squash presented three ways (fondant, puree and powdered) and a rich beef jus infused with Pinotage allowed us to bring unique—but accessible—flavors to our membership.
We are truly blessed at Bonita Bay to have to privilege of working with many extremely talented young culinarians. Drawing on their unique backgrounds and experiences allows us to grow and expand the team’s culinary knowledge, bring unique dining opportunities to the membership—and make the world just a bit smaller connecting us by food, friendships and genuine hospitality.
