The Scoop on Justin Anthony’s Cape Dutch
How restaurateur behind 10 Degrees South, Yebo and Ponce City Market’s Biltong Bar is offering a unique, global interpretation of South African braai in the former Woodfire Grill space.
Tell us about braai.
A braai is very much a social aspect in South Africa. It’s basically a cookout. I wanted to make wood-grilled steaks, vegetables and seafood—kind of the centerpiece of what we are—and create that braai atmosphere in a dining room setting. The food is modern and inspired by wine country, infusing international influences with a South African twist.
What was the inspiration behind that?
We’d spent a day in Cape Town in Cape wine country, and we were grilling steaks in this big wood-fire grill. I wanted to re-create that day. There’s an architectural reference in “Cape Dutch,” but the Cape Dutch people were also farmers and were some of the original settlers of South Africa. So there’s a play on both architecture and food.
There’s also a sophisticated wine list.
South African wine country is one of the oldest in the world, and the wines coming out of it now are really good. The wine list is predominantly South African, but it’s global as well, with some California, French and Italian wines.
How did you infuse the space, formerly Woodfire Grill, with Cape Dutch style?
My wife, [designer] Kelly [Wolf-Anthony], did a great job. A lot of homes being built in Atlanta right now are modern Cape Dutch. It’s clean lines with some gable settings, whites and dark woods. It’s light and airy yet sophisticated.
How is this different from your other restaurants?
We want Cape Dutch to focus on more of a variety of international influences. That’s where Philippe [Haddad] is going to come in: He’s a Belgian chef, and he brings his own Belgian and French techniques to combine with South African. It’s been great to have 10 Degrees South be that nucleus and to feed off of that because South Africa has so much to offer.