Gourmet pizza pairing
Megan Baadjies reviews The President Hotel’s pizza parlour –The Base Restaurant
THE PRESIDENT Hotel has launched its new pizza area, The Base Restaurant which offers a range of artisanal wood-fire pizzas.
But this is not your traditional round pizza with a base so thick it could be mistaken for bread.
The pizzas have a distinct thin, crispy base and come in a rectangular shape made with a “secret dough recipe”.
The Base’s menu has six pizzas with seasonal toppings which caters to meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. The variations range from the classic Margarita to more exotic options such as prosciutto, Gorgonzola, rocket and fig, or pulled pork, blush peach compote, sesame and slaw. The first thing that caught my eye was the incredibly thin base. I was careful with how I handled each slice. The only problem I had with such a thin base, was that parts of the base quickly lost its crunch once it soaked up whatever it was topped with.
I tried the vegetarian, ham and margarita pizzas. Surprisingly I preferred the vegetarian. I thought it had lots of flavour and I barely missed the meat.
However, the other offerings weren’t bad either. One disappointing thing I noticed though, was that many of the corner slices of the pizzas didn’t look nearly as good and weren’t nearly as filled with toppings as the other slices. At one point my partner and I were served the last two slices of either the ham or the margarita pizzas. I couldn’t make out which it was because it tomato puree topping was so thick, it just looked like heartburn waiting to happen. Needless to say, we passed and waited for the next round. Overall, I thought the pizzas were really good and paired well with the wine and craft beer on offer.
In keeping with the growing craft food and drinks trend, executive chef Craig Paterson said he wanted to demonstrate their commitment to introducing guests to new offers.
“It’s all about crafting and creating a unique product – starting with a distinct thin base, and secret dough recipe. Using non-traditional rectangular shapes and dough, we’ve married our pizzas with classic flavours so they all blend beautifully on the palate. To ensure we continue to deliver foods to the Presidential standard, the concept of this new offering is to focus all of our culinary talents on crafting the perfect pizza,” he said.
Paterson said they wanted to introduce a gluten-free option while sticking to the signature thin base that remains crisp to the bite.
The menu, he says, will change with the season, so guests can enjoy different flavours all year round.
Paterson said: “Pizza is one of the most versatile food options as it can be paired with just about any drink.
“Pizza and craft beer, pizza and red wine, pizza and white wine. The list is endless. It all depends on what type of pizza it is. We serve our pulled pork pizza with char siu glaze, sesame, blush peaches and crunchy slaw paired with an IPA craft beer, which has a peach/ apricot nose, is quite bold, and full bodied – definitely a winner.”
Prices range from R95 to R135. Takeaway options are available for collection. To make a reservation or place an order, e-mail events@presidenthotel.co.za or call 021 434 8111.