South Africa, Cape Town, 19 December 2011; AWARD winning chef Luke Dale-Roberts looks set to start 2012 on a high note with his new eatery The Pot Luck Club & Gallery, an additional source of culinary and visual inspiration for diners.

While many of us are preparing to enjoy much-awaited time off, chef Luke Dale-Roberts will be hard at work, doing what he loves best. Sourcing the finest produce available and transforming it into a mouthwatering edible experience. 29 December 2011 marks the opening of The Pot Luck Club & Gallery, Luke’s latest culinary endeavour, situated adjacent to his award winning restaurant The Test Kitchen at The Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town.

The intimate space that is both eatery and contemporary art gallery will feature a menu consisting of a multitude of ‘small plates’ of modern global dishes. There will also be a dedicated cocktail bar and an accompanying list of boutique wines to complement the varied edible creations on the menu.
Diners can expect a mix of both fusion and classically influenced dishes on the menu, from the likes of Luke’s signature Asian-influenced pork belly served with XO dressing, red cabbage and apple slaw to Cumberland sausage and red onion rolls and sophisticated servings of foie gras served tableside to guests.

Originating in the United States in the ‘50s, Pot Luck dinners were evenings that saw guests contributing a variety dishes to make up the food at the social event. Nowadays this is seen as a customary way to entertain but back then it was a novelty and a chance for friends to show off and share their culinary prowess. At The Pot Luck Club, Luke and his chefs will be able to share their talents with a grateful audience who can order as little or as much off the extensive and ever changing menu.

Also including the likes of duck spring rolls and spiced fish tacos, the selection of plates that can be passed around a table for tasting will be varied and based on what’s available on the day. “We’ll be cooking some of our dishes on the fly but without forgetting the quality and flavour balances that are everything to us”, says Luke of the concept that is very much about providing the chefs in his brigade an opportunity to experiment and develop their repertoire while working alongside one of the best talents in the business.

With a wall of glossy black metro tiles behind the open plan kitchen and bar, another painted a deep aubergine, an impressive selection of contemporary South African art and details such as sandblasted wooden tree trunks for seating and milled steel tabletops, there’s no doubt that The Pot Luck Club & Gallery will be the city’s sexiest new spot, designed for laidback dining and featuring equally well dressed plates.
The idea says Luke is for people to pop in after work, perhaps for an early bite or maybe a late dinner and to eat as little or as much as they like – those in the mood for impromptu dining or drinks will be glad to hear that there will be plenty of counter seating to cater for walk ins while the rest of the restaurant’s tables will of course be available for bookings. A keen South African art and design enthusiast, Luke has ensured that the space is even more visually appealing thanks to the artworks curated by his fashion designer wife Sandalene Olivier. The first show at The Pot Luck Gallery will feature works by leading artist Peter Eastman and will open early in 2012.

So why a new restaurant? “To be honest, any businessman will tell you that it would make sense to simply expand The Test Kitchen but I’m a chef and I like to cook and develop recipes and make new discoveries and The Pot Luck Club will offer both myself and the chefs working here exactly those opportunities”, says Luke. The casual eatery will expand on the fresh and seasonal focus seen at The Test Kitchen but will allow those in the kitchen to experiment on a far greater scale. This is certainly a new concept for Cape Town diners – while there are those offering tapas menus, the small plates philosophy that offers an element of fine dining and sophisticated flavour marriages is absolutely new and devotees to the Luke Dale-Roberts brand of dining will no doubt be thrilled.

It’s been a busy 12 months for Luke. November 2010 saw him open The Test Kitchen which has enjoyed phenomenal success in its first year of operation, including gaining a 2nd place in the prestigious 2011 Eat Out Dstv Food Network Restaurant Awards. Luke himself was awarded the coveted Chef of the Year title in this annual awards line up.
Meanwhile, a Christmas range collaboration with leading food retailer Woolworths is currently on the go and his restaurant is fully booked up until February next year. The Pot Luck Club & Gallery will certainly add a new dimension to the Cape Town dining scene – and for the city’s enthusiastic foodies and art aficionados, it’s not a moment to soon.

For booking enquiries, call (27) (21) 447 2337 or email reservations@thepotluckclub.co.za.

For comment contact Luke Dale-Roberts on (27) (21) 447 2337 or email luke@lukedaleroberts.com

For press assistance contact Ian or Lise Manley of Manley Communications on 0861 MANLEY (626 539), email lise@publicity.co.za or visit the Press Room of Manley Communications at www.manleycommunications.co.za

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