It’s that time of year again; Societi Bistro’s holding a culinary tour through Italy. As of the 15th, each week for ten weeks, the restaurant will serve up a new menu consisting of Italian specialities paired with a carefully chosen wine inspired by various parts of country.

To give you an idea, here’s a look at week/region 7:

Region 7 Tuscany & Liguiria – Wednesday 26th June to Tuesday 2nd July 2013

Menu

La Ribollita R38

hearty Tuscan bean soup

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Bistecca alla Fiorentina R145

grilled 500g T-bone steak, fresh lemon

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Candied Fruit Gelato R10 per scoop

We highly recommend a 125ml glass (R25) of Terra del Capo Sangiovese or bottle (R122).

For those on a budget, know that there are cheaper weeks. For example, there are weeks featuring lasagne and Melanzane Parmigiana (yummy aubergine bake) and those cost around R70/R80.

Anyway, to celebrate the launch, Societi Bistro invited a bunch of media peeps to wine and dine in their courtyard, giving everyone a little taste of what’ll be in store for the weeks to come. Of everything I tasted I most enjoyed their infamous uber-succulent T-bone steak that they flame grill with just a little olive oil and lemon juice. Simple. Perfect. Amazeballs.

I also enjoyed the Melanzano Parmigiano, Cape fish served on salsa and the lentil stew. Oh and let’s not talk about the evil chocolate and nut gelato? I knocked back a good three cones but they were totally worth the treadmill time. Usually, if you go to Societi, you can order up a scoop of their gelato for a mere R10. If you haven’t done this yet, do it the next time you go; it’s always ridiculously good and as far as I’m concerned a dinner or lunch at Societi would never be complete without it.

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Wine-wise, I most liked this boy:

It’s a light, juicy red with notes that include raspberry, black cherry, a hint of liquorice and a bit of vanilla oak and nutmeg spice. I could only really pick up on the berries and liked that it’s light, easy to drink and has a low alcohol content; the kind of red you could easily drink in the sun at a braai. It’s also not going to murder your wallet as it retails for around R75.

Want to get a look at the full menu? Pop on over here.

Love, love

Leigh