december 2017 Greenstone dining | 9
december 2017 Greenstone dining | 9
windows which flood the vibrantly coloured space with natural light , yet they still offer takeaways and a free delivery service as well . And although Sotiri is the owner , he is exceptionally hands-on and you ’ ll often find him tending to tables , handing out sweets to the kids or in the kitchen plating the food . “ The presentation of our food is very important .”.
“ It is the simple things which set us apart – how our food is plated , and especially our service ,” he adds , explaining that all waiters at the store go through two months of training prior to starting .
They open for breakfasts from 9am with the Eggs Benedict being a particular highlight , before moving on to the lunch and dinner menus from 1pm . “ The ingredients we use give you the best tasting pizza , pasta and grills in town . There is nothing better than the delicious taste of an Italian pizza , made in a traditional wood burning oven ,” says Sotiri . For the health conscious , all their large pizzas are also available as banting or gluten-free options , and for the pasta lovers , Tuesdays are ‘ Pasta Tuesdays ’, where for R119 you get any two Traditional pastas . If you are a lover of burgers ( and have a big family ), check out their Burger Box Meals which offer great value with four burgers , a large chips and two litre cold drink . So whether it is the traditional taste of Italy or scrumptious chicken or meaty dishes straight from the grill , Del Forno has you covered .
We took the family to the restaurant for dinner one Friday evening soon after the restaurant had opened and left with full tummies and thoroughly impressed with the food and the service . When a notoriously fussy six-year-old proclaims that the burgers are better than McDonalds , you know that they are doing something right ! The portion sizes were impressive and the whole family enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant which was buzzing with an eclectic mix of people , both young and old . The hardest part was choosing what to eat from the extensive menu ... but apart from the kid ’ s burger , we eventually decided on the trinchado , a pizza and a pasta , and needless to say , we were all very happy with our choices ( the fact that we left the restaurant without any ‘ doggy bags ’ is testament to that !)
If it is a party you are looking for , they definitely know how to do that too . Three weeks into trading they held a ‘ Greek evening ’ at the restaurant complete with the traditional breaking of plates , imported Greek musicians and of course a DJ playing 80s and 90s music . “ It went down very well ,” explains Sotiri , “ And customers have already asked for a ‘ Latin evening ’, so we are looking at doing something similar at least once a month .”
One highlight of the restaurant is the dazzling copper ‘ Refugee Bar ’. When asked about the name , he laughs and explains , “ Being born in the United States , and of Greek origin , now living in Johannesburg and married to a South African , in a joking way my friend quickly named me the Refugee and well it has just stuck , so that is where the name of the bar came from . I have also created our signature ‘ Refugee ’ cocktail for the bar which has become very popular ,” he says . It is this personal touch , along with the professionalism and a strong franchise name which is already making the newest restaurant in a Greenstone a hit with locals .
Their recipe for success is a passion for good food , and as Sotiri notes , “ Making people smile .” He sums up Del Forno ’ s offering nicely : “ Good food , great service , a beautiful view , what more could you want ?” about Del Forno
Traditionally known as the neighbourhood pizzeria , Pizza Del Forno was founded in 2000 . A strong background in the food industry and immense passion for pizza sparked the original concept of a unique and rich Italian sit-down concept . Del Forno is now the preferred neighbourhood local for not only eat-in customers , but also take away and delivery clients .
Traditional pizza and pastas are hand prepared and slow cooked in an open wood fire pizza oven . For over 17 years , Del Forno , with many years of experience and knowledge in the pizza industry behind them , has grown from strength to strength and expanded , reaching many more of our valued patrons in 38 stores across Johannesburg , Pretoria , the North West and Mpumalanga . Their wide selection of delicious Mediterranean meals make them your preferred wholehearted family restaurant and coffee bar . And that ’ s not all , Del Forno ’ s essence and motto “ a passion for good food “ together with empowering and making a difference in people ’ s lives makes the brand the success that they are today .