I visited the “Bo-Vine Wine & Grill House” in Camps Bay to hang out with 49 other members of the the “Steak Club”.
When I heard about the “Steak Club”, I had one question: ‘What does one do at a steak club?’
I’ve heard they gather every last Thursday of each month, at a different venue every month.
I made it my mission to find out what this unique club is about and made my way to the hosting venue of that day, at “Bo-Vine Wine & Grill House“ a cosy little spot at 85 Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town.
While waiting for the club members to arrive, I couldn’t help but admire the interior design of this place, the top half of the venue was decked in white graffiti on black surface, giving the modern pop-culture feel for a younger crowd, yet caters for the older crowd with the rustic brown leather and oak textures.
There’s a few books stacked up next to the tables. I’m not sure if you’d get the time to read while digging into that scrumptious menu and swift service.
Founder of the “ Steak Club” Steven Maresh shared more about the club: “I started the Steak Club which went on for a few years when I lived in Joburg and owned ‘The Local Grill’, but when I moved to Cape Town it died out.
“I own Bovine, which has been here for 16 months now and thought I’d bring back the steak club. We started in September last year and it’s been such a hype around here.
“We have various chefs every month, coming in to share various tips and educate members on various steaks, how to cook it and how to identify the different types of steaks.
“We don’t just focus on a beef steak but various other steaks such as antelope, chicken, venison, tuna and other species, cooked exactly the same way, we went through various options in the meat space.”
On the day I visited, members were there to discuss and dissect the difference between grain fed steak and grass fed steak.
Chef Greg Bax was on kitchen duty to take members on a tasty experience of the steak test.
The two different steaks were served in strips and consisted of the grain fed wet-aged steak against the grass fed dry-aged rib-eye steak, alongside home-made fries and a chimichurri sauce (uncooked sauce made with basil, mint, garlic and olive oil).
Both equally succulent, the wet-aged steak was my favourite!
If you’d like to become a member of the club, there’s an R800 annual fee. Email your name, email address and cellphone number to [email protected].
Membership gets you a Welcome pack with six Stella Artois draughts, VIP access to invite only events, monthly recipes and recommendations on cuts for monthly “Beef Box” by Chef Pete Goffe-Wood and Steven Maresch, 20% discount on “cut of the month” plus 330ml Stella Artois, discount at participating restaurants and bespoke gifting.
“Steak Club” members will “meat” for their next “steak out” in April at Grounded in Yzerfontein, then at Carne in Kloof street with Chef Giorgio Nava in May and in June at Bovine for a kitchen takeover with Richard Bosman.