This Thief loves wine but the food may steal your heart

Elena Venzo and Shayne Holt taste a lot of wine. Luckily, it’s part of their job. Their intimate Parkmore bistro boasts one of Joburg’s best and most unusual wine lists with more than 280 labels (mostly boutique wines) available, many by the glass.

They are so passionate about wine and winemaking that it’s how the restaurant got its rather unusual name. It isn’t because of rising crime levels in Gauteng (remember the old joke about GP number plates standing for Gangster’s Paradise?) but comes from a wine reference – although the average customer may not have this in their lexicon.

Explains Holt: “There was a lot of toing and froing regarding naming our new venture but we knew we wanted to have a focus on small wine producers who took a natural and minimal-interventionist approach to their winemaking style. We initially settled on Wine Thief (after the utensil used to pull samples from wine barrels for tasting) but decided that it was a bit long-winded and almost chucked it. The concept, though, made us think of all the “thieves” in the wine world (wine thief, butler’s thief, evaporation during barrel-ageing or angel’s share).

“However, in the end – and most important to us – was the concept of stealing some time from our guests to just relax and enjoy life. The lifestyle in this city is notoriously fast-paced so we wanted customers to be able to sit, focus, and carve out some of that precious time to appreciate the good things in this world. Especially a decent glass of vino that took a helluva lot of time and effort to get to the table,” he says.

Holt and Venzo – both have international experience, the former working in London and Nice and Venzo choosing fine dining in Dublin – believe that the wine served at Thief is as important as its food (but more about that later).

“It’s the philosophy of the winemakers we love and support that means the most to us and our offering,” Holt says.

“Like most things in this world, wine has become very commercialised and volume-driven, with some unexciting plonk. We champion the producers who make wine because they love it and have respect for the grapes themselves. Many of our wines have been made in a natural or low-intervention way so what you are getting is an honest, pure product that’s been made from the heart. It’s easy to get behind that.”

Some of the most unusual wines currently on Thief’s wine list include Señor Tallos from Scions of Sinai (an orange wine that’s a blend of Chenin Blanc and Grenache that has a bit of skin maceration and an element of flor, a film of yeast on the surface of wine); Kortpad Kaaptoe from BLANKBottle which is a Fernão Pires (a white varietal from Portugal but found in tiny quantities in the Swartland) and Kedungu from Intellego wines, a semi-carbonically macerated Syrah which is fruit-forward and fresh.

Holt’s favourite at the moment?

“A 1985 KWV Roodeberg red blend (probably Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Petit Verdot) that is still bright and fresh. I love drinking old South African reds because I like the fact that very little new oak saw the wines due to trade restrictions, which resulted in wines with a great purity of fruit – something I enjoy in a wine.”

Thief boasts an upstairs bar with fabulous views of the Sandton skyline and while many make the trek to this neighbourhood gem for a glass or two of wine, accompanied by a board of charcuterie or cheese, they also come in droves for the food served in the intimate downstairs eating space.

Charcuterie board at Thief. Photo: Janine Walker

Venzo and Holt have devised a small menu (five to six starters and mains) in conjunction with Chef Ashley Murison-Johnson. Says Venzo: “Our philosophy is simple things done very well.” The result is a seasonal three-month menu with changes done sooner if required. (“If asparagus is done, it’s done, we are not going to get it from some far-off place.”)

However, there are two items that have become Thief’s signature dishes – the rich and totally delicious Roman Porchetta and the Moules Frites. The slow-cooked, rolled pork belly is served on flatbread accompanied by garlic aïoli and a small green salad while mussels are simmered gently with wine, garlic and herbs.

Porchetta: rolled pork belly flatbread with baby greens and lemon garlic aioli. Photo: Janine Walker

Comments Venzo: “We would remove them at our own peril. I think they’re just the most uncomplicated, solidly delicious and honest offerings we have ever put on the menu. There’s a reason why certain dishes stand the test of time. It’s fun and exciting to invent and innovate but sometimes a classic is just what you want. They’re often the hardest dishes to execute because with simplicity comes the possibility of really messing it up – there’s nothing to hide behind!”

Braised short rib and winter vegetables.

Recent winter additions include the decadent but delicious home-made pappardelle or tagliatelle (depending on Murison-Johnson’s mood) which comes smothered in a creamy truffle, roasted smoked garlic and Parmesan sauce. It’s worth breaking Banting for. There’s also fish of the day (dorado when I visited) served on a bed of curried lentils with celeriac and crispy kale and the fall-off-the-bone, slow-cooked short rib with a selection of winter vegetables.

Fish du Jour, lentil curry, celeriac, kale at Thief. Photo: Supplied

Wonderful and yet unfussy food and some really special wine in an unpretentious setting is what Thief offers. My only suggestion is that the owners, with their clear knowledge and passion for wine, should make a by-the-glass recommendation on their food menu. You can always ask, but sometimes the place is busy and some people are too intimidated.

Hands up if you knew what a Wine Thief was? DM

Thief Restaurant, 110 Victoria Ave, Parkmore, Sandton. Tel: 011 783 1570. Website: Thief Restaurant