People Are Talking About Maximo’s South African Fusion Cuisine

Everything old is new again ... such is the case with Maximo. Originally located on Siesta Key, Maximo was a local favorite which closed a number of years ago. Now reopened  in a charming old building next door to the Sarasota Opera House at 1296 1st St., Maximo is serving fresh, flavorful fusion cuisine combining South African and Italian influences in a casually elegant setting.

Recently, the Dining Diva and I had the opportunity to visit Maximo with our respective partners to share a meal and talk about our experiences. By way of background, I visited South Africa last year and had the opportunity to sample a variety of traditional and non-traditional South African cuisine which, by an American’s standard, makes one an “expert.” However, the real expert on South African cuisine is the Dining Diva herself, a South African native who moved to Sarasota in her teens and is quite familiar with the cuisine. We had the chance to exchange thoughts over a well-prepared meal; allow us to share a few with you:

JLQ>>Dining Diva: You were familiar with the former Maximo; can you share with us any similarities or differences between the two incarnations?

DD: I prefer this location. I think downtown represents a more adventurous and interesting neighborhood for Sarasota foodies than does Siesta. I think that Chef Maximo has remained fairly true to his vision and I am happy to see his innovative menu back on the Sarasota dining scene.

Dining Diva>>JLQ:What took you to South Africa?

JLQ: My son lives and works in Botswana. We were planning a trip to go visit him and the opportunity came about to spend some time in South Africa. We jumped on the opportunity and visited Capetown, Stellenbosch's wine country and Johannesburg.

JLQ>>Dining Diva: Can you share with us some of the characteristics of traditional South African cuisine, maybe even highlighting some of the fusion aspects?

DD: South African cuisine tends to emphasize intense flavors and fresh ingredients. South Africans enjoy a lot of spice, a lot of meat and fish, and a lot of rice and potatoes. We also tend to enjoy our drink, so the wine list at Maximo made me very happy. As for fusion: South African dishes tend to be influenced by the mixed bag of settlers and original inhabitants that make up our colorful history (Dutch, Portuguese, Indian, Engllish, African) but I can honestly say that Italian and South African fusion is a fairly original concept.

Dining Diva>>JLQ:What dishes stood out to you when you traveled to South Africa? Did you have a favorite meal?

JLQ: I think the seafood in Capetown was outstanding. Fresh, flavorful fish, beautifully presented which paired perfectly well with the South African Chenin Blanc; a “go-to” choice for me.

Dining Diva>>JLQ: What are your thoughts on the menu?

JLQ: I think the menu works great for the adventuresome and even the more conservative eater. In other words, there is a wide enough selection to please most. The menu is broad, offering a range of appetizers, soups, salads, pasta, meat and seafood dishes. Some items use traditional South African spices and flavors while others offer Italian accents.

For our meals we chose the following:

Ceuta:  Bread crumb-encrusted goat cheese rounds topped with roasted pepper and Dijon honey dressing.  $7.00

JLQ: Very tasty mustard-coated goat cheese rounds served over fresh, colorful salad greens.

Dining Diva: This dressing is incredible. I think it would make a fantastic marinade.

Kudu Bresaola:  Thinly sliced kudu bresaola---one of South Africa’s antelope---dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, wrapped in goat cheese and served with arugula.  $13.00

JLQ: A very colorful presentation, rich and flavorful ... delightful.

Dining Diva: Kudu can be tough and this bresaola was very tender and tasty. Kudu meat is incredibly popular in South Africa because of its great flavor and low fat content.

Grilled Giant Prawns:  Marinated in aged balsamic olive oil, grilled and served with arugula and tomato.  $24.00

JLQ: Six large-sized prawns, moist and flavorful, served with polenta squares over fresh salad greens and tomatoes.

Dining Diva: The polenta squares paired very well with the juicy prawns.

From the Potjie (traditional South African stew pot) - Durban Lamb: South African curry lamb stew served over yellow rice topped with kiwi and bananas.  $17.00

JLQ: A sensory experience, beautiful, colorful presentation, sweet curry smell, tender “melt in your mouth” lamb in a flavorful yet not-too-spicy curry sauce.

Dining Diva: Normally with this kind of meal I would use fruit chutney as a condiment, but the addition of the fresh kiwi fruit was a masterstroke by the chef. Very tasty. I wish it was spicier though.

Maximo offers an ample variety of beer and wine to accompany your meal as well as full bar service.We found the wait staff to be very knowledgeable, attentive, friendly and efficient.

Dining Diva>>>JLQ: So, what do you think about Maximo?

JLQ: I tend to be an adventuresome eater and thought the food was superb and really not too exotic. In fact, I would not hesitate to recommend Maximo to anyone. The food is fresh, well prepared and presented, with good-sized portions that are reasonably priced.

JLQ>>>Dining Diva: Any last thoughts on Maximo or the dining experience?

DD: I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to enjoy some familiar flavors presented in such non-traditional dishes. I think it’s interesting that Bijou Cafe, located across the the street from Maximo, is owned by another South African (JP Knaggs). I think that pretty soon we’ll be able to call that area Little South Africa and I’ll never feel too far from home!