We went to Racine for Mother's Day, last month, so I wonder how they will do today, given it's Father's Day. I did not realise Reuben Riffel started his career in creating pleasurable gastronomic experiences at Chamonix, so it must be quite an emotional journey for him going back to his roots. You can be sure that for me, he was the draw card when choosing where to book to celebrate this special day. When Lyall gave me the two options, I didn't even bother going to the respective websites, "Racine is Reuben's restaurant for goodness sake" I thought. It was a no brainer.
As we arrived in the Franschoek area, and started driving up the hill, away from town, I started getting more excited. "Bonus," I thought to myself, "they are going to have splendid views!". At the top of that hill I knew was Dieu Donné Vineyards, and they have breathtaking views from up there, so at a fraction of that, Racine would have further artillery for their ambiance to complement their cuisine.
As we parked, at the foot of the Franschhoek Mountains, my anticipation escalated. I am a life enthusiast, and good experiences put the wind in my sails. It was a clear blue sky, the sun was shining brightly, and yet it wasn't at all hot. In fact, it was the right kind of nippy for May, warm in the sun, but uncomfortably cold in the shade. Walking in, as you see the deck, with tables beautifully set in the expected white table cloth, it was like I was about to enter a giant tree house...
"Racine, means root in French" I heard Chomba say, in an amongst a whole lot of dialogue as we were marvelling at what was lying before us. Our table was inside, and I'm glad that it was, as the deck will be great in the summer, but not this day. My mood shifted from sprightly to dark very quickly as we entered. "After excitement always comes disappointment" my late cousin used to say.
The finishings were not in line with my expectations and definitely a reflection of how photoshop can be deceptive for images used on a business website. I didn't want to let it ruin the experience, but I suddenly went from one internal voice singing from the hills about what was to come, to a ferocious debate of multiple voices having conflicting opinions about Racine. Lyall was not impressed, and he politely, and quietly whispered it to me. I found myself trying to come up with excuses as to why the "rustic look".
The crockery was a safe white, and the cutlery 'dingy' at best given the setting. The food though, did not disappoint! I ordered the Grilled Beef Rib Eye. To my delight, it was the dish I saw heading to a table as we walked in. Trust me, when I saw that plate, I wanted to get myself acquainted... So it was great fortune that it landed on my lap.
The wine list was also tricky, as we wanted to drink a Red Wine. Given the pricing I did not want to make an expensive mistake. It was comforting for me, seeing the waitress' response when I asked for the Uitkyk Pinotage 2013. It was all the more consoling when I took my first sip, and the second and not to mention when I was feasting on my rib eye.
I don't think it will take much to spend some money on the ambiance. It's a decor story that Reuben Riffel will have to tell differently to flow with the cuisine that comes out of the kitchen. That for me is not well complimented at this stage. After all, at a certain price for a plate of delicious delight, any gastronaut knows that we eat with our eyes, before we get our mouth and taste buds to partake in the ocassion. So please Reuben, put your money where our mouth is!
No comments:
Post a Comment