Where: 166 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay. Ph. (09) 376 5597
Our meal: $270 for three entrees, two main courses with sides, one dessert and five glasses of wine.
Wine list: Extensive wine list that changes with the seasonal menu. More than a dozen by the glass and a good selection of half bottles.
Verdict: A sophisticated night out with clever interpretations of classic dishes in upmarket surroundings backed up by exemplary service.
Out of 10
Food: 8.5
Service: 9
Value: 8
Ambience: 9
"Comparisons are odious" was the phrase that kept running around inside my head the night Jane and I headed off to Vinnies.
You see, we'd been to Meredith's a fortnight before for their degustation evening and that was a night to truly wow the tastebuds - and give the credit card a pummelling it would never forget.
That experience was going to be a hard act to follow, not only in terms of the inventive combination of tastes and textures but also the balance struck between slick service and a relaxed atmosphere. And in Michael Meredith you are also talking about a chef at the top of his game, playing in the same league as the French Cafe.
Geoff Scott, chef and owner of Vinnies, is no slouch, though. He's worked in Europe under chefs such as Albert Roux at the legendary Le Gavroche and made a name for himself at the Hunting Lodge and White before taking over Vinnies about four years ago. And he's obviously surrounded himself with good staff, judging from the way our waitress, Liz, guided us to our table and ran through the menu. She proved to be obliging, engaging and knowledgeable.
Attention is paid to the smallest detail: the butter that arrived with the bread rolls was the perfect consistency for spreading. And the lemon that accompanied our Clevedon oysters ($31.50 for nine) was artfully wrapped in gauze to keep those annoying lemon pips out of the freshly shucked molluscs.
We went for three of each of the oyster treatments on offer: natural, tempura and shooter. The tempura versions ran out of puff somewhere along the way but the shooters - lemon and vodka sour - topped with roe were gorgeously slurpy with a zingy aftertaste.
Jane took the waitress' recommendation of the Louis Latour chablis ($15) to go with her entree, a special that night of koura cocktail ($25), a modern take on the classic shrimp cocktail, using native freshwater crayfish.
The combination of koura, avocado, lettuce and cucumber was light and fresh, and given a kick by salted capers. I started with salmon tartare ($24). This beautifully presented moulded round of moist salmon pieces (pictured) was counterpointed nicely by the concentric ring of sweet melon cubes. Another nice touch was the rose sorbet offered as a palate cleanser between courses.
Jane was impressed with her main, pork belly, and particularly with the cleverly executed smoked potato puree. The richness of the pork was offset by a pineapple puree, which balanced sweet and tart, and a zesty fennel salad with sweetcorn kernels. The recommended Kingsmill pinot noir ($17) also struck the right note. I opted for a glass of Bridge Pa Louis syrah ($18) with my farm-raised duck, which had been cooked to pink-tinged perfection.
Arranged in a pastry tart on a bed of rocket, the duck was succulent and given a wonderfully fruity boost with a Madeira jus and muscatels. The sides of green beans ($8) and roast kumara ($8) may sound straightforward but with hazelnut butter added to the former and rosemary oil to the latter, they were taken to another level.
Jane rounded her night off with chocolate soup - again another modern take on a classic, this time churros, a doughnut the Spanish commonly have for breakfast, dipped in chocolate. The addition of passionfruit sorbet helped balance the richness of the chocolate. I chose a glass of Palliser Estate Noble chardonnay ($13) to nurse while Jane admired the careful blend of flavours. And as for the comparison?
Well, we both agreed that Scott's dishes may not be as complex as those at Meredith's but Vinnies is more than upholding its long tradition of fine dining.
