Vinnies

By CARROLL DU CHATEAU for canvas

Vinnies restaurant in Herne Bay is a dimmed, glamorous oasis in a restaurant scene ruined by loud music, freezing air-conditioning and slack service. Attention to detail at Vinnies runs from olive trees threaded with fairylights outside bifold windows, to exquisite china and tableware, to the buttery beige colour scheme.

But to the food, which is what this column is all about. At Vinnies they offer an a la carte and a wine-matched degustation menu, designed to show just what the chef - in this case Michael Meredith - can do. Both are carefully thought out and you can mix and match. They also have extensive ordinary and cellar wine lists.

After much deliberation and a recommendation from the maitre d', we chose a Central Otago Cornish Point Pinot Noir ($80), served in great bowls of glasses which actually did improve its flavour.

I started with the Peppered Scampi with pea tortellinis, shellfish bisque and truffle oil - something I have wanted to try since the Simunovich saga.

Although expensive, $22 for two, they were delectable: barely cooked, tasty and tender. Better than crayfish. Now I can see why they are spirited overseas before we New Zealanders get to even see them.

Jo loved her terrine of Roasted Peppers and goat cheese terrine ($19) from the degustation menu, and Brian, who well knows how rich duck is - even when snuggled in pasta - found his Cannelloni of Duck with crumbed duck liver ($20) classic, delectable and, well, rich.

Next came a 30-minute wait, which is about how long they give you between courses in fancy restaurants. Next time we eat out on a week night we will copy the two smarties in the corner who managed to wolf down two delicious-looking salads, plus main courses and coffee and leave by 9.30pm.

But when our lamb and beef arrived, the work week evaporated. Jo's and my Lamb Medallions ($35 each) came frilled with sour cherries, and sitting on a creamy parsnip mash with a mushroom-heavy ratatouille woven in somewhere too.

The lamb was tender, perfectly cooked, the sauce slightly sweet and this time perfumed with mushroom oil. Our beans with hazelnut butter ($8) were sliced in an old-fashioned way and cooked modern and crunchy.

Brian's Beef Medallion ($35) - chosen because Vinnie's beef is aged on the premises for 14 days - was also first rate. Yes, there is a difference and it wasn't just the ageing. This was superb, fine-grained meat, expertly cooked, served relatively plain so you could taste it.

We should not have had dessert, but who could resist a Bruleed Passionfruit Tart ($15) between two? Certainly not Jo and me, though it was a relief when I found it too tart and she was persuaded to finish, while I gulped an exquisite cup of loose-leaved Camomile tea served in a glass teapot.

Three words to describe Vinnies - elegant, understated, expensive.

Cost: three entrees, main courses, beans plus one dessert and a bottle of Cornish Point Pinot Noir, ($273.50).

* Read more about what's happening in the world of food, wine, party places and entertainment in canvas magazine, part of your Weekend Herald print edition.