(Steve C, Victor and Steven Trash, above, at RVL last night) WOW! Splat – right in your face, when you turn over from Page 21 of today’s Sunday Tasmanian to see the full page pic of Steve Cumper! How do you like THAT Steve? Squirming a bit, are you?
Anyway – I am SO pleased Graeme gave you such a good review.
Fellow bloggers Victor and Steven, and I, also enjoyed another beautiful meal at RVL last night. We all sampled the following:
Anyway – I am SO pleased Graeme gave you such a good review.
Fellow bloggers Victor and Steven, and I, also enjoyed another beautiful meal at RVL last night. We all sampled the following:
Entrees (all $15.90):
Cured Huon salmon and fresh wasabi served on a wasabi leaf (pictured above)
Crisp duck egg, asparagus, smoked wagyu beef, parmesan, pangratto crumbs ( below, upper)
Saganaki of Tongola capris, roasted chilli, cherry tomatoes, oregano, tapenade (below, lower)
Preserved Albacore tuna, ratatouille, preserved lemon mayo
Mains:
Slow roasted leg of lamb, harissa chickpeas, ashgrove fetta, watermelon mint salad ($27.90) (Pictured below, top)
Masterstock chicken, shitake mushrooms, pickled cucumber, sweet rice ($27.90)
Slow roasted leg of lamb, harissa chickpeas, ashgrove fetta, watermelon mint salad ($27.90) (Pictured below, top)
Masterstock chicken, shitake mushrooms, pickled cucumber, sweet rice ($27.90)
(Pictured below, bottom)
Dessert (all $12.90)
Frozen chocolate parfait, orange curd, choc cake crumbs, orange treacle (Pictured below, top)
Strawberry soup, poached meringue, strawberry fool (Pictured below, bottom)
My taste sensation highlights:
The salmon, the duck egg and the tuna
Victor loved the duck egg; Steven loved the saganaki
The company was fabulous, as was the food. We did admittedly have a few suggestions for chef at the end of the meal, and we probably ARE the nightmare customers for poor Steve, but he knows we only offer our suggestions out of a desire for him to achieve perfection, not because we want to be arseholes!
We had a fun night, talked food and blogging constantly and came away tired but happy. Looking forward to the next meal out…….
And here's a first (below) for Rita's Bite - a pic of Rita, along with the two Steve's and Victor - last night.
Posts
28 comments:
Ooooh, I so wanted to be there too! Lovely post Rita, food looks & sounds fab...now off to buy a Merc!
Cheers
I didn't know salmon had leaves!
Food looks great!
Can't wait til April.
Well Rita, I was worried on the last post with Victors comment, and now you have your lovely smiling face on your blog. Bet that was a big decision. And we know where you work too!
Anonimity is a thing of the past I'd say.
Well done Steve too. He's becoming a bit like Eddie Everywhere.
Great recognition for him though, a just reward for his hard yards.
Hey! Your photos turned out better than mine!
Definitely looking forward to our next dinner date.
I am equally pleased to read today's Mercury that GP gave Steve a great review. And, god! That one full page of him! LOL! That was a bit much. Just kidding, Steve. Awesome date.
I thought I recognised you; I was outside with my dog (and husband). Might post a link when I get review/photos up on my site. I thought the duck egg dish was amazing! Rabbit pie floater (mushy peas, parsnip mash, and mustard sauce) was amazing too, and the gnocchi was rich (because of the roasted tomatoes and capsicum) AND fresh (the basil was beautiful).
Ohhh....Looks all so lovely. Can I please come next time too!
Thought I had escaped the watchful eye of Steve, but there he was plastered all over my newspaper this morning. Still managed to enjoy my coffee and danish though.Good to see the rvl is mantaning its high standard of clientel.
Colette - got your Steve poster on the wall now? Bon voyage too! See you when you return.
Christina - yes, you're absolutely correct. After Victor 'blew it' with his comment on the last post, I thought 'what the heck'! But it did require some soul searching: was I ready to reveal Rita's identity? Steve C has been nagging me too so that assisted in the decision.
Victor - thanks. Yes, my pics turned out quite well - thanks to you and Steven, but the one I took of my own tuna was crap.
Snuva - sorry I didn't recognise your husband, so naturally I didn't know you. Had I known I would have come out and chatted with you both. Glad your food was as good as ours.
Maggie - the food was excellent, as ever. Next time we decide to dine out there we'll tweet you (well, I won't, but Victor could!)
Nigel - yep - the clientele is definitely still maintaining its high standard!
Christina & Rita - what are you both on about 'my last comment in the last post'? I am still digging through Rita's posts to see what I have said sooooo bad.
Victor - you named me, you dag! On both yours, and my blog! x
Hi Rita, I'm glad you Victor & Stephen had a great night & as always its a pleasure cooking for you & all our other guests as well.
See you soon
Cheers Steve
Hi Rita, love the blog & love the RVL. Whilst the food is mostly very good & consistant I find the serive has improved dramtically over the last few months. Love Catherine & Michelle!
Oops! I got it now. LOL!
Its me last anon again & I meant to say I have eaten at the top pub that was also reviewed. The chef apparently was from the defunct Devinge which I never liked. I found the food to be just average pub grub & lazy. I agree with Mr Phillips assesment of the place entirely & wont be going back
If we weren't saving for our hut I reckon I'd be at RVL every weekend! Hopefully one day we can (and that Steve's still there!)
But both your and Victor's post and Graeme's review have me drooling in anticipation of tomorrow's lunch there!
Happy for your good news Steve, well doen to you & your happy staff. But for heavens sake why did the Sunday Tasmanian put the Red Velvet in the same article as that Pub? It is the worst of the three hotels in the town, the owners dont know what they are doing its plain. to see & the cook has job hopped and worked everywhere, farm gate cafe, kermadie Hotel, Divinge & even the Velvet from memory, the cook there complains & bags about everyone. Now the paper has given the cook some home truths to think about. maybe they'll start lifting there game or maybe they'll just keep blaming everyone else as usual
I dont remember divinge getting any reviews that were good and It works better as a real estate shop
That Steven Trash guy looks quite cute. Is he related to Brad Pitt by any chance?
Anon 6.16 - is that YOU Steven?
i remember rita giving divinge very good reviews
Rita did indeed give Divinge very good reviews. I really liked their food, and had some beautiful meals there. I haven't eaten at the Art Hotel since Dani has been there I'm afraid, but ate at Lee Christmas' Farm Gate Cafe when Dani was cooking there. It was Lee's menu but her food was also good there, in my opinion.
Hazel - hope your lunch at RVL was as good as our dinner the other night.
For Anon 7:16 whoae memory is good :) & especially for B, whose memory for CVs is apparently better than for reviews
http://pc-rita.blogspot.com/search?q=divinge&max-results=15
Seems many here (in Cygnet)agree with Graeme Phillips opnion of the Top Pub.
NN
Hi Rita, I love your site & read regularly but this is the first time I am commenting because for once its about something that I know! I used to eat at the Farmgate Cafe & noticed a real drop in the standard of food when Lee wasn't there. I later learned he had to employ another cook from Devinge in Cygnet which wasn't good news for us as we ate there once & weren't impressed at all, getting food from a salad bar in a shed and its sad he's gone but the new people are doing OK which is good for us.
Thanks Rita
That was my thoughts exactly when I said it. Some people just aren't cut out for an industry such as this where your skills are regularly reviewed and criticised in the public forum. It's one of those high profile in focus jobs if you know what I'm trying to get at.'
I have deleted some of the comments here which seemed to go for the jugular in regard to Danie Ross' cooking.
Whilst the blog is a forum for everyone to express their sentiments about subjects food and hospitality-related (and I welcome all opinions), some amount of respect should be accorded to those who are being written about here.
Danie should feel welcome to respond to the criticisms levelled here as well, and present her side of the story too.
It is your site Rita & you can do whatever you like but it dosn't change the fact that there is some negative sentiment out there regarding the food & service at the top pub as Graeme pointed out-no matter how much it might pain the operator/cook to read.
Yep. Comes with the territory as someone said earlier. Most chef's, maitre'ds, sommeliers and owners are okay with criticism. Often, they thrive on it. They like to improve, and they want people to really enjoy themselves. I've read the comments previously, and they weren't harsh. Pretty standard I thought.
I'm not sure why they were deleted - maybe afraid of the wrath or friends? Can't protect everyone... Everyone is entitled to an opinion, as long as it isn't malicious. Most comments were fine, from stating the food was burnt and sloppy when they ate their, to someone saying that she was angry and blaming everyone else which she has done in the past. The fact she is blaming everyone else seems pretty malicious to me. A lack of professional and personal responsibility to put your hand up seems to be in effect here.
Rita, Paul Foreman's resignation from P. Bay must indicate that Steve Cumper has been the only person to stay more than one year as head chef. It seems he's the only peson who could not only cope but actually raise the bar as well.
We dine at the RVL even though P. Bay is just minutes from where we live & I guess thats an endorsement of sorts on how we feel!
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