An occasional column by Rodger on dining in Raglan
On a chilly wet Raglan night, one of the warmest places to head to for a meal is Vinnies in Wainui Road. On winter nights there is a log fire in the main area and small gas heaters in the other parts of the restaurant. We selected a table close to the fire and Vito, the owner comes over and confesses that he used a page from the Waikato Times with my photo on it to light the fire. I am quite happy with this small sacrifice as it is great seeing the flames dancing around the logs in the window of the wood stove and being warm.
Amy comes to take our order and I select garlic bread followed by the barbeque pork ribs. These are served with house made fries and a salad. Virginia selects the grilled meat loaf. This Vinnies’ specialty is slightly spicy and served with a potato mash. When dining at Vinnies I’m happy with either of these two specialties.
All bread at Vinnies is made and baked at the restaurant, whether its bread, burger buns or pizza bases. Vinnies’ pizzas are pretty popular. Its not unusual to see large numbers of takeaway pizzas heading out the door in the brief time it takes for your meal to arrive.
Our meals arrive in no time at all and are cooked well and a joy to eat. With my ribs I had a glass of Preece Cabernet Sauvignon which was full bodied and perhaps a little overpriced at $6.50 a glass. To finish we both had cappuccinos. They were well made and delivered promptly.
In 2008, Vinnies was made over by the TV3 reality show, The Kitchen Job. In my mind, The Kitchen Job made a real mess of the makeover giving the building a grass hut appearance and painting over the heritage features. The grass ‘surf shack look’ verandah they fitted, makes Vinnies appear closed all the time. Fortunately Vito realised the problem the Verandah causes and now hangs a big red open flag outside when he is open. The photos of Hawai’ian longboards the show put on the walls don’t seem to have any relevance to surfing in Raglan. The TV show did simplify Vito’s menu allowing him to focus on his strengths. Vito survived the makeover and has now settled into running the restaurant in his own style. Vinnies is a genuine restaurant with good meals and service provided by the proprietor.
Overall on Value for Money I gave Vinnies a Seven out of Ten for a very good meal and attentive service.
The restaurant had many groups dining in all areas. It would be best arrive early or to book on Friday and Saturday nights if you want a table by the log fire.
Vinnies, 7 Wainui Road, Raglan. Phone: 825 7273