Friday Food: Ravine

On game weekends, Saturday food is all about tailgating.  And in Oxford, that specifically means Grove food.  But Friday night offers the chance to eat out.  With so many great choices in Oxford and Lafayette County, it made sense to highlight some throughout the season.

Before we start, though, keep in mind that eating out in Oxford on game weekends requires long-term planning.  To ensure you have a seat at the best restaurants, plan to start booking in May.  Some restaurants open their football reservation books on June 1; plan to call right when their phone lines open.  Those who wait until the last minute risk having to settle for McDonald's.  Well, perhaps not that bad, but you won't likely get into City Grocery.

We'll kick things off with the place that's become our absolute favorite dining experience on game weekends: Ravine.  For those of you that stick close to the Square, Ravine may not be familiar to you, because it's south of the Square...way south.  As in, down Lamar Avenue, over the highway, past the hospital, on a county road offshoot.  But that's the beauty of this place.  Game weekends turn all the great restaurants on/near the Square into frenetic madhouses.  At Ravine, its relative remoteness keeps the crowds away.  You can genuinely enjoy your food, your beverage, and your company.

The restaurant is situated in a cabin-turned-b&b nestled in the woods.  I'll admit, the first time you drive out there, you drive just far enough to think you're lost, and then you see the sign.  But that's all by design.  The building itself is tastefully appointed; tables are spaced comfortably (again, not the norm for other restaurants on game weekends).  The moment you walk in, you realize you'll get the opportunity to relax.

It's apparent that owners Joel and Cori Miller aim to keep it that way, too.  They've intentionally kept their bar small--less than 10 seats.  And they are very particular about the alcohol offerings as well.  You won't find a Bud Light or a Miller Lite.  You won't even find a Southern Pecan.  Liquors are basically kept to one "well" and one "top-shelf" variety.  The focus is squarely on wine, and interesting wines at that.  As an example, here's the bottle we shared last Friday--the 2010 Briccotondo Fontanafredda Barbera Piemonte.  (How's that for a mouthful?)

Very briefly, Barbera Piemonte is an Italian grape variety native to Northwest Italy, but it has proliferated throughout Italy, including the Northeastern commune of Fontanafredda.  Anyway, it's delicious with food.  Lots of fruit and acid up front, but with some good structure you don't always get from, say, a pinot noir.  It plays well with lots of stuff.  And a bargain too: $30 for the bottle!  Oh, and just to show how well they do things at Ravine...the wine is served at actual cellar temperature, not room temperature.

The food equally shines at Ravine.  Joel is very intentional about sourcing his food locally, and the menu highlights all the local and regional purveyors that he uses.  The dishes are uncomplicated but thoughtful--the perfect balance for our family, which has a combination of adventurous and traditional palates.  Everything starts with an amuse bouche (a foodie's delight--Friday's amuse was roasted pork belly on crostini), and from there you'll find plates that strike the perfect Southern balance between comfort and freshness (butter braised mushrooms on polenta; tomato, cucumber, and feta salad; duck breast over wild rice pancakes; peach BBQ pork chop).  There's typically a fish special, and last Friday three of us enjoyed the Florida grouper with risotto and red pepper sauce.  Forgive the graininess of this photo; the intimate lighting caused a challenge with getting a good shot, so we had to doctor the pic so you could see it.

Lastly, there's also a vegetarian offering on the menu, for those who prefer to eat sans meat or fish.  As for desserts, I'll admit that in the past they have sometimes felt like an afterthought, but over time they've steadily figured out how to work some interest into their sweet dishes.  In particular, they now like to play with flavors of creme brulee.  And let's face it, who doesn't drool at the thought of brown sugar-bourbon creme brulee?

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the staff at Ravine is very well-trained--attentive, knowledgeable, and personable.  There's a clear line between the, perhaps, three restaurants in Oxford with decent wait staffs and all the rest.  Ravine's team is definitely at/near the top.

So, to sum everything up, the food is great, and the service is great.  And if your group is ok going outside the Square for dinner, you'll be rewarded with a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere in which to enjoy your meal.  Schedule the meal early, and you'll still have plenty of time afterwards to rub elbows, and shoulders, and knees, with the 500 other people clammering for drinks at the Burgundy Room. ;)

This week, for the UTEP game, we're headed to McEwen's.  Look for the post on it next week!