2011/12 – Cigar Dinner Chez RW

10 Dec

Chez RW avec Herve & the gang

Dec. 2011

We are truly blessed in our region in that we not only live in a wine area with great natural by-products such as good food, great landscapes, good butchers, seasonal products like asparagus, goose, ducks, goats & lambs, good sausages and the best bread but in that we also have the places to enjoy the food in style and accompanied by a good cigar.

The smoking-ban craze has not by-passed us but the non-smoking talibans have been beaten in court and so we still enjoy smoking-only pubs, restaurants and cafes that have smoking areas and basically all the comforts of civilized living ( you are still able to make a choice, which is a basic value ).

An alternative restaurant to our regular Friday dining place opened a few months ago in the nearby hamlet of Rommersheim just 2 km from us and we have been quite satisfied not just by the food and service but also by the young, dynamic, experienced and good-humoured owner/chef Herve Messmer, an Alsatian living and cooking in Germany for ages now.

After a long and distinguished career in the best restaurants of the Rheingau and Wiesbaden, he crossed the Rhine over to our side ( the right side ) and has now settled in Rommersheim leasing a renovated old farmhouse typical for our region.

www.chez-rw.de/

He promised us a few months back that he would have a smoking lounge across from the main restaurant, see :

www.flyingcigar.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=656&Itemid=9

He kept his promise and we were too happy to inaugurate it this Friday.

It offers space for ca. 15 to 18 guests and while the air cleaning/removal system has been ordered, it will take a few weeks yet to install it – but the windows can be opened and certainly on-one complains.

The food is very solid and hearty, German with a big French-Alsatian accent ( Flammkuchen, Frog legs, Goat, truffles, seafood ) and while being sophisticated it remains thankfully grounded in local culture. The wines are regional, the products as well and the prices are quite affordable ( The 4-course roasted goose menu with wines and dessert is 26,50 € and the fresh, delicious and giant Sunday breakfast brunch is 11,50€ p.P.).

So we gathered with our wives and a few friends and had the lounge for ourselves and a fine, funny and long dinner ( almost 6 hrs ).

While some of the group opted for the goose menu ( Inge and I just had it a week ago ), some went for something less traditional, me for the lobster, Inge for a lobster soup, then me for guinea fowl and Inge for venison goulash. Stephanie went for lobster and leg of venison, Gottfried for Flammkuchen and Josef, our beloved funny Dutch chef testing the place went for frog legs. All others took the roasted goose menu.

Not only were we all happy and more than satisfied with the food and excellent service, we celebrated a long evening of good cigars and spirits until well past midnight accompanied by Herve who, despite having a full restaurant, came over frequently to check and finally decided to join the group, the drinks and the fun.

The next dinner meeting will be soon again and we look forward to it. A fellow cigar club from Alzey has already booked for a few meetings as well and we will make sure that Herve is happy having gone out and installed the lounge.

Cigars were RA Extra EL 2011 ( the box being funny in that it was papered upside-down ) courtesy of Andreas and I then had to enjoy a Cohiba 1966 EL 2011 in honour of celebrating this wonderful lounge, dinner and group of friends.

Can’t get much better than this …. Living well indeed.

Nino

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Hier in Rheinhessen sind wir nicht nur landschaftlich gesegnet, eine fantastische Toskana Atmosphäre mit schönen Hügeln voller Weinberge, wir haben auch hervorragende regionale Produkte, gute Metzger, ambitionierte Winzer, gute Köche, saisonale Angebote wie Spargel, Gänse, Enten, Saumagen etc.

Und wir sind weiss Gott auch damit gesegnet bei uns in Rheinhessen dass wir immer noch rauchen können – Nur-Raucher-Pubs ( zum Nicht-Rauchen bitte vor die Tür : – )) , Restaurants und Cafes die Raucherzimmer haben, und eine ziemlich relaxte Auffassung. Die Anti-Raucher Taliban haben vor Gericht verloren und das Leben geht weiter …

Vor einigen Monaten hat uns Herve Messmer eine Raucherlounge im Anbau neben seinem Haupt-Restaurant Chez RW in Rommersheim versprochen und gestern haben wir sie mit Freude und Freunden eingeweiht.

Hier einige Fotos eines wunderschönen langen Abends !

Nino