Published: June 28, 2007 12:26 pm         

Dinner at The Ravine not as far away as it seems

The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse at Kinderlou Forest is a seemingly far away place that’s not far away. It sits only six miles southwest from downtown Valdosta, in the heart of a golf course and residential community, on the verge of being discovered.

Owners Harold and Heather Chambers opened The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse on April 23, 2004, promising the very best fine dining experience in a lovely and casual atmosphere. And the husband and wife duo delivered on that declaration twofold.

A mid-week lunch or weekend dinner at The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse might remind some guests of large southern get-togethers at an old, beloved family home, only the prepared meal could be described as a little on the gourmet side and the view outside the window through open plantation shutters might be of a golfer on the 18th green as opposed to the cousins chasing each other around the yard.

Anyone who has not had the opportunity to visit The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse will certainly be pleasantly surprised by its relaxed atmosphere and affordable prices, as well as the fact that it is open to the general public and not just community residents and club members of Kinderlou Forest, Heather said.

The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse opens at 9 a.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, offering breakfast sandwiches of bacon, egg and cheese on either sourdough bread or croissant. A full plated breakfast of eggs, toast, grits and bacon or sausage is added to the restaurant’s morning lineup on the weekend. It opens at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday to accommodate early tee times.

Guests of all ages can order from The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse’s full lunch menu from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This mid-day meal might begin with a little something to stimulate the appetite, like the southern gator tail (fresh chunks of alligator tail battered and fried or blackened and served with a side of garlic, lime and chili sauce). This could then be followed with a signature sandwich, like the fried green tomato BLT (tart green tomatoes seasoned and southern fried with crispy smoked Applewood bacon and leaf lettuce on toasted sourdough bread with basil mayo, served with a choice of homemade soup, hand-battered onion rings, steamed vegetables, chips or fries); a basket filled with fried oysters or fried shrimp and served with hush puppies and fries; a lunch special of grilled pork chops served with corn and sautéed spinach; a Ravine salad with mixed greens, caramelized pecans, seared pears, gorgonzola crumbles, strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette; or a bowl of chicken pot pie soup, made in-house daily. The menu also includes a selection of child-friendly eats, as well as desserts, like southern butter pecan cheesecake served with fresh fruits and cream.

On Sundays, The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse offers both a brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a limited lunch menu of basically the signature sandwiches from 11 a.m. to close.

Amid soft and subdued lighting, dinner is served at The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse six nights a week — the only exception being Sunday — from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Guests can dine on everything from lobster ravioli (poached striped lobster ravioli served with a vodka cream tomato ragout, parmesan cheese and grilled shrimp) to a seafood pot filled with a medley of scallops, shrimp, grouper and mussels stewed with red vine tomatoes and white wine and seasoned with fresh herbs to a 10-ounce aged filet mignon (cut fresh daily and served with choice of sauce, grilled tomatoes, button mushrooms, two sides and a salad) to the Ravine Amarula dream (a rich, dark chocolate Amarula mousse wrapped in light vanilla sponge cake, dusted with toasted almonds and seated on a golden pool of caramel vanilla cream).

The Ravine Grille and Dinnerhouse features a large selection of some 100 different wines, housed in a climate controlled environment, as well as a number of bourbons and scotches. It also boasts an area for those who wish to dine outdoors in the fresh air and a patio area for socializing with friends or taking a moment to breathe before or after lunch or dinner.