It sports a popular cookbook. David Mamet called it “the best place on earth.” It was lauded in the New York Times. And for nearly 19 years I – and many others from in and out of state – called it the best place for breakfast in Vermont. Now we can call it closed.
Or rather, call it “Tasca”, which is the name of the new restaurant where the much lauded “River Run” used to be. New owner Ignacio Ruiz, who acquired the local eatery from founder Jimmy Kennedy only a year ago, has closed up shop to re-open as a tapas restaurant. Ruiz, himself from Spain, has continued the RR breakfasts since taking ownership, but told Blurt that “dinner has kept River Run alive economically” over that financial drag of a breakfast. Interesting, as everytime I’ve been in there for breakfast, it’s been as busy as ever. The huge portions and reasonable prices always struck me as a combination of questionable sustainability, but clearly there are solutions to such algebraic concerns short of closing up shop.
Hrumph. So much for the best pancakes ever. And the catfish. And the homefries. And the grits with cheese and jalapenos. And, and… I mean, a Spanish restaurant sounds great, but…but… well, crap. Guess I’ll start looking elsewhere for a favorite spot. Dammit.
I have never understood why a businessperson would buy a pre-existing business only to change it completely. Why not just open your own from the get-go?
Sigh.
…because the owner is selling it and wants out. Then you do what YOU’RE good at because there isn’t much point in doing someone else’s shtick badly. RR is one of those places you either loved or just didn’t get. I was definitely in the latter group; may have gone there 3 whole times when I lived practically around the corner. Of course, I’ve never been a huge fan of the southern, either. Whereas tapas…now that’s something I can get behind! I sympathize with losing your favorite place, though. Especially when it’s been around as long as RR was.
The good news is that the original RR building — the little one next door — is being extensively rehabbed (it was in dreadful shape)and will house mother-daughter jewelers who each have their own business. One is a design jeweler and one will run a bead store with classes (and lots of other stuff; I just know some basics).
So Plainfield, by fall, will have: an art gallery, a pottery, a wine-making and brewing store,a jewelry store, a used and antique book shop, a tapas restaurant, a pizza restaurant, and a natural foods co-op — all within easy walking distance of each other in the center of the upper and lower villages. There are other businesses in the town, of course. But I love seeing these small business clusters bring a real downtown back to small villages.
But RR has been on a slow decline. I remember standing outside in the snow under the porch on the old location, sipping coffee while waiting for a tiny table for our party of three. Simply the best breakfast I’ve ever had.
The move to the new location worked out for a bit – then things started to slide. My last breakfast there (a year ago now?) was nothing to write home about it – and I actually complained about it to friends that live up the hill.
Farewell RR. I’ll always remember the porch, the tiny bar, the sloping floor, and the delicious food from my first visit with you…
To close a successful and historic restaurant just to open a place no one will ever go, well not enough to pay the bills (one tapas will have to be $50, since he’ll hardly sell any).
There will never, ever be a tapas cookbook like there was a River Run cookbook. If he didn’t want to operate the historic River Run, why buy it in the first place?
Now the only place to eat in Plainfield is Positive Pie, and one can not live on Pizza alone.