C he f Dav id R aines Opens R ai n e s Cellar s, C elebr ate w i th Bananas Foster FOREWORD FROM JOE DERA
F
or almost a decade, Michelin-trained Chef David Raines has been leaving his culinary mark on Mississippi. After an international cooking tour in Japan, Australia, Italy, Denmark and New Orleans, Raines settled in Madison, Mississippi. Initially, he launched Seafood R’evolution as Executive Chef with the understanding that he would do it for one year. Seafood R’evolution’s loss was Madison’s gain. After a year of planning, Raines opened the now legendary Flora Butcher in 2016, a farm-to-table old-world butcher shop specializing in prized Japanese Wagyu and Prime Angus beef. In 2018, his access to great beef resulted in the creation of Dave’s Triple B: Barbecue, Beer & Blues,
also on Main Street in Flora. This spring, Chef Raines opens his third Flora business, Raines Cellars: Fine Wines & Rare Spirits, next to his Main Street butcher shop. As with his other two establishments, there is nothing ordinary about Raines Cellars. David has already lined his shelves with vintage wines, small-batch spirits and exclusive bourbon barrel picks only available at Raines Cellars. Customer service remains a priority with Raines, and one of the establishment’s more unique features is his shop’s popular tasting bar. Here, one will have the opportunity to sample certain vintages before buying. Chef David Raines is a registered sommelier, so you know a marriage with his culinary skills was inevitable and will result in great wine and spirit pairings. Customers will have access to Raines’s vast wine experience by having him take the mystery out of wine pairings and spirit recipes. Eat Drink Mississippi recently caught up with Chef Raines and had him prepare his favorite summer dessert: Bananas Foster—this simple New Orleans dish has always been one of my favorites. So much so that I have prepared it for my mentor chefs in fine dining restaurants all over the world. It was something from my country, so the chefs were interested, and it always made me look good. That being said, I occasionally couldn’t find banana liquor in some countries, so I had to leave it out. It was still good, but I could certainly tell the difference. However, his recipe solved the problem of having to keep banana liquor on hand. While opening Raines Cellars, two representatives (Scott and Fallon) of the Bumbu company came by to help move boxes and stock shelves. Taking a break at the Tasting Bar had become an instant tradition, so they had brought us some rum to try. Each one was good, but I couldn’t get over how much the original Bumbu
30 • June/July 2022
