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| - Ruby Watchco (not my favourite name, I have to say, but I won't let it affect my review) is a restaurant co-owned by Lynn Crawford of Food TV fame. Not that she's just a TV chef - she was exec at Four Seasons. Anyway, if you're going to this restaurant, you are probably aware of her pedigree. Moving on!
I reserved a spot for Friday night. Nobody picked up the call, but the website does warn you that this may happen. I left a voicemail as instructed and they called me back the next day. Reservation was set up with no problem. When we showed up for dinner, I was a bit taken aback by how empty it was. There were maybe four tables with guests. It wasn't long before the place was packed, though, so definitely do make reservations for Friday night.
We interacted with four different servers on the evening. The first one was the strangest, having a very quiet mannerism and a spaced out way of looking at and talking to you. A little bit unnerving. The rest were friendly and more inline with what I expected, except for one who forgot some of the accoutrements on the dish he was describing. It's a tiny menu, it just seems inconceivable that something can be forgotten. All in all, service was good but not perfect.
Ruby Watchco serves what I'd call homestyle cooking, served family style. We started with the green eggs and ham salad. To put it nicely, the salad was a bit bland, with only the ham providing any real flavour. The main course was pan seared rainbow trout, with accompanying cauliflower, kale with butternut squash, and a seafood chowder. This was the highlight of the night to me, with everything cooked expertly and popping with flavour. The neat thing was we were advised to pour chowder on everything. I thought the cauliflower was better without the chowder, but the kale/squash acquired an extra dimension. Delicious!
The cheese course came with plums laced with vanilla, and a rosemary honey. Again, you can try things in different combinations. I found the cheese terrific with the honey, but not with the plum. Dessert was a pear crisp piping hot out of the oven. Not overly sweet, but well balanced and a nice end to the meal.
Overall, my companion and I had a pleasant time. You won't leave hungry, but just know that you're not getting anything particularly exciting when it comes to the food. To be honest, I'm a little torn between three and four stars. It's not that Ruby Watchco is bad, it's just that when stacked up to others in this price range, it might turn out to be only average. But I'll give an extra half star for the value of it (lots of food!) and a lukewarm recommendation.
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