| rev:text
| - i was working one summer with this theatre director/designer in Watermill, New York on one of his many projects, some of which were destined to materialize no less than five years in the future. His name was Robert Wilson, and in addition to being heralded as a one of a kind international theatre creator, he is also known to be very exacting.
His Watermill centre is a place where many people of many disciplines gather to work on his projects, and one of those folks, is a chef (and his/her crew). One day Bob and I were sitting down waiting for the food to be served buffet style and as the dishes were being placed on the table, he leaned over to me and said, almost in mourning, "he doesn't even think about what kind of bowls he uses." He was talking, in case it wasn't clear, about the chef's choice of serving bowls and his lack of thought in pairing food with it's presentation.
Ruby Watch Co. would not have suffered the same disdain from Mr. Wilson and this is evidenced in many ways. As we walked into the restaurant, we were jovially greeted by two hostesses and while they scanned the reservation book we noticed a monolithic size filing cabinet of some sort. It appeared to have been plucked straight out of Apocalypse Now from some scene where soldiers take a break from fighting to go pick up their mail. (That scene still probably sits all chapped and yellowed on the cutting room floor...).
We were seated very quickly, where our main server, reconfirmed that indeed we needed one vegetarian/pregnant meal and one regular prix fix. The pregnant meal, you might be wondering, has only to do with the cheese course they serve as part of their set menu. (Pregnant women can only eat pasteurized cheeses.). These conditions of patronage were handled as smoothly as the homemade churned butter that accompanied the tasty biscuits adorning our first course of caesar salad.
Though simple in invention, the salad was fresh, creamy and tasty with a nice chicken patty nestled within, almost akin to the consistency of a crab cake. As we waited for our successive courses, in between our gabbing, i noticed the huge self titled sign that ran the length of the long wall preceding the kitchen. This flashy, yet worn sign, all made of mirrored mosaic, could have been ripped off the roof of a factory now probably home to many a condo dweller. The mystery still lives on....
My wife delved into her creamy asparagus risotto; the vegetables cracked with a nice crispy freshness. I had a pork tenderloin that was done in an Asian flair called ABODO STYLE. Visually this meant a few slices of meat in a ruby coloured sauce that came with a little le creuset dutch oven - perhaps stolen from an upscale easy bake oven set of some little five year old - that held in it a fluffy, fragrant puff of jasmine rice. To be fair, i dont know that id pick pork tenderloin on a menu; i dont know whether its a kind of meat i like. it cannot be cooked medium rare, it must be cooked well done, which is not exactly what i prefer. that being said, it was not dry, and was complemented by the tang of the sauce in which it bathed. I also enjoyed a little bit of crunch around each slice's circumference. With that, there were fresh carrots and green beans in a caramelized onion butter. i wouldnt have known that, if not for having just read it on their website, but i can tell you that the veggies were bright and clear, if that makes any sense.
Before slathering cheese and rhubarb chutney onto toasted country bread, i could spot the servers, dressed in black ironed tops, with black jeans, with, um, black converse sneakers? (Just one guy, but I appreciated it.). I had a stilton and my wife had a cows milk cheese, visually akin to the omnipresent brie, which was severed down the middle with vegetable ash...(you and me will both look that up later...).
Finally we had this strawberry ice cream with a lemon cake drowned inside it, further obscured by a couple of preserved strawberries (i think preserved..) and whipped cream. Pretty good, but not what I'd choose for desert, but perfectly sized and balanced in taste.
Did I mention the drinks? My first expedition led me into a Queen East Bourbon Ice Tea or some such name, which had mint, lemon, some kind of special ice tea and of course, bourbon. So refreshing and so not cloyingly sweet. That was followed by a Hungarian red wine, that, both the server and I, after a minute or so of trying to give it it's descriptive due, came up with nothing more poignant then, "it's really different." When i become a sommelier i'll get back to you.
Overall, i love that i can preview the menu on a day to day basis, their spirit and casual atmosphere and of course their delightful food.
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