rev:text
| - Lucky me, I was treated to a fabulous birthday dinner here this year! After years of disappointing "I want to celebrate aging by eating lots of really good food" meals, I was so pleased with my experience at Ruby Watchco.
First of all, Ruby Watchco is one of those places that isn't well-suited to extremely picky eaters. With a set menu that changes daily, it's a bit of a gamble if you'll like what they're servin' up on any given evening. Admittedly the meal I had wasn't the BEST I'd ever eaten or even what I would have ordered for myself, but that's part of the novelty of dining there -- it encourages you to expand your horizons, and to let yourself be surprised.
Anyway, on the night I went they were serving a delicious bean salad to start, duck as the main, Grey Owl cheese with onion jam, and a vanilla rice pudding for dessert. There's one review below that states that there are no vegetarian alternatives, which couldn't be further from the truth! They are VERY accommodating for vegetarians, creating separate meat-free versions of ANY item that includes meat -- just let them know when you make your reservation. My veg main course was some sort of roasted squash with caponata; lots of bold flavours accompanied by a variety of sides including parsnips in cream sauce, fingerling potatoes, and red cabbage. Servings are incredibly generous and for $49 per person, comes at a great value. Washed down with a seasonal cocktail (3 G's is delicious, by the way) followed by a glass of Pinot Gris, I stumbled out of Ruby Watcho very glad to have turned a year older.
Service was also very good, and it's evident that most of the servers have lots of experience and love doing what they do. Note that service is definitely more on the "leisurely" end, which fits with the family-style dining theme. Overall, the entire meal lasted about two hours or so, so be sure to allot enough time and don't come here in a rush -- it spoils the experience!
Even though my meal wasn't necessarily extraordinary (personal preference!), I would definitely come back to try another menu and enjoy the experience.
|