Some Comments on Ruvo Restaurant (Port Jefferson, NY)
Because my parents were in town last weekend, Nena and I were able to sneak out of the house, sans Jackson, and have dinner together for the first time in a while. It doesn’t happen much these days, so we try to take full advantage when it can happen.
After calling one of our favorite places, The Kitchen - A Bistro in St. James, only to find out that they aren’t open on Sunday evenings, we settled on a new-to-us place in Port Jefferson, Ruvo. We’ve had friends tell us good things, so we figured we’d give it a shot.
I won’t go so far as to say that I’m sorry we tried it, but I’m in no hurry to go back.
We’ve only been there once, obviously, so doing a full review isn’t fair, but I do have a few tips that I’d offer Ruvo:
- Learn how to cook Veal scalloppine. It is pounded thin and cooked quickly for a reason. It’s supposed to be tender. Not chewy and leathery.
- If you’re an Italian restaurant, you should serve pasta al dente and well-seasoned. Not mushy, without salt.
- While you’re at it, it’d be nice if you served that pasta in a bowl that looks nicer than the Correlle Ware cereal bowl I had in my dorm room freshman year.
- Give your hostess a raise. We saw her more than we did our server. I have a feeling that we’d still be waiting for our check if not for the hostess.
On the positive side of things:
- Nena loved her rigatoni with seared scallops and mushrooms
- Ruvo probably has the best Long Island wine list this side of the North Fork
- The bar is a great spot to have a drink before or after dinner.
- Seasonally focused menu items are inventive and bring more local flavor to the menu
Before I conclude this post, I have a question for all of my blogging and/or technology addicted friends out there:
Is it ever appropriate to have your laptop out on the dinner table, open and on, during dinner at a nice restaurant? There was a woman across the dining room from us who had hers out on the table and was actively working on it throughout our dinner. Her dining companion (who we assumed to be her mother) didn’t seem bothered by it, but the glow of the screen didn’t really work well with the dark ambiance of the dining room.
As an admitted laptop addict, I can’t imagine any situation where I’d do anything of the sort. Not even at a diner or chain restaurant. Ruvo is a nice, though not fine, restaurant. It just struck me as completely inappropriate.
Then again, maybe it bothered me so much exactly because I am an addict, and I thought it gave all of us a bad name.
What if you were out with a colleague, trying to get some work done?
Or would a diner/pizza place be better suited for that?
Maybe…it just isn’t the kind of place where it seems appropriate on a Sunday night.
I dunno, am I crazy?
The bigger question is.. should we really be that busy to not be able to take an hour for dinner-who ever is waiting for that “work” is probably eating, too…and not working.
your Social Worker mother-in-law
I’m not an addict (well maybe I am a little bit) but I do take my laptop to dinner from time to time. Only when I’m alone, have a lot of time to kill, and want to use that time to write outside of my home office.
In other words, I don’t do it because I’m some stressed out workaholic who thinks work is more important than sharing a good meal with friends/family. I do it because I thoroughly enjoy working in restaurants-the busier the better. The activity seems to energize me.
I never thought anyone would find that disturbing. On the other hand not every restaurant suited for that and maybe Ruvo is *not* the kind of place I’d work in.
Last time I worked and dined was at Castaway’s in Ocean Beach, Fire Island this summer. Loud, open to the sidewalk, people in and out. It was great. I ordered a lot of food, a lot of beer and tipped the waitress very well for the 4 hours she spent serving me.
I felt the same way about Ruvo. The food did not impress me. The wine list was cool though. I’ve gone back to the bar a few times with some friends for a bottle (they have a band in the bar on weekends) but I don’t bother with the food it’s nothing special.
Sounds like a dump.
Why would someone even risk destroying his/her laptop while dining in a restaurant is beyond me. All it takes is a few drops of liquid on the keyboard to fry a laptop.
Do a quick check for a few minutes is quite ok, but ‘working’ & dining simultaneously? Come on…
“Do a quick check for a few minutes is quite ok, but ‘working’ & dining simultaneously? Come on…”
Everyone has their own way of doing things. I happen to like working in restaurants. I don’t do it often, but when I do I enjoy it. And I don’t eat and work simultaneously. The laptop is to the side while I’m eating.
Also, let’s not be confused by what we imagine. If you’re picturing me doing this at Mirabelle, forget it.
Before I had a laptop I used a marble notebook. Is that less offensive?
As for the risk, I don’t see it at all. When I’m working at home there’s a cup of coffee or glass of water next to laptop at all times. I haven’t fried one yet.
I lived in PJ for a few years and was always surprised by the number of restaurants that would come and go; most seemed to actually aim for mediocrity. The last I knew, Pasta Pasta and Salsa Salsa were the only worth bragging about. At the very least, you can thank Ruvo for not calling itself ‘Ruvo Ruvo’.
(Though I SO miss living in PJ!!!)
Bill: I can absolutely see working in certain restaurants. But Ruvo didn’t seem to be the type. Then again, with the food that came out of the kitchen, maybe it is
Jay: Yeah….Port Jeff is a great place to live near…and I LOVE Salsa Salsa. Pasta Pasta is good, but when we lived in Sayville, we went to its sister restaurant Cafe Joelle literally once a week. I’m over it I think.
I’m going to guess that what is not Ruvo was probably Printer’s Devil when you were in town…another extremely mediocre restaurant.
Unlike Lenn, I have dined numerous times at Ruvo in Port Jefferson, and without fail, each of my experiences has been positive, if not delightful: the food has been high quality and the service consistent and professional. Perhaps what elevates my opinion of Ruvo beyond the status quo is the restaurant’s diligence in representing Long Island on its menus. I am a regular to the Thursday night tasting menu, which is based on food grown and produced on Long Island. And the staff’s enthusiasm for promoting Long Island wine is truly heart-warming.
I agree about the inappropriateness of a laptop screen aglow amid candles and dim lights and the pleasant buzz of people talking to each other over dinner. I think a marble notebook is a hundred-fold less offensive.
Jeff: Thanks for the comment. I too applaud their dedication to local wines…even if Pindar merlot (on the menu tonight) doesn’t really represent the region’s best by any stretch.
I think we’ll go back, but the poorly cooked veal and pasta was very disappointing to be sure.