Today’s side of ranch is on…

Ruvo East is on Main Street in Port Jefferson. My dine in at La Tavola sparked me to try this restaurant as it is one of the many restaurants they own.Ruvo is an Italian Flare restaurant and offers a delight of fresh food.

Food quality: As I stated before, you can really taste the freshness in the dishes here. I had the Crispy ½ Duck which was served with a exceedingly flavorful sweet and sour apricot glaze that gave your mouth the best of both worlds. I also tried couscous for the first time! Our server described it as a healthy grain which definitely caught my attention. I was pleased at how inviting this was to my mouth. The whole meal was very palatable.

Overall Service: Our server Matt was honestly nothing too special. He did just about the bare minimum with serving us. He took our drink and dinner order, answered a few of our questions, and we never saw him again until it was time for dessert. He never checked in on how our appetizer or dinner was. This is major in my opinion, as in some occasions a guest might not like a dish and a server should always be around to perhaps offer a different dish. Overall the service was OK. Although the host who sat as was exceptionally nice.

Ambiance: The ambiance is very pleasant. They have fresh plants and flowers as you walk through the main door. Around the restaurant they have rewards shown of what the restaurant has achieved through the years. That is always good to see.

Cleanliness: This restaurant also served us with placemats which like I said is always a bonus for the server and guest as it is quick and easy for the crumbs to be taken out of the way. One thing I remember about Ruvo East is that the bathrooms were exceptionally clean. They were sparkling. Literally. That is a good sign. I hope the kitchen is on that level of clean.

Value: A dinner check for two was $100. We both got an appetizer, two entrees and a dessert to share, and a simply drank seltzer (boring I know). For a restaurant in Port Jefferson Main Street I believe that is an average check, a price one would expect to spend.

Overall Experience: The one reason I would come back is for the food. I a firm believer that the service of a restaurant affects whether a customer will come back. But in this case I always give restaurants two chances. Perhaps Matt that night was having an off day, so we will be giving Ruvo another try perhaps in the summer.