We all know the traditional way to start a date is to go
to dinner. What you probably don't know is the right place
to go; head down Port Jefferson's cozy streets to Ruvo
for dinner. Ruvo's Country Italian meal choices are comparable
to those you would find in Tuscanny. You'll be dining
in the ultimate romantic atmosphere--a sophisticated
dining room with fresh flowers and candlelit tables.
If you aren't able to wow your date at dinner with your
witty puns and poignant one-liners, go see how the professionals
do it.
The Comedy Club at Theatre Three is hosting live stand-up
comedy every month . Comics from Long Island and NYC join
together to perform their best acts while you and your
date share in the laughter together. If you're after winning
your date's heart, sidesplitting humor and an ultra-romantic
dinner can't hurt.
"Helping to Put the There in Greenlawn"
Ruvo offers solid and honest, if not incredible or unusual
dishes. Its soothing food has no sharp edges that jar
the palate. Rather, it is Italian home cooking with a
bit of flair.
REVIEWED BY THE TIMES April 23, 2006.
By JOANNE STARKEY
Published: April 23, 2006
Some restaurants find success elusive. Not Ruvo. The
highly popular spot in Greenlawn has just spawned a second
Ruvo in Port Jefferson, which is doing a great job. The
newer Ruvo is about twice the size of the original, which
is four and a half years old. And it not only serves the
hearty family favorites that put the original Ruvo on Long
Island's culinary map — like Grandma De Nicola's
Ragù with meatballs, sausage and linguine — but
is also branching out.
There is more au courant fare, like pan-seared striped
bass over vegetable couscous with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
and a tomato saffron sauce. Ruvo has a warm family feeling.
The restaurants are owned by four brothers. One of them,
Joe De Nicola, was in the kitchen on the nights of my visits,
while another brother was in the dining room keeping everything
running smoothly.
James De Nicola Sr., their father, was a talented artist.
After a trip to his family's ancestral home in Ruvo, Italy,
he created a series of woodcuts depicting the town. The
beautiful prints decorate the menu and enliven the walls
of both restaurants.
Although his gorgeous works are at the heart of the décor,
other components add to the restaurant's good looks. One
of the two dining rooms is cozy, with butter-yellow walls,
upholstered bench seating and wrought-iron hanging lights.
The other is dramatic, with a soaring bay window that
ends in a glass ceiling draped in sheer fabric. Each room
has numerous plants, earthenware pots and hanging ceramic
plates.
Service was near perfect on each of my visits: a quiet
Monday and a packed Friday. There were smiling hostesses,
attentive waitresses, on-the-mark runners delivering dishes
and ever-present busboys pouring water and replacing breadbaskets.
Pastas are the restaurant's forte. Grandma De Nicola's
ragù, a rustic, homey winner, is one I would order
again. Also memorable was linguine with white clam sauce,
showing off a flavorful garlicky broth, chopped clams and
a clams-in-the-shell garnish.
Even better was stick-to-the-ribs rigatoni in a rich, creamy
sauce with mascarpone, prosciutto, onions, portobello and
shiitake mushrooms and an abundance of seared sea scallops.
A couple of refined fish specials also impressed. A snowy
halibut fillet in a lemon, white wine and butter sauce
dotted with olives, roasted garlic and tomatoes was splendid.
So, too, was striped bass with Israeli couscous atop a
very light tomato-saffron sauce.
I was less taken with a special grilled rack of veal, which
was dry. Marred, too, was a grilled shrimp entree salad
with arugula, roasted peppers, grilled red onion and cannellini
beans. A balsamic reduction was drizzled over the salad
with too heavy a hand.
There were no complaints about a special appetizer, a seafood
salad with arugula and fennel in a sprightly citrus vinaigrette.
The shrimp, scallops, calamari and octopus were firm yet
tender morsels.
A crowd pleaser one night was a huge platter of fried
calamari, presented with two sauces: a spicy marinara and
a lemon-horseradish remoulade. The mountain of seafood,
enough for the whole table, was tender and crunchy.
Other satisfying openers were the house salad crowned
with shards of Pecorino Romano cheese, crab cakes napped
with a creamy wasabi sauce and paired with a lentil and
bell pepper salad, and sea scallops tied with bacon and
nestled in a spinach salad with a dressing of blood orange
and ginger.
But mushroom bruschetta on polenta crostini suffered
from as much balsamic reduction as the grilled shrimp salad.
Desserts should not be missed. A chocolate mousse cake
with chocolate crumb crust and a dense mousse texture was
outstanding. Cheesecake was the creamy New York variety.
The tiramisù was creamy-rich and included a bit
of citrus zest, giving it a slightly unorthodox but nevertheless
pleasing flavor. It was a standout. As is Ruvo itself.
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2007:
A Year of Dining DelightfullyBy The Foodies
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