AN old adage warns shellfish eaters to restrict their intake of oysters to months whose spelling includes an ''R,'' so I chose to visit Ruby's Oyster Bar & Bistro on two cold nights in February. I got my oysters -- sparkling Kumamotos and briny Malpeques -- along with sizable portions of noise and merriment. In fact, if I were looking to combine a little carousing with a good meal, I would book a table at Ruby's any month of the year.
Ruby's, which turned two years old last fall, delivers on the bistro theme: the hearty food is playful, and some of it is even French. (There are tiers of shellfish, platters of charcuterie, steamed mussels and steak frites.)
Specials are chalked in looping script on a chalkboard. The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m. and doesn't close until late at night. The general commotion is part of the package, and part of the fun.
The décor is handsome and utilitarian, with wooden chairs and tables and mirrored walls. Touches of luxury include coved ceilings, beaded light fixtures and snazzy red leatherette banquettes. A high communal table runs down the center of the front room, with place settings separated by pretty fabric runners and clusters of carnations and snapdragons; parties of two, four and six can perch there on tall bar stools.
The bar, flanked by two television sets, is front and center, and jammed on weekend nights. The appetizer menu marches out the regular foot soldiers: fried calamari, quesadillas, crab cakes and a salad featuring a roasted pear, pine nuts, dried cranberries and goat cheese. These were for the most part well prepared. (The quesadillas, filled with smoked duck and gouda, were a bit of a reach -- France meets Arizona by way of Amsterdam -- but surprisingly good.) Other, less expected appetizers, showed the kitchen at its best: pan-fried oysters served with Champagne butter and sautéed spinach; seared sea scallops with nuggets of pancetta cloaked in a red wine sauce; and crusty seared foie gras, perfectly pink at the center, paired with carmelized apples.
Lobster chardonnay chili, unlikely as it sounds, was subtly spiced with cumin and just delicious. A frisée salad with smoked bacon, Roquefort croutons and a poached egg needed more vinegar to liven it up.
Entrees were mostly satisfying. A model version of steak frites and a supersweet steamed lobster were good choices for my children. A flavorful filet mignon was perfectly cooked, but retro mixed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes were short on inspiration. Excellent calf's liver scaloppine, pink at the center, accompanied by a rich bacon and onion ''tatin,'' took the prize for best entree. One of my guests ordered a side of pommes frites, which arrived, as if directly from Paris, in a paper cone with a side of rich mayonnaise.
Other than the lobster, seafood entrees were less than successful, perhaps because they were overwrought. A pop take on bouillabaisse, decorated with squiggles of aioli sauce, was made with fish of the highest quality, but its parts were meticulously composed rather than allowed to mingle. The overly sweet orange-horseradish sauce served with a nice piece of grilled swordfish was a mistake; a traditional rémoulade might have served better. A beautiful chunk of halibut was masked rather than enhanced by its citrus sauce.
The wine list tilts toward American whites -- sauvignon blancs and chardonnays -- appropriate to a menu that emphasizes seafood. A glass of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin ($15) was a nice treat with oysters. Two chardonnays were good bets: the rich 2000 Mer Soleil ($66) and the bright, fruity 2001 Gary Farrell ($65). Desserts -- molten chocolate cake, crème brûlée, cheesecake -- were not particularly memorable. A tender apple cake, however, showed just the right balance of fruit and sugar.
Ruby's Oyster Bar & Bistro
45 Purchase Street,
Rye, (914)921-4166.
GOOD
Atmosphere -- A fun, lively bistro-style restaurant with handsome but not fussy interiors. Friendly and efficient service.
Recommended dishes -- Raw oysters, fried calamari, smoked duck and gouda quesadillas, pan-fried oysters, seared foie gras, seared sea scallops, steamed lobster, steak frites, sautéed calf's liver, apple cake.
Prices -- Appetizers, $7 to $18. Salads, $7 to $18. Entrees, $21 to $30.
Desserts -- $5 to $7.
Hours -- Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, 11:30 to 11 p.m., Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Reservations -- Recommended on weekends.
Credit cards -- All major.
Wheelchair access -- Through the front door.
The Ratings -- Excellent. Very good. Good. Satisfactory. Poor. Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
Review published: Feb. 22, 2004
