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Italian bistro has some room to improve

LYDA BARSH

Summer 2008 |

Ripe is a bistro in the South End of the city. Having visited the restaurant before and enjoyed the experience, I prepared myself with heightened senses and a genuine desire to enjoy the evening.  The restaurant has a warm décor and its location benefits from plenty of natural light and an urban- like atmosphere.  I called for reservations earlier in the day. I was a little surprised to learn that it was based on first-come, first-serve, but I was up for playing the odds.

We were warmly greeted and seated at the table of our choice. What struck me as odd was the fact that there are no tablecloths.  For an “upscale bistro” this is a prerequisite in my opinion.

Our server was moderately knowledgeable about the menu and its offerings and provided us with adequate time to peruse the wine and food menus.  The aromas emanating from the kitchen were divine, which made actual entrée selections even more challenging.

Our starter selections were roasted red pepper soup and the Ripe bruschetta aglio bread.
The roasted red pepper soup was authentic and wholesome with a hint of tomato that served as the ideal starter and appetizer. 

The Ripe bruschetta was an interesting presentation.  The dish is served with a plate of toasted crostini with side servings of olives, mushrooms and diced tomatoes.  I will assume that the “build your own” bruschetta bread concept is to avoid consuming a soggy crostini taken over by water laden tomatoes.

For main dishes, we chose the Soprano, a pasta dish with sirloin in a veal-based tomato sauce and the chef’s special, a pistachio encrusted halibut served with roasted vegetables. So many people shy away from ordering white flour-based pasta these days, so it was such a pleasant surprise to hear our server ask if we preferred whole wheat pasta.  Yes and yes! Congratulations for ensuring that health conscious individuals can still enjoy pasta.

One peeve of mine that appears to be prevalent in Sudbury eating establishments is the “re-gifting” of my used utensils to be applied to the next course of my meal. I quickly placed my used utensils back onto the server’s dish and requested clean ones.

Our entrees were delivered piping hot and the presentation was inviting.  The pistachio encrusted halibut was a perfect combination of texture and flavour, but the roasted vegetables could have been more plentiful. 
The Soprano pasta was a hit with my dining companion who left  very little for me to sample  The dish was filled with fresh ingredients, homemade sauce and pasta done to perfection. The one improvement could be made to the sirloin, which had a tougher than the ideal texture for such a savory dish.

I only wish I had more time and room to sample the fire-roasted brick oven pizza,  which the table next to us ordered.  The aroma and presentation almost made me reach over and ask for a sample.

I also wished I had ordered dessert which we have in the past through the take-out option.  Desserts are made fresh and are absolutely decadent. Note to self, save room next time. 

Ripe won me over with the  well thought out menu, fresh ingredients, careful preparation and genuine desire to please the palates of customers. 

However, in order to graduate into an “upscale” bistro, I say invest in some table linens and an endless supply of utensils.  This restaurant is ripe and ready for your patronage.

Ripe Restaurant and Dessert Bar 1788 Regent St. S.
523.8448

RATED 3 FORKS OUT OF 5