Saturday Brunch at The Ruby Slipper (Uptown)

I'd heard a few stunning reviews about The Ruby Slipper from of a few of my most esteemed "Sources" which subsequently placed it at the top of my Bucket List.  This past Saturday, I awoke to overcast skies and temperatures roughly twenty degrees cooler than the night before.  Breakfast is not standard for me, unless I'm vacationing or have a considerable amount of time to spare.  Brisk and dreary Saturday mornings serve up the perfect recipe for scratching places like The Ruby Slipper off the list.  I quickly fell in love with the restaurant's neighborhood charm.  It sits on the corner of S. Cortez, just a block or so off off Canal Street in Midcity.  The decoration, floor plan, presence of local periodicals (think Gambit Weekly) and cute postcards and memorabilia make the place especially appealing. Unlike some restaurants, the atmosphere is almost as significant as the food at The Ruby Slipper.

The Mimosa's came highly recommended by a close friend and the waitress billed them as "Superb"!  "The Ruby Slipper Mimosa" as it's called, is made with a splash of pomegranate juice and was quite enjoyable.  Was it the best I've ever had?  Not even close.  One of the best?  Maybe not that either.  But, it was still tasty and I'm sure I'd order it all over again on subsequent visits there.

Ruby's Mimosa

As for the menu...it's a New Orleans Foodie's Paradise!  Dishes like: Bananas Foster Pain Perdu, BBQ Shrimp & Grits and an omelet called The Louisianian stuffed with boiled Gulf shrimp, cheddar cheese and thyme appear on the menu.  And the specials!  The specials are worth mentioning just as much as the standard menu.  Two, in particular, caught my eye.  One was the Eggs Cochon, it was billed as a Roasted Pork Tenderloin, served over an open-faced biscuit, topped with poached eggs and a specialty hollandaise sauce.  The other was "Ruby's Crabcake Breakfast".  The server described the dish as a Jumbo Lump Crabcake, accompanied by hollandaise, two eggs (any style), served with breakfast potatoes or grits and the diner's choice of toast or a biscuit.  Both of us decided on the latter, which was actually a bit disappointing...not the dish, but the concept.  It's always my preference to order two different dishes and sample each of them in order to get a better feel for what the restaurant is serving up.  But this time, I couldn't get the KT to budge.  So two order of Ruby's Crabcake Breakfast were on the way.

After a longer than expected wait and watching a couple who arrived several minutes after us get served, our order finally arrived.  I was disappointed that the food wasn't piping hot (which is typically the only excuse I'm willing to accept for having my food served after an extended wait OR receiving it out of order).  Nevertheless, the taste of the food was really good.  It arrived exactly the way it was ordered and was visually quite pleasant. The crabcake, which stole the show, was stunning.  Large chunks of crabmeat, blended with red and green bell peppers, a little spice and devoid of any type of crusts or breading.  I detest crabcakes bound with any of the above.  The potatoes were delicious and the eggs were good too. KT agreed and actually finished his meal in record timing.

Ruby's Crabcake Breakfast

The food I received during my first visit to The Ruby Slipper didn't automatically place it on my list of favorite places to dine.  But the atmosphere was perfect and the menu definitely has me intrigued. I'm sure I'll be back sooner than later.  Hopefully, next time with a slightly better review.  It really is the kind of place you just really want to love.

http://www.therubyslippercafe.net/