On the heels of how popular my most recent article about dining on Long Island was, I figured why not continue the streak with a fantastic restaurant located in the heart of Greenlawn that is celebrating its 16th year being open. This of course is Ruvo, which became open to the public in the year 2000, the same year I started my freshman year at Harborfields High School. I have passed this place hundreds of times, yet have never stopped in even though I have heard rave reviews from my other friends and family members who have been there. They also have a sister location based in Port Jefferson on top of the Greenlawn one, which opened about a decade ago. Suffice to say, the anticipation finally climaxed when i went with a friend over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
The name Ruvo comes from a town in Italy where the owners family is from. The location of Ruvo here in Greenlawn is pitch perfect in a way because it is at the epicenter of what makes this little town so great. A trend that I have noticed more and more in Manhattan and Long Island restaurants is that they are designing their menus around the seasons and therefore the menus inspirations are seasonal related. It definitely works for this type of a location as it is important to use the freshest types of foods and ingredients all year round to ensure the taste and quality of what you are having is top notch.
The decor of Ruvo is simply splendid, and works well with how a great Italian restaurant is supposed to look and feel like. Beautiful paintings, soft & light colors adorn the location and really add to the atmosphere of Ruvo overall. Add in some live music at night time and you are guaranteed to have a great time.
Two words I love hearing when I go to a restaurant are “Price Fix”, which is exactly what Ruvo has at their location. For $28.95, you get to choose from full size options in an appetizer, entree, and dessert and the options themselves seem to be limitless. Here is what I would recommend should you decide to choose from this portion of the menu. For starters, their Veal Meatballs with Basil-Ricotta cheese and Garlic Crostini as well as their Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread. Full of Italian yumminess, the meatballs are cooked to perfection and pair very well with the cheese and crostini for dipping. The Flatbread had a very authentic taste to it, especially with how fresh the artichoke and spinach was on top of it. Great way to start the meal off.
For their mains, two good choices that I would recommend would be their N.Y. Shell Steak with red wine demi-glace, melted gorgonzola and garlic mashed potatoes as well as their Romano Crusted Chicken Salad with mache, cherry tomatoes, gorgonzola, red onion & a fig balsamic. The former in this situation has a ton of flavor profiles to it, in particular the red wine demi-glace, that enhance the perfectly cooked shell steak to perfection. The gorgonzola also highlights the steak with the demi-glace to give it an extra kick to an already amazing dish. if you are looking to go a bit lighter, then the chicken salad is the way to go. The fig balsamic was divine and the combination of all the ingredients put together made for one tasty dish.
To finish, you should definitely cleanse your palate with their Sorbetto Del Giorno, which is made on premise. So fresh and light, it is the perfect way to end the meal. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy then their Pumpkin Spice Panna Cotta should do the trick. With a hazelnut creme anglaise, it is creamy and delicious in its texture and another fine example on how to end a meal.
Ruvo also has a separate location on site called the Ruvo Market if you are looking to order the best of the best in Italian fare. Don’t just take my word for it. Check out their official site for more information. Happy eating everyone!