Ruby Slipper Cafe
Ruby Slipper Cafe
I had lunch in Mid-City here on Cleveland St. behind Mandina's with a friend earlier this week. He actually used to live in the building in a side apt. when it was an Italian corner grocery his wife's family owned back in the day. They were packed so there was a brief wait -it's a small space as currently configured. My friend wanted a burger, but they were out of burger meat. OK. So we both got the chicken pasta special, which came with a cup of French onion soup and a small salad. The soup was tasty enough but not your prototypical french onion soup. The enttree was essentially macaroni and diced chicken with I assume parmesan, romano etc. cheese baked in. I didn't ask what cheese(s). I wasn't too impressed, but my friend liked his. Service was not firing on all cylinders, but the guy said he was new. The entrees are very reasonably priced. There are other soups, salads and sandwiches, plus they offer breakfast all day if you like. This was my second trip. I can't work up much enthusiasm for this spot; for lunch, I like at least a couple more substantial entrees to choose from. The place is still fairly new, so it may hit its rhythm in time. I have heard breakfast is better, but I have gone on days and at times they are supposed to be open for breakfast and they have been inexplicably closed. Hate when that happens!
Re: Ruby Slipper Cafe
I hope the place works. I haven't had the chance to go over there yet (my free hours are usually during their closed hours), but they are doing basically what we have been doing. The first several months are tough -- but it gets easier. It really does.
Kinda.
Sometimes.
Occasionally.
...if you drink enough.
Kinda.
Sometimes.
Occasionally.
...if you drink enough.
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rubyslipper
- Junior Member
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:33 pm
Re: Ruby Slipper Cafe
I am the owner of The Ruby Slipper Cafe, and this is my first time visiting this forum. I apologize for the experience that you had on Tuesday. Although we are a newer restaurant (<6 months), we expect our customers to have a good experience each and every time they visit us. I would like to take the time to respond to your comments, which are all valid.
We serve only fresh hand-formed burger patties, and unfortuantely our meat purveyor delivered later than usual on Tuesday. We don't freeze our ground meat, so we order and use what we need for the weekday lunches, and get fresh meat each Tuesday morning.
This past Tuesday's special was OK, and several customers really liked it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. We have a set lunch special on Thursday (Meatloaf) and Friday (Shrimp Creole), but have been trying different options to find a winner for Tuesday's & Wednesday's. We started these hot lunch specials in mid-September, so are still finding the best combinations for our customers.
As for the service, this was our busiest Tuesday ever, with more than 125% increase over the previous Tuesday. We weren't expecting this volume and hence the feeling that service was not firing on all cylinders. My manager & I were helping the servers with drinks, food running & clearing tables.
We hope that you will give us another try, and one recent change that might entice you is that, by popular demand, we've added our Eggs Blackstone and Migas to our daily menu (these were only being offered on weekends).
Finally, we appreciate this feedback and would like to understand when you might have come for breakfast and found us closed? We have only been closed on two scheduled "Open" days and that was during Gustav evacuation.
Thanks again.
We serve only fresh hand-formed burger patties, and unfortuantely our meat purveyor delivered later than usual on Tuesday. We don't freeze our ground meat, so we order and use what we need for the weekday lunches, and get fresh meat each Tuesday morning.
This past Tuesday's special was OK, and several customers really liked it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. We have a set lunch special on Thursday (Meatloaf) and Friday (Shrimp Creole), but have been trying different options to find a winner for Tuesday's & Wednesday's. We started these hot lunch specials in mid-September, so are still finding the best combinations for our customers.
As for the service, this was our busiest Tuesday ever, with more than 125% increase over the previous Tuesday. We weren't expecting this volume and hence the feeling that service was not firing on all cylinders. My manager & I were helping the servers with drinks, food running & clearing tables.
We hope that you will give us another try, and one recent change that might entice you is that, by popular demand, we've added our Eggs Blackstone and Migas to our daily menu (these were only being offered on weekends).
Finally, we appreciate this feedback and would like to understand when you might have come for breakfast and found us closed? We have only been closed on two scheduled "Open" days and that was during Gustav evacuation.
Thanks again.
Re: Ruby Slipper Cafe
Dear RS,
It is always fun to hear the rest of the story. I hope you will continue to find your niche since the area certainly needs your place. I have had the shrimp creole before and I think it's a good rendition. Unfortunately, the dish induces a school lunchroom flashback to circa 1969 for me and a lunch lady who woke up on the wrong side of the century. But I digress. I tried breakfast a while back, as in months ago, so maybe the schedule wasn't ironed out yet. The last time I was in before this week, I just remember a very good soup, can't recall exactly what is was, but it was super. I am a miga fiend so I definitely want to check that offering out. I wish you success in the venture and I will be back.
It is always fun to hear the rest of the story. I hope you will continue to find your niche since the area certainly needs your place. I have had the shrimp creole before and I think it's a good rendition. Unfortunately, the dish induces a school lunchroom flashback to circa 1969 for me and a lunch lady who woke up on the wrong side of the century. But I digress. I tried breakfast a while back, as in months ago, so maybe the schedule wasn't ironed out yet. The last time I was in before this week, I just remember a very good soup, can't recall exactly what is was, but it was super. I am a miga fiend so I definitely want to check that offering out. I wish you success in the venture and I will be back.