BEST POT PIE

Ruby's Cafe

The first strike against Ruby's comes from the presentation. My lunch companion (we'll call her DK) and I both ordered the pot pie, and the two platters that arrived seemed to cover the table. People from the neighboring tables stared and pointed, and I had to announce that it was all in the name of research.

But it was all an illusion. Apparently Ruby is a tease. I mean, look at the way she dresses. Ruby's bakes its pot pies in a shallow pan with a very broad lip. Thus, the crust extends out for what must be 14 inches, but the good stuff occupies but mere inches in a small reservoir below the center of the crust. I wanted the option to get sick eating this oversized pie, and I was denied. Even DK finished the entire pot pie, and she eats like a bird (keeping in mind that birds eat five times their weight every day).

Turning to the taste, the pie was passable, but the crust tasted burnt and there was far too much crust because of the aforesaid configuration. The turkey (this was the only non-chicken pie of the group) and vegetables were plentiful in relation to the size of the reservoir, but the creamy sauce I look for in a pot pie was sparse. I think the chefs at Ruby's might have made the mistake of trying to make a healthier pot pie by decreasing the sauce and hence the fat. Sorry, if I want to avoid cream sauce I'll order mincemeat pie. Of the three pies tasted, Ruby's came in third.