This is a busy, large old house, with tables in different large rooms. It has ample parking, though much of it is unpaved dirt and is solid ice in winter. The feel is comfortable and relaxed, with white butcher paper on tables with crayons to doodle or amuse the kids.
The food is a mix of American comfort food, Italian, and a German dish (schnitzel).
The pork schnitzel, which was okay, at best, comes with "potato pancakes", but what is served is a lump of mashed potatoes grilled like a hamburger; these are absolutely not potato pancakes. The portion on the schnitzel was far too small. The red cabbage tasted a bit salty and two of us at the table, who would otherwise love German-style red cabbage, didn't want them. The portion of peas was anemic, and the random spring onion as a garnish was strange.
The Ripe Tomato Roast Pork was bland and overcooked to the point of being dry; I brought home two pieces to give to the dog. The gravy was thin and while it had some flavor, it had little to suggest it was made with pan drippings or such, as it lacked any robustness, which a proper gravy would have; it tasted like it was perhaps bullion-based. The menu describes it as being served with apple sauce, which should not be solid pieces of apple with a thin sugar juice at the bottom. This was more like cinnamon sugared apples and they were fine, but they were not applesauce.
The Salmon Cake Scampi (not pictured), was passable but lacked any real flavor and there's no indication of if it was fresh fish. The remoulade could only be considered spicy, as the menu describes, if someone thinks of ketchup as a spicy condiment. The linguini accompanying the dish was overcooked, and the lemon flavor lacking.
The Yankee Pot Roast was dry and bland and was served with a huge portion of mashed potatoes. It wasnt fall-apart tender but neither was it tough.
The mozzarella was nicely breaded and cooked well. Be careful cutting into it, as the juices inside will shoot out.
The shrimp and scallop bisque was good, though felt a little lacking in enough of the more savory ingredients, such as the shrimp or scallops. The menu states it is served with a dash of cream sherry, which I thought would come to the table to add yourself, but if it was supposed to, it did not. You also could not see any evidence of cream in the soup, so I have no idea if it was done according to the menu.
We ordered calamari but they were never brought to us. We didn't ask for anything in return, just to make sure it was not on the bill, and the provided three desserts to us anyhow. While that was a nice gesture, there were four of us at the table, so someone missed out. They didn't ask which we'd like nor if we wanted them to go or to have at the table, they just handed us a bag and told us they were to make up for the calamari. The desserts were tiramisù, a chocolate cake, and some sort of oreo cake. The portions were quite small for the tiramisù and the oreo dish, which I don't know if that is typjcal or because they were free. The tiramisù was absolutely not what it claims to be and was a creamy dessert, no espresso flavor, with chocolate sauce drizzled on top and a few ladyfingers on the outside, like fence posts. It was the worst tiramisù we've ever had. The chocolate cake and oreo dessert were eaten by dessert lovers, but neither person said they'd order them again.
This place is rated well and celebrating their 30th anniversary, so either every entree we ordered is one they do poorly, or the local expectations are lower, allowing this to rise to the top, I can't say, but where we had been excited to try this on the drive out, we were all in agreement that it is not one we'll return to for a second chance. There were too many issues that aren't attributable to a bad day to warrant...
Read moreHad a dinner reservation for 17 people on a Sunday evening, 530pm. Entered the restaurant and was seated right away. First problem was the seating. They tried seating all 17 people at (4) 4person tables connected end to end. That wasn't going to work. So I asked for another table for more seating. First issue solved. Saw they had an empty room with seating in the next room over. The server, and manager told me that that room was saved for them to prep take out orders in when they needed to. Well I'll let yo know that that room wasn't used to prep orders, instead a family of 5 had the whole room to themselves. The 1 server that was assigned to us came by to take drink orders. Now I'm not sure if we were her only table or not, but there were times when she disappeared for a good 20-30mins. I know it's covid. I know everyone is short staffed. But there was no excuse why our group of 17 had to wait such extended periods without people checking on us. There were times when I would ask another server for something really simple, and they would tell me that they will go find my server for me. So I would have to wait for them to find my server, wait for her to finish whatever she was doing and then come back to us, and then wait for her to get whatever it was that we needed. Drink order was first. It was a good 30 minutes before drinks came out. Food order was placed. We didn't get our food until about an hour and 15mins from when we were seated. The food was super sub par. My pork special was dried out and hard. The 2 veal dinners were dried out and hard with cold noodles. The kids loved their fries though they didn't want anything to do with the mac and cheese. The chicken salad was good, as were the drinks. That's about it. While I was taking my 3 kids to the bathroom my mother in law mentioned to the server that my pork was dried out and hard, and that her veal was dried out and hard also. The server mentioned that she would bring out new plates. When I returned to the table my plate was gone. Mind you I wasn't even 1/2 way done with my food. The server came back and said that there were all out of the pork, and asked if I wanted the beef instead. I said no thanks. Then she said that she would just take my meal off the tab. Mind you, I still would have liked to eat the beans and potatoes. My mother in law was never brought out a new plate. It took quite awhile to clear the table. We were given dessert plates for the dessert we brought . I asked the server about the kids ice cream and she said no problem. 20minutes later she came by and asked if we needed anything else. I asked again about the ice cream and she said she totally forgot. 5mins after that she back with them. Mind you everyone was done with their desserts by then. Took another 10mins to actually get the bill. All in all we were in the restaurant for 2hrs and 10mins. In my opinion that was too long. I understand we had a big party. But it wasn't the food that we waited on that long. It was the periods of time that the server was no where to be seen. There is no reason why we needed to wait 30mins after everyone was seated and drink order actually taken to have our food orders taken. Food was sup bar. It was my mother in law's 75th birthday, and she's the one who chose this restaurant. I don't plan on coming here again. Maybe a smaller group on a slower night. But I definitely won't recommend...
Read moreThe Ripe Tomato, a classic Italian restaurant located in Malta, NY, offers a delightful array of Italian and American staples, including sandwiches, pasta, seafood, and other classic dishes. It features a full bar that provides a variety of bar food and drink specials, enhancing the overall dining experience. And the service is always very good.
Appetizers and Bread: We began our meal with the fried calamari, a classic staple that did not disappoint. The calamari was perfectly fried to a crisp and served with a delicious red sauce, providing a perfect start to the meal. Additionally, the restaurant serves classic Italian bread accompanied by olive oil and butter, which was a delightful touch.
Main Courses One standout dish was the Atlantic Wild Salmon, served with a white wine lemon sauce on a bed of spinach with capers and a side of mashed potatoes. The salmon was perfectly cooked, and the sauce complemented the fish beautifully, adding a zesty freshness that was well-balanced by the savory mashed potatoes.
Another noteworthy dish was the Pollo Tres Modos, translating to "Chicken Three Ways." This dish features boneless chicken breasts dredged in seasoned bread crumbs, pan-seared, and layered with roasted red peppers, prosciutto, spinach, and provolone cheese. It is served over a rich tomato cream sauce with a side of garlic angel hair pasta. Each component of the dish was executed perfectly, and the combination of flavors was both harmonious and satisfying.
Overall Experience: The Ripe Tomato excels in delivering classic Italian and American cuisine in a classic, comfortable, and cozy setting. The quality of the food, combined with the cozy atmosphere and friendly service, makes it a must-visit for anyone in the Malta, NY area looking for a great dining experience. Whether you're there for a casual meal or a special occasion, The Ripe Tomato offers something for everyone, ensuring a memorable dining experience. They also offer catering and will deliver. I ordered 4 trays of food for an event. Everything was delicious and came with...
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