Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby's - Just a short interlude at Ruby's Music Room

Ok ... my forays into Jazz country very rarely stray beyond the borders of Jazz Standard and Jazz Lite. Having been shushed at a certain establishment hasn't helped endear me to this particular scion of the musical pantheon either. So its one of life's mysterious ironies that my office is now bookended by two venues with their foundations firmly set in this genre's stone, with the (finally) official opening of Ruby's Music Room.

We have been captive audience to this venue's slow and gradual fit out, having to walk past the work site at least 5 days a week for the past few months or so ... I think it could have almost been a year. Ruby the dog, sadly now deceased, was as much a daily fixture as his silver haired-pony tailed owner, Robert, who kindly invited his neighbours in the street for a drinks and nibbles lunch.

I'm not completely au fait with the display cabinet windows, but at least it gives you little points of visual mulling if nothing else. Inside its the standard combination of kitsch, nostalgia, affected distress and sharp industrial modernity that is the blueprint for most cafe/bar/restaurants these days. But there are still elements to distract including this wall light peeping through the curtains.

Ruby's is set up not just as a bar but as a brunch cafe and dinner restaurant. The menu is small, but enticing. And judging by the quality of nibbles we were served, there is an adept hand in the kitchen which bodes very well indeed.

So I am excited about trying a full meal here soon. And as they are planning to open at 7am, I am also keen to sample the coffee.

Welcome Ruby's. I think we might be very glad you're here.

PS - I wish I was there when they delivered the full grand - it was huge!!

PPS - everytime time I see the word Ruby, I hear Liza Minelli's voice in this interview with Ruby Wax - priceless!

Common Galaxia - early days yet

Ok ... so the Common Galaxia has been suitably buzzed and fettered. A recent review I read spoke more of its design ethos and its menu on paper, and really didn't give an indication of what the author felt about the quality of the food, and if indeed he or she had more than just a quick cup of coffee.

And thats kinda sorta my attitude to this place. So its the latest addition to a burgeoning suburb blah blah asleep already. Just a little bit of window dressing ... but not necessarily somewhere thats going to seal the deal.

Lets put this down to it being early days yet ... but they need to school their staff a little better. Don't put a word like SMORREBROD in caps on the menu and offer 2 price points without really explaining what it all means and implies.

I took the "double" to mean 2 and I didn't really want 2 of the same thing, I just wanted one. But I didn't realise that one meant something that took 2 bites to completely imbibe ... and I don't have a big mouth.

 Poached chicken, lemon creme fraiche, baby cos & crisp prosciutto

Apart from that the coffee is decent as it should be in this day and age and locality. As for the fit out ... well ... everyone has a fitout these days. Its the service and the food that really matter at the end of the day.

Oh and that common galaxia ... turns out ...  not so yummy after all.

Crispy Common Galaxia w shaved fennel, caper berries, lemon aspen berry mayo & shaved red onion 

PS ... I know she's actually singing "cosma shiva, galaxina" but that's what plays in my head everytime I see and hear Common Galaxia ... see ... just happened again!