Ruggles Green

Date of Visit: Saturday, May 15, 2010
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A male co-worker told me about Ruggles Green spouting: "You've got to try it! It's all 'Green', and organic... Its so something you'd like. Even the straws are made of some plant." I guess people really have my MO don't they?

I enjoy the green, organic, and eco-friendly movement... It's inspiring and great for our community and world. There is no bigger turn off for me than mass-produced, over processed food. Or clothing, or anything. If you can make it Green I like it already.

I like to eat healthy, but also consider myself somewhat of a food aficionado. I savor every bite if its delicious, and always give the not so enjoyable dish a fair go as well. One thing I know is you don't need to compromise taste for health ever. Ruggles Green is proof of that.

I decided to make the trip to Ruggles not only for the sake of my curious pallet, but for my friend Cara's as well. Cara is one of my dearest friends from New York. She currently resides in Tucson, Arizona and was in town for a weekend visit. Cara has suffered from a gluten allergy for as long as I've known her. She constantly battles with not being able to enjoy the deliciousness of bread, or anything with bread or flour in it. When I told her that I had heard of this restaurant that has a variety of Gluten-Free menu items she was delighted.

As we approached the door people were spilling out the door. The closer we got though, we realized it was just a large party loitering and saying their Good-Byes, which made the fear of a nasty line vanish. Once inside, we were greeted with clean rustic wooden tables, and friendly earth tones. It was busy, but I could see we would have no problem finding a seat. We took our time looking at the menu and Cara quickly was ecstatic over the number of Gluten-Free options. Pizza! Pasta! You name it! I don't think really knew what to expect, but with such a variety to choose from she decided on a Margarita Pizza. "I never get to have pizza," she said. I ordered a Texas Ceasar salad and the Spicy Shrimp Tacos. Self serve drinks, utensils, and napkins- fine by me. And if your in the mood, you can enjoy a cold beer here too.

We found seats on their enclosed patio. Our food came out fast and hot. What more could you ask for? The ceasar salad was refreshing. The perfect amount of dressing coated the crisp romaine leafs, and tasty caper surprises could be found hidden throughout. The dressing had a slight anchovy aftertaste but was accompanied by a zesty southwestern bite. The shrimp tacos were even more satisfying. Plump shrimp mixed with lettuce, pico de gallo, and topped with a red spicy sauce gave just the right amount of heat. (4) to a plate this is plenty for a meal, and would make a great appetizer to share.

Cara couldn't stop raving about her pizza, and I'll admit it looked pretty damn good. She offered me up a slice from her generous 12'' personal pizza, and I accepted! One-bite and I was sold. Fresh marinara topped with mozzarella and springs of basil. Perfectly crisped crust too! Gluten-Free? You wouldn't be able to tell. I couldn't! For a small girl she took down the whole pizza (minus my slice). She must have told me a hundred times how good that pizza was, and how happy she was that she wouldn't be affected by eating it (as she normally would be with regular pizza).

We left feeling full, and healthy. A clean, and relaxing environment, Overall a great experience at Ruggles Green.