Ruby's Diner, 323 White St., features a classic pink interior with booths and a bar. Except for the lack of a smoking section, this is exactly what one could expect from an all-night diner such as Ruby's.

The first dish I tasted was the gingerbread pancakes, a surprisingly good triple stack usually served with specialty fruit toppings. Though they were out of the fruit toppings on the day of tasting, the pancakes held up strong on their own with a cinnamon/gingerbread flavor that was apparent without being too overpowering.

The next item was a classic breakfast burrito, served halved with a medium salsa. The burrito featured a choice of bacon or sausage (I opted for the latter) with egg, cheddar and hashbrowns--all wrapped in a sun-dried tomato-flavored tortilla. Though the tortilla flavor was an interesting addition to the combination, the burrito was fairly bland, and I found myself spicing up each bite with salsa. This along with the fairly dry texture were my complaints with the breakfast burrito.

Staff grade:

B-

Finally, I chose an order of the french toast. Being a fairly simple dish, I was eager to see how this item stood out compared to the others. The french toast was delivered in three large pieces with flower-shaped butter and of course, powdered sugar. The real delight in these was the toast, a special variety, that stayed thick throughout the meal, never becoming too soggy in the syrup. As far as french toast goes, this dish was a real winner. It's certainly apparent that Ruby's is a new restaurant in the scene, considering some of the food choices which, over a few visits, seemed to be going through changes.

The amount of food served was changed in certain dishes, as well as the availability of menu items. For instance, the quiche of the day was not available despite being on the menu.

Among other foods on the menu, especially memorable was an interesting dish called the "Little Darlin'" which consisted of hot chili on a bed of elbow macaroni, topped with 2 eggs sunny-side-up and a little Tabasco. Though I showed a bit of interest towards the concoction, cook Steve Black lightly persuaded me towards something a bit more safe, calling the little darlin' the "drunkard's delight".

The Diner also serves items like Spaghetti-o's listed with a side-note that states "Really," along with more classic options.

Ruby's Diner offers breakfast and lunch entrees between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 p.m.
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