The trip to Ruston’s Diner was not about the food. It wasn’t about memories either. Many Jamesville-Dewitt grads have waxed nostalgic about this place, but I’d never been there.
It was about Dad. It was the last place he worked as a chef/cook before he retired. For my sister, there was history too. Once, I mean it was years ago, Dad went to work and all the waitresses had called in sick, so he recruited Mom and my two sisters to be the employees.
I found out about all of this at Thanksgiving. Why wasn’t I contacted? Clearly, because they’d decided that I wouldn’t have wanted to do that – wait on people, even though my job as an art teacher was mostly that except without food.
Presentation: So when the waitress messed up our order, we didn’t complain or anything. Because Kathy just said, “She’s probably new.”
I ordered broiled haddock with coleslaw and fries, and my plate arrived with macaroni and cheese on it. I also said tartar, no cocktail sauce but was delivered both. Kathy order the fried clams with one side but got the addition of coleslaw and was charged for the dinner, which, all in all, was fine. Who cares?
The presentation with that giant slice of bread on top was strange, but oh well.
Taste: The fish was great! It had paprika on top and was served with a slice of lemon. It was not swimming in watery butter like other incarnations of this dish and I liked that. The fries were perfectly cooked. The coleslaw was quite runny.
I brought the coleslaw and bread home for later and Kathy packed up about half her meal to go.
Restaurant Experience: Let’s face it – this is a diner. It is a place for friendship and athleisure-wear. Most of the diners come for the camaraderie with the staff and for that casual atmosphere, as it is in proximity to their location in the ‘ville.
If you need to pee, lol, get ready for that experience. The bathroom is so tiny. It was like a jet plane toilet situation and I wondered what handicapped or fat-challenged individuals were supposed to do. I loved this quirkiness. It’s so my father’s humor.
Location: Ruston’s Diner is located at 6407 Jamesville Toll Road, Jamesville, New York 13078.
Parking: There are plenty of parking spots for the restaurant’s capacity crowd. However, leaving the parking lot is somewhat dangerous, as it is around a blind corner from drivers of gigantic trucks (and cars, of course) turning right from Jamesville Road with a mere yield sign. This requires alert driving skill!
Thanks, Dad. <3
