Foodie Friday: Ruse
ST. MICHAELS, Md. – For this edition of Foodie Friday, we’re checking out Ruse Restaurant in St. Michaels. This eatery is a sleek spot with a playful side, and its menu is packed with unique creations.
“Only the best”
We start with DIY tuna hand rolls.
“This is a dish that we’ve had since the spring, and I think at this point if I took it off the menu it would upset a lot of people,” said Chef Michael Correll. “We only use number one grade [tuna], only the best. We small dice it up, and then we’re going to toss it with some scallion ginger oil.”
The tuna is perched on top of a bed of sushi rice, coated in samurai sauce.
“Samurai sauce is like our play on a spicy tuna mayonnaise,” explained Chef Correll. “It’s got some chili crisp in there, scallions, and some soy. We’ll put a little bit on the bottom of our bowl.”
DIY Deliciousness
Each order of the hand rolls comes with a helpful instruction card, but the process is pretty simple.
First, get your sheet of toasted nori ready, then spoon on the sauced-up rice. Then, add the tuna, and cucumber spears, roll it up, and enjoy.
“So, so fresh and tasty,” said Foodie Friday host Hannah Cechini. “The sushi rice has been really well seasoned. It’s the perfect consistency where it’s sticking together. I really love that Samurai sauce. It’s the perfect level of heat and nice little notes of brightness and acid that just go along with the ginger and scallion that the tuna has been marinated in.”
Roasted and Ready to Enjoy
The team at Ruse is also in the business of bivalves. Their roasted oysters are local and topped with an urfa biber butter and breadcrumb mix—made with Turkish peppers.
“It’s a lot of rich, umami flavors,” Chef Correll said. “So, we’re just going to put a big dollop right on top [of the oyster].”
After an overture in the oven and a pinch of finishing salt, these oysters are on the go to the dining room.
“The oyster is whole and underneath all of the breading, and it’s just waiting for you to find it,” Hannah said. “The topping is so buttery and soft, but still has that crispy-crunchiness from the oven.”
Frozen and Fascinating
And if you’re looking to go out with a bang, you can’t go wrong with this dessert: a labneh soft serve, topped with pomegranate molasses, and Turkish cotton candy.
“The labneh, because it’s a type of yogurt, has a nice tartness to it. It’s not overly sweet, and the texture that has come out of that soft serve machine is just perfect,” Hannah said. “The pomegranate is so puckery. I love it.”
The Turkish cotton candy was a new experience for Hannah.
“It’s really interesting,” Hannah said. “As soon as you bite into it, the flavor and the texture instantly starts changing as you’re chewing it. I would describe it as sweet but also a little bit earthy.”
Ruse Restaurant
Ruse Restaurant is located at 209 North Talbot Street, St. Michaels, Md. You can call them at 410-745-8011. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
