A fixture in downtown Havre de Grace for the last 20 or so years, The Ritz is primarily known for providing a decent lunch to proper ladies who are not in much of a hurry. Now that Color Images is located on the same block, I had the opportunity to try out The Ritz for the first time, getting a take out order to eat while my color processed.
The interior looks like it is set for afternoon tea with orchids on the tables and a nice collection of china on display. And it does indeed look like a place where I could while away the afternoon with a couple of girlfriends getting caught up on every little thing. The menu consists of primarily sandwiches and salads with a couple of entrees. When I was there, they were offering a crab cake, and who am I to ever say no to that.
The owner took my order, rang me up, and prepared my food. From order to delivery took about 10 minutes, which seems reasonable.
The crab cake came open-faced sandwich style on a fairly standard roll with lettuce, tomato, and a side of lemon aioli. The cake itself had a good flavor and was slightly seasoned to bring out the crab rather than cover it but had a little more filler than what I'm used to. Even so, the lemon aioli was a good choice for the sauce. The whole thing was delicious.
I also got a side salad that was pretty delightful - mixed greens with chunks of fresh tomatoes and bell peppers, black olives, and thin slices of cucumber and radish. With ranch dressing, it was just about perfect.
There were a lot of little touches that went into my order as well. The handles of my carry-out bag were carefully twisted into a flower. There was an orchid nestled in with my chips. And, because ranch dressing and aioli can look so similar if one is not paying attention, my containers were labeled.
My meal came in at about $20, and for that I got enough food to fill me up plus the feeling that the people who prepared it but some thought into it. This is very nice and what The Ritz should continue to be known for.
Located at 421 St. John Street, The Ritz is open for lunch and dinner. In additionl to sandwiches and salads, they have a nice selection of cakes and baked goods.