text: Amateur Hour How Dinner Could Have Gone Terribly Wrong But Somehow Ended Up Being Rock SolidnnThe setting New Years Eve six of the clock South Tempe and AhwatukeenThe players The ravenous Mr Man and Me a Black Mitsubishi Montero on a missionnnGranted going out for dinner on New Years Eve is by and large a mistake Holidays are the times when it is most likely the stresses placed on the kitchen and wait staff may result in frazzled service and a less than savory dining experience But ramen for dinner was out of the question I have tried to keep that survival food to a minimum since graduating So what is a gal to do nnHop into the hooptyville and cruise in search of something better than soggy shoestrings Does not sound like much of a challenge at first until our two players realize that it is New Years Even and they are pretty fucked for A Places that still have seats open cuz all the smart folks made reservations B Places that are open at all cuz nobody wants to work when there is bubbly to be had and C Places other than hour greasy spoons cuz even fast food joints close on New Years Evenn minutes elapse in which our players dart in and out of establishments encountering option A drive by potential restaurants while encountering option B and almost succumb to option C Enter Ruffinos a humble little Italian Restaurant located in a strip mall dangerously close to the suburbs of Ahwatukee nnSo we saunter up and politely wait our turn for the hostess to be free Two No we did not make reservations And the flibbertigibbet proceeds to seat two parties milling around us without even informing us whether dining there was a possibility Again she turns to us Do you have an open table for two No we did not make reservations Again she proceeds to seat others Lots and lots of othersnnOh no you did not just rouse the bitch from her slumber The pursed lips raised eyebrow and death stare begin to surface Mr Man senses the subtle change Do you just want to go and find somewhere else to eatnnA cold calculating response with an edge sharp enough to cut the horrid poodle hair off the twit that is been snubbing us spews out I cannot recall what it was exactly The vitriol clouds memory often with good reasonnnThen our savior a tux dressed waiter out of stage left greets us with a smile and ushers us to a table for two in the bar area The bitch circles three times before settling down for a snooze so Erica can enjoy a nice meal with Mr MannnSince it was a busy holiday they only had three seating times and a truncated menu but that just makes it easier for an indecisive gal like me to make up my mind Mr Man goes with his favorite the Veal Marsala I opt for the Veal Ruffino prosciutto and mushrooms sauteed in a tarragon brandy cream sauce layered over veal medallions Yes I eat poor caged baby cows And I do it because they taste goooooood My meal was perfection with a side of al dente rigatoni in marinara and perfectly steamed petite julienne vegetables The marsala was not as stellar but I am not the one that had to consume it so to each their own nnThe meal came with garlic bread which was respectable and a salad that was delish Their house vinagrette was rockin We also decided to kick off the evening with a bottle of chardonnay that was chilled in one of them thingys that stands by your table nnThere were balloons and streamers and live entertainment in the form of a super stellar pitch perfect showman all tuxed out and belting out classics while playing the piano Cutesy couples were even requesting songs and dancing with their sweeties Aww The sap in me just melts See that puddle of goo at your feet That is me Do not step in itnnThere was also a nice program they were running that night where they would take you home for a flat rate of bucks within a mile radius so you did not ring in the New Year with a DUI Now that is classnnI do not know if I would ever go back here again leetle on the pricey side at bucks for an entree but if you are in the area and looking for a dining experience rather than straight calories hit it up