Ruby's City Cafe

Today we went into Ashby (population 570) around 12:30. We saw a cafe on main street and decided to have lunch. There were only a couple of cars in front so were a little sceptical. We entered into a cafe right out of yesteryear. A long narrow room with the old counter, old cash register, pie & pastry display cases along one wall and the old high backed wood booths on the opposite wall. It even had the old pale green 3 or 4 cup malt maker to make malts with. We sat down when the waitress came to serve us she said today's specials are meatloaf or roast beef and if that doesn't interest you I will bring you a menu. I decided to order the meatloaf and Nancy ordered the roast beef. When we went to what looked like an ordinary small town cafe salad bar what a surprise we got. There was the bowl of lettuce and usual salad salad dressings along with 9 other bowls of various home made salads and a bowl of watermelon & cantaloupe squares. I believe it was the best salad bar I have been at in many years. She brought the desert and set it down before the meal was ready it was a banana walnut cake with a chocolate cream swirled on it and a dark chocolate syrup swirled across that. It was a very pretty desert but my least favorite part of the meal because of the walnuts. She then brought out this plate with a huge serving of meat loaf, 1/2 roasting ear and mashed potatoes. Nancy makes the best meat loaf of anyone I know but this was even better than hers. She had two large thick slices of roast beef that you could cut with your fork that just melted in your mouth along with the potatoes and corn. Each meal was only $8 and change. This just goes to show what you can find in a small town. After that we drove south on SR78 and then west to the town of Elbow Lake through the rolling hills with small lakes, corn & soybean field and tree covered coulees. From there we went north on US 59 to Fergus Falls passing through flatter terrain covered with large fields of corn and soy beans and a occasional sugar beet field. Then east on SR 210 back into the rolling hills lakes and smaller farms to the town of Battle Lake. Then back south through mostly wooded hills and many lakes to Ashby and on south to the RV park on SR78.