One thing I would stress is not to avoid Ripe because you think it might be too upscale. The food is upscale, but the dining arrangement is about as casual as they come. Orders are made at the counter and the food is then brought to wherever you are sitting. Some people use Ripe as an Internet cafe, and as many people seem to come for the drinks, desserts, and appetizers as the meals. I look at Ripe mostly as a replacement for the grocery store delis that do not exist in El Paso, but are common in most other cities even as small as Lubbock or Midland. The only grocery stores that might compare in quality, though, are Sun Harvest (which does not have a deli) or Blue Sage (which closed, but the deli was reincarnated as International Deli).

I have a hard time classifying the food at Ripe. Most of my favorite items have been Italian or Italian inspired. I have not found as many American items that looked interesting enough to order, but there are a few choices available. I would not really say there is any Mexican food, but a few of the dishes look Southwest.

In Spring 2008 Ripe narrowed down the menu choices from the original concept of having variable and seasonal menus to offering a smaller number of items along with daily specials. Along with the menu change some of my favorite items were discontinued, including the veggie pizza that I thought was probably better than Ardovino's. The owner explained, though, that the smaller selection will help insure that everything can be freshly prepared with the best flavor possible. I know that it must have been difficult offering as many items as were available before.

Vegetable lasagna not only has good quality ingredients, but has a good balance of flavors

Vegetable Lasagna is one of the many dishes I have tried that was not on the regular menu, and is usually one of my favorite Italian dishes. The one at Ripe was probably noteworthy for the cheese--not versions at other restaurants were not good, but the one at Ripe tasted fresh with quality of cheese that probably went even beyond what I would purchase for home use. The tomato sauce tasted fresh, and the lasagna had a good texture and temperature. Lasagna, like all the main dishes, comes a la carte, so one or more side dishes might be recommended to go along with it.

Veggie pizza is piled high with fresh vegetables

Pizza is no longer served, but I am including it in case it is ever offered as a special. Most of the time pizza would be thought to be mainly a cheese dish, but the Veggie Pizza at Ripe was piled so high with fresh vegetables it really provided a greater vegetable to cheese ratio than the lasagna. This was a light, delicious pizza with a slight olive oil flavor, but mostly the vegetables were the main feature. Several other varieties were available with different types of meat or cheese, and pizzas were served in a 7" diameter (shown in the photo) or 12".

Stuffed chicken is becoming a popular dish

Stuffed Chicken looked quite innocuous in the display case, as if it were another ho-hum American dish. This chicken, though, wrapped around a vegetable and herb filling, not only aroused the taste buds, it aroused feelings of disappointment that I could find this type of flavor at so few other places. This was the type of chicken I remember from growing up when the supply link from the farm to the store was much shorter and mass production corporate farms were not the norm as they seem to be today. The seasoning made the chicken even more juicy and flavorful, for an overall experience that would have to be classified more as fine dining than simply "American food." So far I would have to say this has been my favorite dish.

An order of two Chicken Skewers from one of the special menus was also quite good, but the amount of meat was quite small compared to the stuffed chicken and other types of chicken dishes that are served. Still, with the fresh tomatoes, pineapple, and other veggies, I thought it was quite worthwhile (and I do not mind a small quantity of chicken if the vegetables are good).

Green beans are served a la carte

Green Beans were a side dish that I reluctantly accepted because the one I had wanted was already sold out. While these were garden fresh green beans, I thought the chefs went way overboard on the amount of garlic used for seasoning. It was to the point that not only did it have a strong garlic flavor, it also tasted very salty. I love Chinese style green beans, which are also very heavy on the garlic, but I think they also have some seasonings to balance things out that were not present in Ripe's version. The lasagna and other dishes had their share of garlic, but it was barely discernible compared to the green beans. Most things at Ripe have been so good, though, that I think they just had an off day with the green beans.

Asparagus, a vegetable that seems to be served frequently, has all the freshness and flavor I have experienced from the ones served fresh from the farm in the Midwest. Ripe uses an outstanding cooking technique that makes this vegetable just about perfect.

Couscous is a refreshing side dish with large sized semolina grains (Israeli style) and a light flavoring that is a good choice for eating with a meal or storing in the refrigerator for a later snack.

Veggie panini at Ripe

Panini sandwiches come with a variety of ingredients and excellent potato chips. The Veggie Panini made me agree that the sandwiches are one of Ripe's specialties. While many of the same vegetables were available on the pizza or lasagna, I liked the sandwich a little bit more.

Ripe usually has a daily dinner plate, but otherwise a meal is composed of individual items ordered separately. I usually find the dinner plates beyond my price range, and this is one of the reasons I have concentrated on the sandwiches and a la carte orders. I could not afford to get all my meals at Ripe, but it is well worth it when I want the best quality.

Ripe is also set up as a market, with everything served being available for take-out (and many items can be transported unheated so that you can warm and serve them at your convenience). Originally many of the items were stored in a display case, but I like the idea that much of the food is now prepared only when ordered. The "market" may seem rather skimpy now with only drinks, wine, desserts, and a few other items available, but the main courses are still available (you just cannot view them any more in the glass case).