Today , the corner of Chestnut and Forest is , once again , the neighborhood hub . Around noon , kids from Montclair High School start drifting in for lunch — they can get a slice , a drink and a freshbaked chocolate chip cookie for $ 4 — and they ’ re back again after school , giving Perretti hugs , then sitting in groups , chatting , on their phones , playing with Dungeons and Dragons cards . The owners are cool with that , even though the kids don ’ t tend to be big spenders . “ From the beginning , we let them know they were welcome if they were respectful , and got them hooked on our pizza and mac ’ n ’ cheese ,” she says . Word of mouth spread from kids to their parents , who themselves got hooked on the barbecue and stayed for the music .
To Perretti , who doesn ’ t have children of her own , the local kids are more than a marketing vehicle . She ’ s an active supporter of the Montclair-based nonprofit Jazz House Kids ; young musicians perform at Ruthie ’ s every August before their appearance at the jazz festival . She also provides lunches to the Montclair Coop school across the street ; their art students provided the colorful mosaic murals that adorn Ruthie ’ s outdoor walls . “ I love the kids ,” Perretti says . “ It was the kids who saved us .”
Of course , the real secret to the success of Ruthie ’ s is the food . Despite his fancy bona fides , Eric has always had an aversion to fussy food . His “ slow-smoked ” barbecue — pulled pork or chicken , chopped brisket — is the real deal , and comes with 11 dipping sauce options , including tarragon-Dijon and roasted garlic-rosemary . Everything down to the mayo is house made . “ Eric can ’ t open a bottle or jar ,” laughs Perretti .
HANGING OUT ( Top ) Montclair High students drop by ; ( Above ) Eric Kaplan and Ruth Perretti .
“ He just can ’ t do it .”
In season , their produce comes from the couple ’ s family farm in western New Jersey , where Perretti grows tomatoes , jalapenos , garlic and zucchini . Sides are Southerninspired and spiced with sophistication : collard greens with burnt ends ; cornmeal crusted fried okra , hush puppies . As befits Ruthie ’ s open-door policy , non-meat eaters are welcome , with smoked salmon cakes and four salads , including one with warm goat cheese , walnuts , apples and sherry vinaigrette . Even the dogs leave satisfied , thanks to the $ 3 Lulu pork shoulder bone , named after Perretti ’ s beloved dachshund . And the pizza pies are more than an afterthought : 18-inch thin crispy discs with foodiefriendly toppings like caramelized onion , jalapeno , pesto , fennel , Texas sausage and asiago cheese .
The fitting accompaniment to Ruthie ’ s down-home food is the live music — blues , bluegrass , funk , R & B — every Friday and Saturday evening from late spring through fall . On warm weekend evenings , the corner of Chestnut and Forest , a residential neighborhood just down the street from Montclair High School , vibrates with energy as families with young kids , some with the family dog in tow , fill the metal tables that line the sidewalk .
Dusk brings an influx of adults jockeying for prime tables on an elevated platform facing the pit by Ruthie ’ s back door , where musicians are tuning their guitars . After placeholding tables , steps and ledges with brown-bagged bottles , patrons order food inside and return to mingle and meet neighbors , passing around plastic cups and communal corkscrews .
Soon , waitresses are weaving in and out of the tables , the kitchen ’ s screen door slamming behind them , delivering soul food on Styrofoam . As night falls , a kitschy neon Ruthie ’ s sign glows and fairy lights twinkle , the musicians start to jam , the families with young kids drift home , and the music and the night take over .
Eric is a talented guitarist with deep roots in the local music scene who can draw top musicians ; sometimes he ’ ll take a break from kitchen duties to jam along with them .
“ Ruthie ’ s grew out of the places that make us happy , with simple food done right and the roots music that shaped Eric as a musician ,” says Perretti . Judging from the scene on the corner of Chestnut and Forest , that combination makes a lot of other people happy , too . ■
MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE BACK TOSCHOOL 2018
33