Bruce Ruth, 73, Purveyor of a Dish Only for the Heartiest
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Bruce Ruth, whose northern Colorado saloon became a magnet for motorcyclists and other curious travelers willing to sample “Rocky Mountain oysters,” died August 23 at his home in Severance, Co. He was 73.
Rocky Mountain oysters, the sliced-up, breaded and deep-fried strips of meat served with dipping sauce, have nothing to do with saltwater mollusks. Not for the squeamish, they’re the testicles of male calves, castrated to enhance their beef development.
The decidedly Western fare has been a popular menu item for decades at Bruce’s Bar in Severance.
“That’s our calling card at the restaurant,” said Guffy, who had worked for Ruth as a cook and bartender since 1974. “He’s the one who really got the town of Severance on the map because of the Rocky Mountain oysters.”
Inspired by a friend who served “turkey oysters” at a party, Ruth started offering his variation as an appetizer in the late 1950s.
“We used to put them out on Friday afternoon for free,” he recalled several years ago. “That went over real well. So I started to put them out all day Friday. Then all weekend. Then any day you walked in the door, they were on the menu.”
At first, Ruth trolled local meatpacking plants for the spare parts, but after they caught on he lined up a steady supply from cattle ranchers in New Zealand and Costa Rica.
Ruth’s regular clientele of farmhands, cowboys, hunters and motorcyclists at the honky-tonk bar feasted on up to 4,000 pounds of the downhome delicacy per month. He trademarked his version, branding them “Bruce’s World Famous Rocky Mountain Oysters.” People magazine, as well as TV, radio and newspaper reporters from around the world, came calling.
A native of nearby Evans, Colo., Ruth served on the Severance town council. With hunting buddies from the Ducks Unlimited organization, Ruth helped restore wetlands that attracted migratory Canada geese.
In a few weeks there will be a dedication to Ruth at an annual motorcycle rally that for 25 years has drawn thousands of bikers to Severance, as the motto goes, “Where the geese fly and the bulls cry.”
