It’s a bit of a change for James Ryback. He’s used to customers doubling down before dinner.
Now, they’ll most likely double up on the food from the Zagat-rated Vivo Seasonal Trattoria he oversees among his new duties as director of restaurants for Marriott Hartford Downtown, located at 200 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford.
Ryback, a Salem resident, most recently worked as general manager of Fred & Steve’s Steakhouse located at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I., where he designed the staff training program, developed and maintained the restaurant’s menu and extensive wine list, and oversaw marketing efforts. One thing Ryback won’t miss about that job is the 90-minute commute each way.
“That started to grind on me. Now it’s only a half hour,” he said.
Now, he faces a different grind. The food service operations he oversees, including in-room dining and the Crush Lounge, serves up to 1,200 meals a week from breakfast to dinner and late-night room service. There is also the challenge of maintaining Vivo’s Zagat rating.
 “It was fantastic walking into that,” he said. “With the Zagat rating we have to provide excellent service all the time.”
Another designation important to Ryback, 38, is the restaurant’s award of excellence from Wine Spectator magazine. “I really wrapped my arms around that … and want to try and raise the bar even higher and provide the best restaurant in the city. You can always be knocked off. My job is to make sure we maintain these accolades year after year.”
Ryback has a fairly simple philosophy for running a top-rated restaurant.
 “I treat it more or less like it’s my own home,” he said, explaining that’s why Vivo only uses last-day catch of fish and buys local produce for sustainability and freshness.
 “We’re very particular about the food we serve,” he said.
One of the biggest challenges Ryback faces is getting people to overcome the stereotype that hotels have lousy restaurants. He said it’s part of his responsibility to let people know Vivo is a top-rated restaurant, even if it is in a hotel. “We want people to think of Vivo in its own right and not just Vivo inside the Hartford Marriott.”
Ryback views this as a good time to be in downtown Hartford.
“I’m very excited about being here with the revitalization going on and the Science Museum next door,” he said.
