“That’s my friend, Irishman. And the answer to your question is yes. You fight for me, you get to kill the English.”
REUBEN REPORT: Nate n’ Als
Nate n’ Al of Beverly Hills Delicatessen, located in the heart of (you guessed it) Beverly Hills shopping district, offers a dining experience rare in these times of ours: an old school Jewish deli that isn’t freezing cold, doesn’t smell too much of meats, and isn’t decorated like a nursing home. Don’t get me wrong, the place is old and old people go there, but its particular kind of outdated decor and orange/brown-ish color palette fits more in the realm of a classic 50s coffee shop or diner, which I find much more cozy than your average Jewish deli. It’s the kind of place you want to go to on a late Sunday morning. Or on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Or whenever the Beast Within craves its prey. Nate n’ Al have been satisfying that beast since 1945, dominating the 90210 zip code with their pastrami sandwiches and welcoming heart.
Now, having heard “Youhaveto go to Nate n’ Als” from countless deli enthusiasts the moment I set foot in Los Angeles, I had high expectations entering my first dining experience at this legendary cutlet hub, and this was years ago, before the becoming of ReubenHeart. I recall thinking that, while all ingredients were top-notch, there was a lacking in the proportioning of the elements, namely, the thing was 95% meat. Yum, but not a perfect Reuben. Would Nate n’ Al redeem their once mildly disappointing first tasting? Let’s find out…
Wow. Helluva Reuben. Everything was wonderful. When it arrived, it actually looked a bit small to me, but, as I would soon find out, it was a densely packed sandwich. While no Reuben makes for a light lunch, this one sat quite heavy. In the end, I appreciated its size. If it had been of Langer’s or Brent’s proportion, I might have gone comatose. (In fact, the two associates with whom I dined did take 3-hour naps after the meal.) Overall, ingredient proportion was spot-on, and it was grilled very nicely. This Reuben, I can say with clarity and confidence, sits in the pantheon of greats. It’s not a club with many members, and while it wouldn’t be king among them, it’s certainly in the top tier of Reubens worldwide. If I’m gonna get picky, a few things that might have made it better: 1. Russian came on the side. I prefer it spread onto the bread prior to the grilling process. 2. The meat was stacked flat, which was what made for the aforementioned density. I prefer less order in the application of the meat in the sandwich construction. Less-so a neat stack, more-so a slice of meat folded here and there, so as to highlight the tenderness of the meat rather than challenge it. 3. No grilled melty-greasy-Russian-Kraut-Swiss mess on the back crust (I have to come up with a name for this element). Also a result of the relative neatness of the sandwich, though I find this particular aspect in a Reuben to be elusive even among the best.
Meat: 9.0/10
Cheese: 7.5
Sauerkraut: 7.5
Bread: 9.0
Russian Dressing: 7.5
Grill factor: 9.0
Construction: 9.2
Overall: 9.0
Additional note: Onion rings were dynamite.
The Return
Hello Dear Readers,
As many of you know, the winter has been long and I’ve been away on sabbatical again. Apart from the incident with the cave bear and having been marooned off the coast of the Canary Islands for a few days, I am happy to report my studies with the monks have proven fruitful and enlightening. Dare I say, the ReubenHeart has grown stronger.
But enough of these bland tales, let us return to the MEAT of the matter.
You know of which meat I speak…
Reuben meat.
REUBEN REPORT - Chili Addiction
I ordered the Reuben. My food arrives. And here is what I got:
Let’s take a closer look at this thing.
There must be some mistake here. Let’s take a look at the menu again:
Now, Chili Addiction specializes in chili. Hot dogs and sausages, too. I can’t recall seeing another sandwich on the menu. Naturally I thought their, ehem, bold “best Reuben in LA” declaration to be highly suspect. Additionally, the use of a french roll, cheddar cheese and what appears to be onions for sauerkraut is enough to disturb even the most naive Reuben enthusiast.
I took a bite and shook my head. Nope. Wrong. All of it so very wrong. Let’s just say this, um, “sandwich” of theirs, is a confused mess entirely its own thing. I’m certain there’s not another like it across the whole country, which I suppose means originality points can be given (and they are, see below). I honestly don’t know what to say. I guess I can’t call it one of the worst Reubens I’ve ever had. But that’s because it wasn’t really a Reuben to begin with. Poor thing never even had a chance.
Never send peasants to do a knight’s job.
Meat: 5.0/10
Cheese: 1.0
Sauerkraut: BAD
Bread: 0.3
Russian Dressing: ??
Grill factor: 0.0
Construction: 1.5 (1.5 for thinking outside the box)
Overall: 2.1
At least they spelled it correctly. Also, the mustard seed condiment was interesting.
REUBEN REPORT - Izzy’s Deli
Located on Wilshire Boulevard in the sassy, sexy heart of seaside Santa Monica, not only would you think Izzy’s Deli is primed to advertise itself as the choice delicatessen for celebrities, you’d also be right! Self-proclaimed “Deli to the Stars!”, Izzy’s Deli has been serving up sandwiches to the West Side since 1973 with round-the-clock 24-hour service, which proves extremely convenient if you’re prone to sleepwalking for Reubens (you know who you are out there! (I’m not innocent either :P)).
Now, down to the nitty-gritty details you’re practically slobbering over as I write this. It was served quickly, which I appreciated, having arrived with a decent appetite. Meat was decent, cheese standard delisch, kraut standard acceptable, bread quite nice, Russian standard delisch (though on the side), grill factor a solid success… And the sandwich construction, you ask? A home run. Izzy’s didn’t mess with what works, and I can salute them for that. It was solid, but I can’t go much beyond that. It wasn’t divine, but it satisfied the need.
Meat: 7.8/10
Cheese: 7.0
Sauerkraut: 6.0
Bread: 8.3
Russian Dressing: 7.5
Grill factor: 8.5
Construction: 8.7
Overall: 7.8
