I’m gonna go the other way with this one. I got a reuben on a pumpernickel bagel last week and they put thousand island and cream cheese and wet ass saurkraut on it and it was a soggy fucking mess and it ruined my lunch. I may never go back to that bagel place.
it’s a reuben; but that name is licensed so they call it a russian sandwich.
it’s near the museum of modern history in manhattan.
the corned beef is chunked out into thin-ish shards instead of sliced like all of the other reubens.
the saurkraut is homemade; thick; crunchy; and tart af and the rye is also homemade and super tangy. i suspect that they make the saurkraut the same way they make mexican style pickled jalapenos/carrots/onions/etc.
they also make their own dressing and it’s got a fantastic kick to it entirely due to the fact that the entire staff is mexican; no one speaks english and none of the patrons are wasp americans. (you’re not welcome if you can only speak english).
i haven’t had that sandwich since 2009 and i still crave and fantasize about it each time i want a delicious sandwich so good that it makes you lick your hands clean after you eat it.
i’ve stopped eating reubens because they pale so badly in comparison that it makes me angry to be reminded that i paid for such a THOROUGHLY mediocre alternative.
I didn’t know there was a museum of modern history in Manhattan, it sounds like a place I’d like to visit. Can you drop a link to its website? Unless you mean the museum of natural history? Or the museum of modern art?
Why can’t the U.S. buy decent sauerkraut at the store? Why must we make it ourselves or get awful kraut? Germany has a unique and delightful kraut for seemingly every town and village, but the U.S. has exactly one type from a handful of companies that all make it the same. Well, maybe two types if you count ‘canned’ but I don’t reckon that to be actual sauerkraut. What was the topic? Sandwiches? Well, if I could find a good kraut, I would spend my days trying to recreate a reuben-like masterpiece.
Did you check at Aldi’s or Lidl’s? Maybe they ship it over instead of selling the local stuff. Here its in little bags and lasts years unrefrigerated.
Is it any good? I used to like Lidl and Aldi breads before COVID, when you could slice it right there. They stopped that, and so I no longer had a reason to drive 5-10 miles out of my way to go there. I’d go back for a good sauerkraut, though.
I know I sound like a corporate shill, but check out Cleveland Kitchen brand sauerkraut. It’s not as good as homemade, but it’s worlds better than that nuclear waste found in the questionable meat aisle of the grocery store or the cans.
A local Italian place has a hot turkey sub with Swiss & banana peppers that comes with a side of fries. It has fresh tomatoes & lettuce and is soaked in extra virgin olive oil. It’s so fuckin’ good.
The perfect Summer sammy, and one that’s surprisingly contested as actual food:
Summer Tomato Sandwiches
- Lightly toast white bread. I like buttermilk-based ones.
- Add mayo, not miracle whip, MAYO(!) to taste.
- Add sliced tomatoes.
- Enjoy!
We had these growing up on really hot Summer days, the kind of day when it’s too hot to cook.
