Episode LVII: Dolli's Diner (OCH)

The Ranger has made a quiet comeback. I didn’t tell anyone about the last post when I came out of retirement. Word got out. Apparently, people still check on it and noticed the new Episode. I’ll keep things pretty low-key and see what comes of the reincarnation of the Ranger.  

I found myself in Nacogdoches, Texas on a “Danny and Dad Adventure”. We used to do these all the time when I still had flight benefits, and they’ve always been a great excuse for us to travel and spend time together.  Nacogdoches has been on the short list for a long time, and with Danny taking Texas history this year, it seemed like the perfect time to go. 

When I asked friends for recommendations in Nacogdoches, they all said the same thing - Dolli’s Diner. They had a Reuben and I knew it was time for the next episode. 

REUBEN: 

“corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese on rye ”

Appearance – (3.9/5.0)

Good toasting on the bread. There was some concern when I saw the kraut to meat visual ratio. It is usually a mound of meat or melty cheese that captures the eye. Tots look great! 

Quality of Ingredients – (3.8/5.0)

Sometimes with diners the menus can get too big and it’s hard to do everything well. This might be the case at Dolli’s.The breakfast items looked great. I could see the staff taking what I think was homemade cream cheese and putting it into individual portion bins. With all of that going on, it looks like this was a Sysco-truck Reuben. I don’t get the sense any of the ingredients were made in-house, especially the sauerkraut.  

Price – (4.3/5.0)

$11. Not bad for a good size sandwich and some tots. The location is also prime real estate, right on the square downtown. It was well staffed and felt like a reasonable price for everything. 

Je Ne Sais Quoi – (4.2/5.0)

Dolli’s Diner was our first stop when we got into Nacogdoches. There was a wait so we walked around the historic town square and took it all in. The process to take names was low-tech: a hostess stand and a notebook. The dining area had exposed brick and some retro Betty Boop memorabilia. Overall, a great local place. 

Taste – (7.9/10.0)

Sauerkraut has a strong flavor and should be handled with caution. This was not the case here. Sauerkraut is an essential flavor for a Reuben but many places are scared to deal with it so it’s often the first ingredient to be substituted out. Losing the sauerkraut is the first step in going from a classic reuben to a Reuben in Name Only (RINO). The lesson here is if you are going to use sauerkraut, it has to be good and it has to be in proper balance with the other ingredients. Both of these were issues for this sandwich, and it was hard for me to get past it.   

Overall – (24.1/30.0)

Would I order it again? No. Would I go back to Dolli’s? Yes. The breakfast items looked delicious and Danny really liked what he got. It looks like a wonderful community hangout and I would recommend it to anyone passing through town – just stick to the breakfast menu.

Episode LVI: The Meat Store (DFW)

So, what did I miss?

It’s been awhile, friends. Episode LV was posted in 2017; life had changed, and I knew it was time to retire the Ranger. Fast forward 7 years and life has changed again — more than I would have ever thought possible. After talking about it for years, I finally made the career move to start teaching full time. I had no idea “Teach High School Math” was even on my bingo card. Through the power of God’s grace, this fall I will be teaching pre-calc and stats at Jesuit Dallas, and it’s a dream come true to be back in a Jesuit classroom. 

Life has changed again: I just turned 40 and have found myself catapulted into what I thought was a long-shot position that may never materialize, albeit in an unlikely subject. It feels like the right time to bring the Reuben Ranger out of retirement. (That and we could all use a little more pastrami in our lives.)

I went online and started looking for a place worthy of getting back on the horse. The Meat Shop looked promising so here we go! 

REUBEN: 

“Our House-Made Wagyu Pastrami on Thick-Cut Marbled Rye with Our House-Pickled Red Onions, Swiss, and Thousand Island Dressing”

Appearance – (4.1/5.0)

Tidy wrapping. I opted to dine in, and this is how they bring it to your table. 

Once you open the wrapping, the halves are stacked nicely so you can appreciate the grill marks on the bread and a not-overwhelming amount of meat. I think the presentation goes well with the “Meat Shop” brand — this is not a place for cute garnish. There is meat in here and it is going to taste good. 

Quality of Ingredients – (4.8/5.0)

This is what they’re going for. The meat looked great, even when they were taking it out of the walk-in. They have a butcher shop display case with all the different meats they sell so you can enjoy some carnivorous eye candy while you wait.

Price – (4.2/5.0)

$14. When I started this blog, it was fairly easy to find a Reuben for less than $10. That was then, this is now. Inflation is real and we all know those days are long gone. Given the quality of the ingredients and the fact that it came with chips and a drink, I think this is a pretty good deal.

Je Ne Sais Quoi – (4.3/5.0)

The Meat Shop is a great little spot. Very unassuming with a tiny parking lot. There’s a nice picnic area out back with a view of the walk-in and smoker. 

Taste – (9.3/10.0)

The first thing I noticed was the meat. The menu online says something different than the paper menu above. Online it says “Brisket Pastrami”. I assume that means they pickled the meat like pastrami but then smoked it instead of the traditional methods of steaming or boiling. It had a great texture and tasted like it had been smoked. That or I was sitting too close to the meat smoker? The next thing I noticed was the house-pickled red onions. It’s an interesting substitute for sauerkraut. It works really well with everything else on the sandwich. Very tasty all the way around. 

Overall – (26.7/30.0)

Would I order it again? Yes. Part of the Reuben’s mystique is that it carries such a high opportunity cost. There is a Brisket Hoagie on the menu that is known as the “Life-Changer”. (Side note: I really appreciate their liberal use of the hyphens on the menu. Lynee Truss is smiling somewhere.) I would absolutely order this Reuben again, but maybe not on my next trip. I really want to try that Brisket Hoagie, and when I do, maybe I’ll come back and edit this section. 

Overall, fantastic Reuben! I’m excited to be back in the game.