Episode XLI: Food 101 (ATL)

The Hoppy Monk is going to be tough to beat, but nevertheless, we press on. There are some fancy lunch places in Atlanta, and sometimes a nice restaurant and fancy ingredients can allow you to let your guard down when ordering a Reuben.  The Reuben at Food101 fell short on something you wouldn’t think could trip up a Reuben.

I have to say, I was in a good mood on my way there. President’s Day Weekend 2016 was going quite well for me.

-          Friday was Profit Sharing Day

-          Saturday we took Danny to a birthday party for a girl in his class. He was the only boy invited. No big deal…

-          Sunday we went to the bar to see Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City 2-1 and my wife let me count this outing as our Valentine’s Day date!

Monday I was off work and one of my wife’s friends from college happened to be in town. She asked if we wanted to meet up at Food 101 in Buckhead. I checked the menu, and when I saw that they had a Reuben, I said yes.

NY Style Reuben
“House Made Pastrami, Sauerkraut, Gruyere, 1000 Island, Marble Rye ”

Appearance – (3.7/5.0)

We have a situation here where they are trying too hard to fit something into the sleek plate design.   Doesn’t it look like they plated the fries first, then one half of the sandwich, and then the poor guy didn’t know what to do with the other half?

“Hey Charlie, is this how I’m supposed to plate this?”

“Looks good to me!”

You really lose some of the magic of the marble rye when you only see half of it. Then you are trying to find images in each half. Do you see the Robin?

The ketchup is also not great. Look at the dimple in the middle of the cup.  That tells me they squirted from a bottle anyways.  If that is the case, just put the bottle on the table and use the extra space for more fries!

Quality Of Ingredients – (4.0/5.0)

The house-made pastrami was a solid cut of meat for sure. What caught my eye about this Reuben was the Gruyere, and I have to say it worked well. The marble rye was nothing special and there will be more on that later

Price – (3.8/5.0)

$14! We are in Buckhead here and some people might say that this is a reasonable price. I’m sure lots of time went into making the house-made pastrami, but it still seems a bit steep. A 3.8 is not a horrible score, but I don’t think it’s a great value.

Je Ne Sais Quoi – (4.0/5.0)

The Reuben actually earned a decent JNSQ score, and I think it was the Gruyere. Maybe this is evidence that restaurateurs out there are trying to game the system by adding fancy, French-sounding ingredients to boost their JNSQ scores. In this case it worked.

Other than the new cheese, there wasn’t much left to the imagination when it came to this Reuben.

Taste – (7.8/10.0)

Not horrible by any means but there were some flaws. First off, there was way too much butter on the bread. I know why places do this. It gives the bread some flavor and color when you put it on the flattop, but I think they were heavy handed here. I could not really taste the rye in the bread and that is an important part of the Reuben equation.

Also, I thought the pastrami was just a bit too salty. Maybe that’s why they don’t feel the need to put the ketchup on the table. You already have all of the sodium you need.

Overall – (23.3/30.0)

Would I order it again? No. There were some other really good looking lunches on the table that I would try before going back to this sandwich, such as the fish tacos, crab cakes, or even something called the triple grind burger.

I liked the place and the company was even better. 

Episode XXXVIII: Candler Park Market (ATL)

And I’m back in the game! 

Budget season is behind us, finally. Right…  Jeff, Charith, could you please confirm that?

That means I can get back to the Reuben Ranger.  First though I have to give a shout out to a fan of the blog we lost this week. Don Giovanni, the family Golden Retriever, died this week back in El Paso.  That dog never met a stranger.  His father, Don Juan, also lived with us before he died 4 years ago. So the bloodline had been with the family for 15 years! We loved them so much and we know they loved us too, and anyone else that happened to be holding a tennis ball.

Back to the blog! A slow Friday at the office meant I was home at 4:00! The early arrival threw off Danny’s routine. He is usually so excited when I come home but he knows he gets to watch Sesame Street at 4:30 and sensed that my early arrival would somehow jeopardize that. He politely suggested I go back to work. So we let Danny watch the show, then we headed out to the Candler Park Market. I was looking online for a Reuben close to work and came across great reviews of this place instead. 

Here we go.

Reuben (Hot ‘n melty!)
“pastrami, swiss, kraut, 1000 island, spicy mustard”

Appearance – (4.4/5.0)

Clean cut, simple appearance here.

The small deli basket does not lend itself well to the middle cut shot.

 Here it is:

Wow!
Look at the kraut (I’m using their term from the menu). You may have noticed this Reuben had spicy mustard and it gives the kraut a jaundice tint.  It kind of looks like a Moons Over My Hammy, and I’m OK with that.

Quality Of Ingredients – (4.8/5.0)

I was very impressed with the quality all around, and not just in my Reuben. My wife had the Firehouse Italian and everything in there was top flight as well. What struck me first was the kraut. I asked the server behind the counter and she said it was sourced locally. She said, “If we don’t make it here, then we source it locally”.  

The kraut tasted like it came from an episode of My Grandmother’s Ravioli, old world. You need those slightly bitter and vinegary elements in a good Reuben. Some people don’t like this and that is why you usually see this part of the Reuben most commonly substituted for Cole Slaw or some other less offensive green. 

The 1000 Island was not quite as noticeable given the spicy mustard laced kraut but it was still a plus. They did a good job of constructing the Reuben by keeping the 1000 Island below the pastrami and the kraut above it. As a result of the 1000 island being on the bottom of the sandwich, you get some drops of it in the basket which made it easy for me to try it by itself. It was smooth and tangy, and our friend behind the counter confirmed that they make it in-house.  

Price – (4.7/5.0)

$7.25! That rounds down to 7! No complaints here. I think the portion size was just right for the price. The Firehouse Italian was $7.75 and also a great deal. The biggest value proposition might be that this place is in the back of a mini-mart. So you get your ticket from the deli and pay up front at the register. On the way to the front I picked up some BBQ chips for Danny (“Orange Chips”) and the three of us shared a huge fountain drink. Take that Bloomberg! So instead of restaurant margin pricing on the drinks you get 7-11 big gulp value pricing.

Je Ne Sais Quoi – (4.6/5.0)

This place is a Deli counter in the back of a neighborhood mini-mart, and by counter I mean counter. There are no tables. There are some stools at the counter and that is it. Like most of the ITP neighborhoods in Atlanta, Candler Park has some nice parts and some not so nice parts. This mini-mart was a microcosm of the neighborhood. The aisle with the chips and cereal is a nice up-and-coming part of the store but if you go over two blocks to the cheap wine aisle, yikes… You may not want to walk home down that way. You have to take the good with the bad and that is part of charm of living ITP.

Taste – (9.6/10.0)

Classic Reuben taste and it really was Hot ‘n melty! The cheese was flowing over the side and I got to have a few bites that were just melty cheese. The pastrami was thick cut and I think it worked well here. You got some substance in the meaty bites. It was warm but not falling apart tender. Sometime you get meat that is so thin and so tender you don’t even have to chew. I think this goes back to my Texas brisket roots, you need some thick warm cuts of meat to really enjoy the flavor. 

Overall – (28.1/30.0)

Would I order it again? Yes! It was a great way to get back into the blog. This is really the essence of what this blog is all about. It is an adventure to find gems in the back of a neighborhood mini-mart.  The Mean Green sounds awesome too for my next meat-less Monday.

Well done Candler Park Market! 

Episode XXXVI: Bagel Palace (ATL)

My friends, it has been too long.

First I have to apologize to Flat Branch Pub & Brewing in Columbia, MO. I had a great Reuben there back in March but did not get around to writing the formal review.  Things at work have been hectic lately but we are finally adding some staff so I should have my life back soon.

A Friday off from work seemed like the perfect time to get back in the game and try another Reuben around town. The Bagel Palace is pretty well known in the Reuben community of Atlanta.  I was not sure what to expect as the reviews for this place on line are hit or miss.

45. Corned Beef Reuben
This is all the menu says.  Apparently, no introduction is necessary for this Reuben. I think this is this first Reuben on this blog that did not have any kind of description.

Appearance – (3.5/5.0)

No frills here.  This place seems to go out of its way to avoid any flare. Even when I ordered Danny a hotdog off the kid menu our server said she just needed the number. Ok. Could I please have a #5?

The one bit of flare was the florescent lime green shirt our server had on. Other than that, this plate sums up the appearance of the whole restaurant.

Look how good it could look with just a tiny bit of effort.

This is the same sandwich!

Quality Of Ingredients – (3.7/5.0)

I don’t have a good place to start. There was no description! If a restaurant tells me there is homemade 1000 island dressing I will get excited about it. Is there something special about the cured Corned Beef? Couldn’t tell you. Maybe this is an indictment on the sophistication of my palate. I’m at a loss here.

Let this be a lesson to all of those restaurateurs out there, you can plant seeds! If you get your clients excited based on what is in the menu, maybe the food will taste better.

There were no obvious weak links but nothing really stood out either.

Price – (3.2/5.0)

$10.69? That is real money. I can look around and tell there is not a whole lot of money going into maintenance and overhead. It looks like the decoration budget didn’t get approved this year. I am not sure why $10.69 is the right number. 

Sometimes you go to a bar for trivia or to watch a game and you pay $8 for a beer but you are ok with that because you are essentially paying rent for the bar stool. You are paying for the satellite bill that is letting you watch the game.  When I saw $10.69 I kept looking around to see what else I was paying for.

Je Ne Sais Quoi – (2.7/5.0)

I was thoroughly disappointed when it came to the JNSQ of this place. The space was tired and dated. There was nothing welcoming about the environment; there were no decorations on the walls.

Oddly enough I think they might like it this way. There were lots of elderly couples eating there that seemed to know the server by name. One of them even told our server he wouldn’t see her tomorrow because he was going to spend the 4^th of July with his grand-kids. If the target demographic likes good food with  no frills, then more power to them.

Taste – (8.6/10.0)

The taste itself was not bad. No crazy reinterpretations of the dish, it was just a straight up Reuben. I think the sauerkraut could have had a bit more kick but overall it was good execution.

Overall – (21.7/30.0)

Would I order it again? No.  If I happen to be in the neighborhood and I need a place to pick up some bagels I would come back. We did get a few bagels to go and they were pretty good. Are they better than the Einstein Bros Bagels across the street? I don’t know.

A restaurant does not have to be all things to all people. This place seems to be doing just fine serving old school food to a very loyal client base. I am glad I took the time to see and experience it for myself.

Onwards!

Episode XXIX: Bennett’s Market & Deli (ATL)

It has been a while since my last post but it was not for lack of effort. I tried to order a Reuben at the Brewhouse Café during a US World Cup game. The place was too crowded and I ended crossing the street to buy a taquito at 7-11. A few weeks after that I had been bumped to first class on my flight from ATL to ELP and they were serving Reubens! By the time the flight attendant got to me they were out and I had to order the Asian chicken salad. So the month of June came and went without a Reuben Ranger blog post.

Back to today. My wife and I had been meaning to try Bennett’s Market & Deli. They dropped a flyer on our front porch and I had driven by it a few times. They claim to be “Your Neighborhood Market”. Grant Park is already a great neighborhood but imagine if I could add a go-to deli within walking distance.  

Classic Reuben"Corned beef on marble rye with melted swiss cheese, sauerkraut & russian dressing”

Appearance – (3.8/5.0)

There is nothing crazy going on here; low risk, low reward. The construction seems to be neat and contained. When you get up close you can see the caraway seeds in the rye.

If the marbling in the rye were an ink blot, I don’t know what my answer would be. Maybe this is the control slide they put out before they show you the butterfly.

Quality Of Ingredients – (4.3/5.0)

The traditional deli counter display lets you see all the different meats. It looks like an old-world deli and the quality of meat lived up to the expectations. The corned beef had enough body and flavor to stand up to the rest of the sandwich. One ingredient I don’t talk about much in this section is the Swiss cheese.  This one had thick cut cheese and it was very good. Too often the Swiss cheese is just a box to check but it can really add something. The sauerkraut was lacking kick.

Price – (4.1/5.0) 

It was $7.99 for the “Atlanta” ¼ lb Reuben and $0.99 for the chips. It is not cheap but considering it is a mom-and-pop I think it is reasonable. They also do a good job of making the meal an experience. There is a bevy of imported specialty foods all around the store. I even had a Mexican Coke with my Reuben. It was fun to walk around and see everything they had while I waited for my food. I factor all of this into the score.

Je Ne Sais Quoi – (4.5/5.0)  

I really liked this little place. It makes me happy to know it is in the neighborhood and is doing well.  The lady behind the counter was very nice and even came out to play with Danny when we were done eating. It has only been open since 2013 but has the old country charm. There is exposed brick and ductwork.   

The sandwich itself was interesting as well. It had been put on the press just long enough to toast the bread and melt the cheese but not long enough to warm up the meat. I thought it was genius. Foodies talk about contrasting colors and textures all the time but not so much temperatures.

Taste – (8.8/10.0)

This Reuben had lots of things going for it but not enough to break into the 9s. Most notably lacking was the sauerkraut. New-age Reubens like to substitute out the potent sauerkraut for more universally accepted coleslaw. This sauerkraut was lacking the strong vinegar taste Reuben fans have come to love. The Russian dressing was also muted. The corned beef and Swiss was enough to make this a very good Reuben but it could have been even better.

Overall – (25.5/30.0)

Would I order it again? Yes. My wife had the BLT and it was good but the Reuben was good enough where I would forgo my other options. Maybe next time I'll try the Greek salad, but the next time I order a sandwich, it will be the Reuben. 

Episode XXVI: Ri Ra (ATL)

One of the greatest things about Atlanta is that it’s an ACC city. I mean that in the literal sense because we have Georgia Tech, although you would never know it walking around town.  SEC polos, hats, license plates, and doggie t-shirts outnumber the ACC gear by probably 3:1.  As a UVA graduate I appreciate having Tech here because that means I get to see my Hoos frequently.  This beautiful spring Saturday brought the UVA Men’s Tennis team to town and I wanted to see if I could get a Reuben before the match. 

Props to RiRa and their PR team because when I typed in “Pub Midtown Atlanta” they are the first thing that popped up. I checked their menu and sure enough, they had a Reuben.

Publican Reuben
“house brined corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss, Marie Rose, grilled rye”

Appearance – (4.5/5.0)

Bravo! Just a little bit of effort on the presentation goes a long way. I like the long plate and the bread has an appealing brown crisp edge. Grilled rye can quickly turn into burned rye but this looks like they got it just right. This side shot looks even better with all of the Swiss coming out but wait! They missed a crumb.  

I have seen enough cooking shows to know that someone back there is supposed to take a napkin and clean the edge of the plate before it goes out.

Quality Of Ingredients – (4.6/5.0)

The house brined corned beef was no joke. The bartender told me they brine it for 36 hours in-house.  I know I have lauded other rye with a nice marble pattern but a good marble does not always mean good bread. This rye was absent the marble but did have the visible Caraway seeds. It was quality bread that was grilled well and held its own. The Marie rose tasted like it was made from scratch from high quality ingredients.  What goes into a Marie Rose sauce? I couldn’t tell you, but I like it.

Price – (4.0/5.0)

An even ten bucks for this Reuben and I think that is fair. The sandwich size is about right for that price and there were more fries than I could eat. What I did not like was six bucks for a pint of Stella. That made me feel like I was back in Boston.  I did appreciate the EPL games they had showing at the bar; however,  they do not have Gol TV much to the disappointment of a German couple at the bar hoping to catch a Bundesliga game.

Je Ne Sais Quoi – (4.2/5.0)

This was kind of a strange place to be at ~11:30 AM on a Saturday morning. The bar had a few soccer fans and the rest of the place was packed with what looked like a young Asian business professionals networking event.  Couple that with the dim Irish pub lighting and it was interesting for sure.  I would love to come back to this place on a weekend night. You cannot beat the location right in the heart of midtown and it is big enough where you could get a good size group. Actually, $6 pints may push this to the last stop of the night where you just order a club soda before you call Uber and enjoy the crazy people around you.

Taste – (9.4/10.0)

The beef in this Reuben looked like it could have gone into a brisket sandwich back home in Texas. It was not thin deli slices but rather big rustic cuts of meat. It still had the classic corned beef taste but the bigger cuts really let the meaty flavor come through.  I think the bigger chunks also keep more of the natural juices in the meat. The Swiss cheese was plentiful and great but the Marie Rose sauce was subtle. It was a little pleasant surprise each time you would get a taste.

Overall – (26.7/30.0)

Would I order it again? Yes. This was a solo trip so I don’t have anything else to immediately compare it to. The rest of the menu did look great but if there is a solid Reuben then there is little incentive to try anything else. The first time I go to anyplace that has a Reuben I will try it. If it is not good then I will explore other opportunities the next time. The risk to reward ratio for a repeat Reuben is optimal.

On a certain level this is what the Reuben Ranger is all about, mitigating risk for Reuben lovers.  Ordering a Reuben has a high opportunity cost because if you are somewhere that serves a Reuben you are foregoing either a burger or a club sandwich of some kind.  This risk is magnified by the fact that Reubens can really be hit or miss. The coefficient of variation on a Reuben has to be bigger than that of a pub burger. If I can help my readers avoid costly mistakes or even better realize gains with a reduced risk profile then I am doing my job. I am here to serve you.

Episode VIII: Goldberg's (ATL)

First off, Сәлем! to my readers in Kazakhstan. Web analytics are a great thing and it makes me happy to see folks from around the world checking the blog. This week we checked out Goldberg's Bagel and Deli in Buckhead. The place was packed when we walked in, always a good sign.


Brooklyn Reuben (Regular)"Lean Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese and Homemade Russian Dressing on Rye Bread"


Appearance - (2.9/5.0)
Not the most impressive thing to look at on a plate. Again, those toothpicks! There was a stray toothpick in MA's fries. Scary stuff. Also, check out that rogue fry on top of the sandwich. The pickle, I must say, is impressive and saved it from a lower score. Most of all, there is no marbling on the rye!

Quality of Ingredients - (4.8/5.0)
Maybe the folks at Goldberg's are not big on looks but they are on quality. The bread did not have marbling but did had great rye flavor thanks to the very visible Caraway seeds. The corned beef was tender and juicy. The dressing did taste homemade and mixed well with the flavor of the Swiss cheese.


Price - (3.9/5.0)
$10.95, Yikes! I guess this is the price you pay to have lunch Inside-The-Perimeter. It was a nice place and the portion was reasonable but for $10.95 they could have stacked a bit more beef on there. People seem to have no problem paying the price; we waited 20 minutes for a table. The guy in front of us in line knew the waitstaff by name.


Je Ne Sais Quoi - (4.7/5.0)
At first I was disappointed to not have marbling on the rye but the Caraway seeds made me quickly forget. What are those little things? Little flavor accents. What really boosted the JNSQ score was the fact that after the first bite, the sandwich was steaming. It was cold in there so that probably helped but it just looked like a pile of steaming goodness. I apologize for failing to document with a picture but I had my hands full with Danny Boy.


Taste - (9.7/10.0)
This sandwich really came together for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Almost all of the bites were perfect bites with a little bit of each component present. Each piece played its part. The taste more than made up for the look.


Overall - (26.0/30.0)
Getting to discover a sandwich and a place like this is what I had in mind when I started the blog. It was a classic Reuben with excellent execution. They did not have a high-chair, only a booster seat that Danny did not like. So I ate my Reuben one-handed. Other than that, I had a great time and  I will come back for sure to try the other variations of the Reuben.