Review of Smoked Meat Sandwich from Reuben's Deli in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Eh

Guest blogger Josh Dennis shares about his experience with a very good smoked meat sandwich in Quebec.

Reuben’s Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich, Montreal, Quebec

http://reubensdeli.com/

Good quantity of food.

Thin bread relative to meat.

Smoked, tender, delicious.

The only meal that I truly wanted to try before leaving Montreal was the world famous smoked meat sandwich (further known as Sandwich). It is arguably the most famous food product originating Montreal sans poutine. The area in which I am staying contains what appears to be an endless number of eateries. There are countless options of styles from BBQ and Chinese Buffett to Italian and Mexican with all sorts in between. I was on a mission for the Sandwich today though. The closest such deli was Reuben’s, which happens to be one of the most renowned locales for such smoked meat. So let’s do this.

The deli is located below street level down a wide set of dark stained oak stairs. Upon entering the stairs and subsequently the deli I felt that this was a friendly location with a long history. It was an eloquent building showing age and worn wooden bench style booths. The ambiance was sophisticated, yet not presumptuous. Upon entering I was greeted with a pleasant, “Bonjour”. The hostess assured me I could grab a sandwich for take-away and recommended the special. Easy, done.

"Going with my usual dealer’s choice approach the woman behind the meat counter chose medium."

When I arrived at the counter to order I was offered three choices: lean, medium or fatty. Going with my usual dealer’s choice approach the woman behind the meat counter chose medium. In less than 5 minutes I had my fare and was on my way back to my culinary laboratory. Back in my shared dormitory room I carefully unpackaged what was to be my first Sandwich. I was a slightly more than excited.

My first impression upon opening the to-go container was that the size of the sandwich was not in proportion to the number of french fries or price for that matter, $15.51 CAD. As I unwrapped the sandwich from its paper sheath the dark pink color and actual amount of meat piled up reassured me that this meal still had potential. The package featured the sandwich, a small paper bowl filled with coleslaw, a generous portion of french fries and a pickle.

"Every morsel of meat was so tender it would nearly melt in my mouth."

I will start this ballad with the crescendo. The Sandwich was fantastic. The meat was extremely tender and full of amazing flavor. It was obviously smoked meat, however there was only a hint of smokiness. The flavor is difficult to describe as it didn’t have the characteristics of West Coast smoked meats that I am familiar with, ie: alder or applewood. It was very mild yet full of flavor. The closest deli meat I can compare it to would be a mild pastrami without the pepper or overwhelming spices. There was a dollop of yellow mustard which complimented the meat very well. Not once during the entire consumption process did I stumble into any grit, sinew or even one fatty bit. Every morsel of meat was so tender it would nearly melt in my mouth.  

The bread which contained the bulk of the Sandwich was a thinly sliced and light in color. First impressions told me that there was no way this thin bread would hold up against the smoked delight. In the end it held its own. The bread never become soggy or tore during consumption. It appeared to be a light rye bread, but like the meat it was very mild and melded well with the overall flavor profile.

The coleslaw was also mild. Nothing outstanding about, however it was a solid slaw. Unlike many coleslaws it did not contain any creamy dressing. Instead it was dressed with a light vinegar based substance. There was a hint of apple cider vinegar and perhaps a slight fermentation. It was very difficult to be certain of the ingredients. The first couple of bites were confusing to my tastebuds. After the third or fourth bite I began to enjoy this nontraditional (at least to me) salad. Like most slaw it could have used some pepper, but I’m not complaining.

"I used the recommended mayonnaise, ketchup combo as an esophageal lubricant..."

The only disappointment to this meal were the french fries. They were a very generic shoestring type fry. I would have expected something of a higher quality with this meal. Perhaps a skin-on or thick cut spud instead of this type which reminded me of a cheap fast food restaurant. I used the recommended mayonnaise, ketchup combo as an esophageal lubricant (both Kraft single server packets). This helped the overall experience, however it was still a disappointment.

As per my modus operandi, I saved the pickle for last. It was a quarter pickle which had a rigidity to it. The kind you know will be crunchy from the time you pick it up. This last bit of fodder broke the mould of mildness. It had a bit of a spicy kick to it. Not overwhelming, just enough to let you know you were alive. Although it was obviously dill there was some other ingredients in the canning process. Like the slaw dressing it was difficult to pick(le) out the other mystery ingredients. It wasn’t top of the line but it was a solid pickle.

SUMMARY:

I hadn’t eaten breakfast in preparation of my first Sandwich. After finishing the entire meal I was certainly satiated. The overall experience was pleasant and satisfying, yet slightly underwhelming. Reuben’s has a solid starting quarterback but the rest of the team is pretty mediocre. My recommendation would be to just order the sandwich and leave the rest to the other tourists.

Scores:

Bread - 4 (soft yet tough, held it’s own)

Meat - 5 (very tender, light smoke, not greasy or fatty)

Coleslaw - 3 (interesting flavor, light, healthy)

French Fries - 2 (bland, generic shoestrings)

PIckle - 4 (spicy, non conforming dill)

Overall:

4 out of 5 (The Sandwich carried the meal out of mediocrity)

Royal Grinders Oven Roasted Subs in Fremont, Seattle, WA

The joint, close to work.

Went with a couple of side items.  Total was around $12.

Bread looks really good and size looks big as well.

Good amount of meat and provolone also looks good and melted.

Good.

I take a bite and confirm tastiness.  The herb smell and flavor are great. It even tastes "fresh".

Money shot.

They bread and herbiness of this sandwich were the highlight.  Meat and cheese also good and jus was commendable.

We can see the herb floatiness in the jus.

Raw Tasting Notes

Was told 8 minutes

On recommendation of Hugh 

Close to work

There for training 

Bread smells good and looks unique 

Good size

Good, herby fresh flavor 

Jus for 4 hot

Overall 4 or 5 nothing wrong with it

Meat 4,herby, good qty

Cheese 4 good

Plenty of jus

Filling

5 overall

Summary

Great sandwich near work in Fremont.  They take care, it has great size, delicious flavor and the herbiness makes it stand out.  A five of five overall.

• Bread 5 for herbiness
• Meat 4 for quantity 
• Non-Meat Toppings 4 provolone was good and melty, mild
• Jus 4 was good and hot
• Overall 5 of 5 

Homemade Steak French Dip Sandwich with Mushrooms at Ashbach West Beach on Guemes Island, WA Awarded 3 of 5 DeliciScore™ (It'll Do) - 4th of July, 2017 - Thanks for the treat, Matt

Setting the Stage

It was the Fourth of July and we were home visiting my parents and family.  There was a parade and a ton of people around.  The Ashbachs recently renovated their new West Beach beach house and were christening its presence in their family.  My family has lived on West Beach for decades and the Ashbachs and their friends are a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

After the parade, I was over at their place briefly and was offered a French dip (with steak and mushrooms) from Matt.  I had just eaten a grilled hot dog with onions and a bag of chips from the park so wasn't hungry but I had to oblige, and Matt wanted feedback on his creation.

Helicopter carrying an American flag flying over the parade route.

Jessica and my mom waving to the chopper.

Ashbachs in the parade.

They threw things at me!

Here's the partially eaten French dip.  We can see delicious and chunky mushrooms (were they dry-sauteed?!!!) and I was using a coffee cup for my jus container.  You can also see I was surrounded by Coors Light cans.  

Mostly we see a mushroom and a little beef in this picture.  The beef was chewy so it kind of pulled out.  The bread got a little too soft when dipped into the jus.  The mushrooms were definitely the highlight.  And I don't recall if the bread was toasted and buttered.

Other activity (the view as I dined).

Scoring

Bread 2 of 5
Meat 4 of 5 but chewiness and that it pulled out of the sandwich gives it downgraded points
Jus 3 of 5 don't remember it being great.  lol.  Sorry, Matt!
Non-Meat Toppings 4 of 5 great mushrooms
Overall 3 of 5

Thanks, Matt and others for a tasty lunch treat.  Sorry I had already eaten and wasn't exactly in the mood.

French Dip Sandwich at Naches Tavern in Greenwater, WA Awarded 4 of 5 DeliciScore™ (Not Too Bad) - July 2nd, 2017 - Who knew that Greenwater cared?

Setting the Stage

My wife is a veterinarian, animal lover and into riding horses.  We are not affiliated with a lot of horse people and a group that likes to do Endurance horse racing.  This is where the horse and rider travel long distances (25-100 miles) and stop at checkpoints to ensure the health of the animal.  We found ourselves near Yakima, WA for one of these races in which my wife competed the weekend before the 4th.  We had just gotten back from a week-long trip to Michigan as well since Jessica's grandmother Dorlene had passed away.

On our way home from Naches, WA, we stopped by a tavern in Greenriver, WA, which is just before Enumclaw on your way down from Mt. Rainier.  It was a beautiful summer day and many people were out enjoying it.

I didn't intend to have a French dip but I got lucky.

Neat outdoor seating table they have.  

Outdoor bar area they have.

Their sign.

Menu side 1.

Menu side 2.

French Dip.  Thinly sliced roast beef on a hoagie roll.  Served with Au Jus on the side.  $11.50.  "with au jus".  No real benefits that they're selling.  Probably need a menu revision to better communicate the value of this sandwich to clientele.

Tall cans are good.

Jessica thought this was a Red Bull advertisement but I don't think it is.  

It's not. :)

Nice little ornamental things out there.  It was a nice environment.

Even some nice wind-chimes.

Tasting Notes

• Bread looks good (looked better in person than it does look in the pics)
• Small but good salad - Cheddar cheese, red onion, tomato
• Medium rare beef which is a nice touch
• Orange skewers
• Very great flavor of the sandwich alone
• Really soft, good bread - it looks soft.  But was really good.
• Jus cold and tastes like wine - I asked for more and for it heated.  Perhaps to strong of a wine flavor but was good.
• "That's a lot of meat in this one", said Jessica, so that's a plus.
• Good, thick cut roast beef that almost tastes like bacon.
• Sandwich alone a 4 of 5.
• Jus 4 for their use of red wine and was also somewhat spicy
• Bread could have been more toasted
• Jus not something you'd want to drink, too rich but good

Scoring

Bread 3 of 5 for lack of toasting.  But was good and soft.
Meat 5 of 5 for medium rare roast beef that almost tasted like bacon
Non-Meat Toppings - there were none
Jus 4 of 5 for wine taste, spiciness.  Very unique and fancy

Overall

This was a really good sandwich that should be better promoted and called out on their menu.

Side Note 

Behind Jessica and me in this pic is our RAV 4 on the back of the tow truck.  It broke down and had to get the motor replaced.  $3,333 later we are again whole and hoping for the best.  I think the new motor has just 12K miles on it.  The car has > $150K.

Banh Mi Dipped Sandwich at Bol Restaurant in Seattle, WA Awarded 5 of 5 DeliciScore™ (Great) - June 3rd, 2017 - Really fancy touches on a classic

I had read about the Banh Mi French Dip idea about a year ago.  It made sense: I love pho and banh mi sandwiches, why not integrate the two?  A fusion of sorts.  I had heard that this sandwich was featured at Bol Restaurant in the University District of Seattle, so I had to go.

They helped me find my way there.

Cool menu and big, metal soup spoon and metal chopsticks.  I was impressed already.

So many awesome choices including egg and truffle garlic fries.  I was in heaven.

Fancy cocktails.

Nice touch to their water.

Notes while I arrived and waited

• Smells good in there
• Great, fun menu
• Lively music playing
• I chose the Banh Mi with pork (which was recommended by my server) and I added a fried egg and truffle garlic fries (which sadly never came)
• I was afraid that the "small side" of pho broth would not be enough
• The sandwich should be big, filling and good
• Fresh cuke, cilantro, pickled daicon, jalapeño, house-seasoned pate-aioli spread)
• Too much mayonnaise?
• Gluten free bread option
• Duck sandwich option: next time
• Will the veggies on the sandwich be too fresh to enjoy when dipped into jus?
• I was on my way to 'Data Viz and Snacks' a fun meetup for people into data visualization in Seattle.
• Slow delivery for the food: it took ~20 minutes?!

The eating

Looks good, big size.

Looks great.

Dregs of the pho once done.  Good drinking.

The egg in there.  Looks good.

Money shot.  "Jus" (pho) not overly dark but was good.

Tasting Notes

• The pork was very delicious and the sandwich alone was delicious
• The pho alone was great (we were off to a really good start)
• I almost didn't want to dip because the sandwich really didn't need anything more.
• I give it "Excellent":  5 of 5 everywhere
• I used the jus sparringly but it was nice to have, albeit not central or critical to the meal
• Overall this was a 5: great / perfect sandwich and stuff but not a perfect FD. Great concept.
• They forgot my Truffle garlic fries.
• I'll go back

Summary

Bread 5
Meat 5
Non-Meat Toppings 5
Jus 5
Overall 5
As  French Dip 4 but still very great