Photo credit: David Woolpy
Izzy’s World’s Greatest Reubens
Brisket and all the glorious ways in which its prepared is one of my favorite foods ever. So, I went into Izzy’s — World’s Greatest Reubens — with eager anticipation. Of course, a Reuben’s prime ingredient is corned beef, and corned beef turns out to be one of the first ways people discovered to make brisket palatable. In fact, the term “corn” refers to the large grains of salt used to preserve and tenderize the meat before refrigeration existed.
This process was developed in the 1800s by Jews right here in the United States. Following this legacy, Izzy Kadetz founded his own kosher style delicatessen in Cincinnati in 1901.
Since that time Izzy’s has been evolving into what we know today, and I have to tell you, its a great place for a sandwich. They make their Reuben a little different than some places. More traditional, some might say. Instead of grilling the bread and putting the sandwich together on a griddle or skillet similar to a grilled cheese, they heat the corned beef and sauerkraut separately, toast the bread by itself (if requested) and assemble the sandwich afterward.
The process, more common in deli style eateries than in full service restaurants, remains a great way to keep the sandwich crispy on the outside and tender and tasty on the inside.
I asked the staff what makes Izzy’s Reuben special. They said its the corned beef. Something about it, they said, makes it a city-wide favorite.
Well, I can tell you why. First, the corned beef is full flavored. Some corned beef these days, especially that bought in groceries, has a relatively mild flavor. You can forget you are eating corned beef at all. Izzy’s corned beef is not like that. You really taste the seasoning. Enhancing the pepper corns and other spices, Izzy’s slices the meat much thinner than many traditional Jewish Delicatessens. When it comes to sandwiches, I think thinly sliced meats create, not only better flavor, but also a delicate texture which makes eating the sandwich an enjoyable experience.
The other element of Izzy’s Reuben that stood out was the proportion of ingredients. Too often today, sandwiches are just too big or have too much of one item or another. For me, Izzy’s proportions were just right. The sauerkraut did not dominate the flavor, and the thousand island dressing was enough to taste without running out all over the place during your meal. Even though I was a bit skeptical of the way they handle the bread, it turns out great.
In addition to the world famous Reuben, I enjoyed a potato pancake. Crispy and tender, this side dish was a nice complement to the Reuben and did not fill me up the way french fries do.
But do not think the classic Reuben is the only sandwich available at Izzy’s. They feature an exhaustive array of “Reubens” of all kinds: Turkey, Pastrami, Cod and even Veggie Reubens round out the list. And if that’s not enough, you can get a Beef Frank Reuben, sure to be the most unique hotdog in the city.
Besides Reubens, Izzy’s offers a full list of classic deli style sandwiches designed for a wide variety of tastes. There are too many sandwiches to list, but if you have something in mind, I bet you will find it on the menu at Izzy’s.
A unique element of Izzy’s relative to a more traditional deli like Shapiro’s in Indianapolis, is the modernization. At Izzy’s you get classic deli sandwiches, just like a good restaurant, but the setting is much like a modern fast food establishment — without all the grease. At first, this setting caught me off guard. But once you see the food coming out of the kitchen, you realize the sandwiches are truly traditional and very well made.
I cannot wait to go back to try other options. High my list is the Pastrami Reuben, and if I want a lighter option, the Turkey Reuben is likely to be a great choice. And lastly, I enjoy a good Cod sandwich almost as much as corned beef. I have no doubt Izzy’s knows how to prepare a nice fillet of fish as well.
