When David Kadetz opened his downtown Cincinnati sandwich shop in 1901, he could not in his wildest dreams have foreseen where some of his sandwich concepts would wind up more than a century later. According to John Geisen, owner/operator of what has grown into a local chain of deli-style eateries, this time of year is when golf outings and other open-air events call on Izzy’s to cater their gatherings. Sandwiches are what everybody wants, and some of those sandwiches are ones the David Kadetz conceived more than a hundred and twenty years ago.
For example, Geisen related this: “We’ve been catering several golf outings already this year. We did the Joe Burrow this year, which was a very nice event held at the Stonelick Hills Golf Club out around Batavia somewhere. My sons handle these events. We come in and set it up and do just about whatever the customer wants. This was for the Joe Burrow Foundation, and there were a lot of celebrities there — Max Montoya and Anthony Munoz and Zac Taylor were there to support what Burrow is doing with his foundation.”
The linchpin of all the catering activity is the sandwich, for which Izzy’s built a reputation dating back to the William McKinley administration. “It’s funny. We are known for our Reubens, the greatest Reubens in the world, and that sandwich is what we are famous for. But we have other sandwiches that people love and go nuts over, too. A lot of people use our build-your-own sandwich section on the menu to customize their sandwich just the way they want it. For most of our sandwiches we have the meat on it and then lettuce and tomato and the pickles on the side, but people will add stuff to fit their tastes,” Geisen stated, contending that the roast turkey is a good example of how creative his customers can be with a sandwich.
“The roast turkey is a really good sandwich. It’s all breast meat, and we roast the turkey breast in our ovens and then thin-slice it so we can pile it high on the sandwich. That sandwich comes with lettuce and tomato on rye or wheat bread, and it comes with a potato pancake. Some people like it that way and choose a condiment, like mayonnaise, and that’s it. But a lot of people will do the tomato and onion, and then add jalapeño peppers, and top it with chipotle sauce. They just spice it up to suit their tastes.” He added that some people like slaw on their sandwiches or sauerkraut or what-have-you, and if Izzy’s has it, they will put it on the sandwich. Another little nuance is the availability of potato chips — Grippo potato chips — with a sandwich instead of the traditional potato pancake. Geisen stated that Izzy’s is now partnering with Grippo to provide chips with its sandwiches if preferred by you, the diner. Just ask.
As for dining out, we’ve had the turkey sandwich several times, it being a favorite of ours, and having it in the traditional way is my go-to. For my money, you cannot beat the flavor combo of the lettuce, tomato and pickle triad on a sandwich, and especially on a turkey sandwich. Add a good slathering of mayonnaise, and it’s to die for! As for the bread, my choice is the wheat, toasted. But I’ve had that sandwich on rye and that’s very good as well. Personal preference, really.
Another sandwich that is a star in its own right is the pastrami on rye. If there is anything in the world of sandwiches that speaks of the New York deli and the Jewish experience in that realm of the late 1800s and early 1900s, it is the pastrami on rye. If you want to gild the lily, add a good dollop of horseradish mustard with a little cole slaw on top of the cured meat. As you may know, this deli specialty was borne of the need to cure meat for preservation before refrigeration was feasible and easy. The meat choice is brisket, which is brined, dried, smoked and then steamed to produce the unique flavor and texture of pastrami. It is one of the iconic meats of East European cuisine, and a staple in Jewish delis everywhere. Love that pastrami!
Summer-only key lime pie dessert
Also to love, but only for the summer months at Izzy’s, is the key lime pie dessert. “We have it now, and through the summer,” Geisen said. “It has been such a big hit that we bring it back every summer now. It’s cool and refreshing and just right to end the meal,” he said. And he’s right; tangy, tasty, and satisfies the sweet tooth.
See you at Izzy’s!
