California Beaches Blog

The best Reuben Sandwich in California is the one I make for myself. That said, I constantly search in restaurants for a better tasting one. There are many variations, and several discrepancies as to who created the original Reuben. Some say it was a guy in Omaha named Reuben Kulakofsky back in the 1920’s. Another story credits New York deli owner Arnold Reuben back in 1914. While yet another version give kudos to an actress visiting his delicatessen and coming up with the idea.  Like so many legends, we will never know for certain who invented the Reuben Sandwich. But it has grown to become a popular menu item at many restaurants and is my favorite sandwich in the entire world.

For those who don’t know what a Reuben Sandwich is, it starts with a good rye bread toasted on a grill with authentic melted slices of quality swiss cheese, heaps of thinly sliced corned beef or pastrami (you can substitute other meats, or leave the meat off as variations), and a sauerkraut that is well-drained, and preferably thinly textured rather than the extra crisp variety. The final touch is Thousand Island dressing inside the sandwich after it has been cooked. That balances the tangy kraut with a sweet taste. In one meal you are getting sweet, salt and sour. A nice kosher dill pickle is the best side to this dish as this type of dill tends to be less salty.  Read more