#36 Reuben

"Tat's Corned Beef w/ kraut, Swiss cheese & Russian dressing on Rye bread."

... and a pickle. I started eating it because I was so frustrated with how hard it was to unwrap. Some sort of uncontrollable animal instinct.

I'm apparently much less jaded today then when I ate the very similar New Yorker back in April. Maybe it's because I'm coming off the heels of having to cross the Egg Salad off of my list. Maybe it's because I haven't just endured 8 months of darkness and Seattle rain.

My point in that post, however, is valid. The New Yorker and the Reuben are very similar, especially when you add slaw to the former, which serves a very similar counterbalance that the kraut in the Reuben does. The Reuben was generously portioned, as you'd expect from Tat's. The Corned Beef tasted like it has been reheated in bacon grease, the kraut is nice and slightly tangy, the rye is nicely toasted and even under the weight of all that meat, cheese, and sauce, it didn't give up after a 10 minute walk back to work. The guy in the elevator up to my floor had a Jimmy John's sandwich in hand and as the amazing corned beef smell filled our elevator I think I saw him cry a little.

The Reuben also marks a kind of pivotal point in the history of E.A.T.: I've now eaten every sandwich off of the "Hot Subs & Specials" list, which is arguable the heart and soul of the Tat's menu. The Kosher Dog remains, but is not a sandwich, and I have yet to write up the Tat'strami, as I'm saving it for last.