Photo by Joe Flood.
By DCist Contributor Travis Mitchell
Dish of the Week: Reuben sandwich
Where: The Diner, DGS Delicatessen, Parkway Deli and Restaurant, RFD, Star & Shamrock
St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s a perfect excuse to rediscover and appreciate the simple comfort that is a well-crafted Reuben. Despite the fact that the sandwich is an American creation, it’s a perfectly acceptable way to mark the Irish holiday.
Corned beef and cabbage is often considered to be the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal, but it’s tough to beat the combination of meat, tangy sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and creamy dressing stuffed between rye bread. The best Reubens are all at once a greasy, salty, savory, and gooey mess.
Pursuits consider corned beef the only way to build the sandwich, but other worthy variations have cropped up around town. The Diner (2453 18th Street NW) in Adams Morgan serves up a vegetable version of the sandwich made with a high stack of mushrooms, onions and spinach. At Silver Spring’s Parkway Deli (8317 Grubb Road), you can order the classic sandwich with pastrami or turkey. Other offshoots will substitute the sauerkraut for coleslaw.
Either way, the combination is one of the best you can put between two slices of bread. Grab one this weekend, raise a pint of Guinness, and toast the Irish.
Small Bites
Cochon’s chef-studded kickoff dinner
Cochon 555 is a weekend-long culinary event celebrating all things pork. One of the first events is a five-course “rustic, refined and foie” chef’s dinner hosted at the Arsenal at Bluejacket (300 Tingey Street SE) on Friday, March 20. Guest chefs from around D.C. and Baltimore will create a menu focused on local ingredients and a dish that represents their signature culinary style. Tickets are $100 and are inclusive of tax, gratuity and beverage pairings.
Neighborhood bread coming to Whole Foods
Bread Furst (4434 Connecticut Avenue NW) has gotten rave reviews for its crusty baked goods, and it’s about to get easier to get your hands on a fresh loaf. Whole Foods Market (1440 P Street, NW) is now carrying four varieties, including corn rye, multigrain, whole wheat and teff rye bread. The hearty breads are baked with a sourdough that dates back to 1989. More store locations may be added in the future.
Enjoy a night of legal moonshine
Head to Eastern Market (225 7th Street SE) on March 18 for the Washington City Paper’s Distilled party, an event showcasing moonshine and related craft spirits. Catoctin Creek, Don Ciocco and Figli, and Belmont Farms Distillery will be among the participants offering samples. Tickets cost $45 and include small bites and drink tastings.
A family-friendly St. Patrick’s Day party
Swing by Star and Shamrock (1341 H Street NE) on Sunday, March 15 for the “St. Paddy’s Family Sunday Funday,” an afternoon appropriate for both kids and parents. Food specials will include grilled cheese sandwiches as well as $1 off beer and wine for adults. There will also be live music, performances and balloon animals. Yes, balloon animals.
