Reuben Sandwiches

The Reuben sandwich is one of God's great gifts to mankind. It's the perfectly executed combination of salty corned beef, tangy sauerkraut, melty Swiss cheese, and a generous slathering of Thousand Island dressing all squished between two slices of crispy, buttery rye bread. Its origin is disputed: Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocer in Omaha, Nebraska, supposedly came up with the sandwich around 1925 during a late-night poker game at the Blackstone Hotel. The hotel’s owner, Charles Schimmel, then put it on the menu; Arnold Reuben, the owner of Reuben’s Restaurant in New York City, is also credited with creating it, with some accounts dating his version to around 1914. To whomever the credit is truly due, I say what a feat. It’s salty, sour, creamy, crunchy, cheesy, and somehow all of those things are getting along just fine and result in a magical flavor explosion.