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California Pastrami & More isn’t a fast-food place, but the wait is well worth it. (Dean Hanson/Journal)
While our local cuisine holds treasures galore in things like enchiladas, pureed red chile, blue corn and beyond, it is still common to hear folks talk about the things that you can’t get here in town – at least not like “they make them back home.” We’re pining for bagels, Ethiopian, crab cakes, paella, lox and others that fail to spring to mind. Since 2011, thanks to California native and Pojoaque transplant Joseph Rodriguez, we have had one item struck from the wish list: pastrami and a bevy of other sandwiches served at California Pastrami & More.
First things first: Despite all exterior appearances and the large “franchises available” banner on their website, California Pastrami is not a chain. This misinterpretation might be keeping folks driving by with nary a second glance. Don’t be a drive-by customer, and stop in for lunch next time you are in the neighborhood. You’ll sample good pastrami, tasty Reubens, and more – all from a tiny kitchen in shiny digs near Montgomery and San Pedro.
Hand-squeezed lemonade ($2.59) is a wonder to taste – while dining we saw several orders prepared as the servers threw their weight down on the juicer’s lever to extract every drop from lemon half after lemon half. That juice is shaken with simple syrup and served over ice. The closest local comparison that I still recommend is the fresh limeade at Route 66 Malt Shop. While you could order a root beer float, it seems that lemonade is the perfect companion to a decadent pile of meat – nice and tart to offset the richness.
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California Pastrami & More LOCATION: 6125 Montgomery NE (at San Pedro), 872-9253, www.capastrami.com HOURS: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays NO ALCOHOL |
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Now, about that meat. Whether on an open-faced sandwich or stuffed into a melt, the salty slices, both corned beef and pastrami, are as good as you’ll get around these parts. Joe’s supplier is the same company that stocks The Hat, a popular Los Angeles pastrami chain.
After you place an order, the meat is sliced cold with beautiful marbling intact, then thrown on the cooktop with lid slapped down to let the meat steam. The bun is toasted with mustard and when everything is ready, the assembly begins.
Try the Reuben ($9.25) for a lean pile of corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and salad dressing on toasty rye. While I appreciated the tender beef and tangy kraut, it was the perfect dressing that made this sandwich – a thin and flavor-packed rendition of Thousand Island dressing unlike every gloppy-bottled brand I’ve tried.
Beyond the steamed meats you’ll find a full breakfast lineup, though without pastrami on everything, I’m tempted to ignore that whole section of the menu. A more interesting “and more” part of the offerings are a few California-oriented tacos, from carne asada to grilled fish. The carne asada variety ($7.99) is not bad, but I’d consider them a backup plan for the Reuben-averse, even if their fresh pico de gallo and avocado slices are ripe and tasty.
It is the made-to-order process in which the impatient will find quibbles – even when not busy, this is not a “fast food” kind of joint. You’ll wait a good five minutes or more as everything is prepared just for you, but the wait is worth it.
