Last Wednesday, I celebrated my 42nd birthday. I tend to celebrate the entire month of January — because why not? My husband had a day off on Thursday, and since I’ve been working from home with all of my children on their two-week-long winter break, I decided it was a perfect time to cash in on a lunch out by myself.
I grabbed one of the multiple books I’m currently reading and headed out to Preserve. I had run into Cole Ogando earlier in the day and he mentioned that Preserve is expanding its open hours during the week. It had been a while since I had stopped in, and after looking at the menu online I knew what I absolutely had to try, the corned beef sandwich.
I am not a corned beef aficionado, however, I have very strong memories of sitting down to a plate of corned beef breakfast from my childhood. Hot, meaty bites with a bit of crust from being fried in a pan is a comfort breakfast I can simmer in happily.
When I would stay the night at my Grandma Apilado’s house, I’d search through empty margarine containers until I found it stored for a. later meal. Paired with sticky rice and a fried egg on top, corned beef is one of my favorite breakfast meals.
Nowadays, my standards are a tad higher than the traditional canned version found in most Filipino grandmas’ cupboards. However, crafting the perfect homemade corned beef leaves room for things to go wrong if one is not experienced enough. I’ve had corned beef cut too thin, taste too leathery, too salty, or not briny enough. But, I was willing and curious enough to give Preserve’s new chef’s corned beef a chance.
Besides enjoying a hot meal, reading at a bar is one of my favorite pastimes. I started with a Sweater Weather cocktail. The weather was gray and the warmth from the bourbon, ginger and spices sounded like a good reading beverage. The Sweater Weather was delightful. Ginger, lemon and spiced pear paired with bourbon and topped with a cinnamon stick indeed warmed me right up.
The experience of sipping a cocktail while reading, free from distraction, was exactly what I needed. Until my meal came — and I was unsure of where to start. Being in the middle of an important part of my book, I opted to pop crisp french fries in my mouth. Devouring a story and a perfectly peppered french fry was a silver lining.
The smell of hot corned beef wafted up and, finally, I could no longer ignore my sandwich. Preserve’s corned beef sandwich is served with bacon mustard vinaigrette and Russian dressing. Pickled gypsy peppers and provolone are layered with thick slices of corned beef. I was not disappointed with my first bite.
The corned beef was cooked tender, but firm enough to provide a meaty bite. The texture of the corned beef was moist and full. The flavors of the corned beef and sauces mixed together in a whirl of flavors that were meant to be combined.
Conveniently, the soft roll was cut partially through and I was able to enjoy my sandwich one-handed as I continued reading my book. The filling stayed within the roll, within reason. Any meal I can enjoy while reading without falling apart and causing interruption is automatically one of my favorite meals.
I need to bring my husband in for lunch now. Usually, I bring him home my leftovers so he can enjoy something too. But, I wasn’t in the mood for sharing and I ate the entire thing myself. It was that delicious. I encourage all of you to give Preserve’s corned beef sandwich on its lunch menu a try.
