Refuge
Pastrami • Belgian Beer • Burgers
1143 Crane St.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Also:
963 Laurel St.
San Carlos, CA 94070
http://refugesc.com/
A friend of mine (a vegetarian, no less) took me to this place that makes pastrami using beef navel, which is located just beyond the brisket and is the old-fashioned cut used by New York delis to make traditional pastrami. I had the pastrami sandwich with Swiss cheese and spicy brown mustard on toasted sourdough bread (I know, I know...rye bread is traditional and Refuge serves their pastrami on toasted rye, but I'm not a big fan of rye and you cannot convince me otherwise). It was fantastic, easily in the Top 5 pastrami sandwiches I've ever eaten. Moist and flavorful, super tender, cut almost as thick as lean brisket because it was trending toward fall-apart tender. Served with dill pickle spears and thinly sliced pickled onion on the side.
Totally not a cheap sandwich at $17.95, but a wonderful splurge. And a really big selection of Belgian and other beers on tap and in bottles.
Oh, we happened to visit on the second anniversary of the restaurant, thus the balloons and streamers.
Update Jan. 2016: Went back for another pastrami sandwich, only ate half to save room for their popular bread pudding. Un. Be. Lievable.
Pastrami • Belgian Beer • Burgers
1143 Crane St.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Also:
963 Laurel St.
San Carlos, CA 94070
http://refugesc.com/
A friend of mine (a vegetarian, no less) took me to this place that makes pastrami using beef navel, which is located just beyond the brisket and is the old-fashioned cut used by New York delis to make traditional pastrami. I had the pastrami sandwich with Swiss cheese and spicy brown mustard on toasted sourdough bread (I know, I know...rye bread is traditional and Refuge serves their pastrami on toasted rye, but I'm not a big fan of rye and you cannot convince me otherwise). It was fantastic, easily in the Top 5 pastrami sandwiches I've ever eaten. Moist and flavorful, super tender, cut almost as thick as lean brisket because it was trending toward fall-apart tender. Served with dill pickle spears and thinly sliced pickled onion on the side.
Totally not a cheap sandwich at $17.95, but a wonderful splurge. And a really big selection of Belgian and other beers on tap and in bottles.
Oh, we happened to visit on the second anniversary of the restaurant, thus the balloons and streamers.
Update Jan. 2016: Went back for another pastrami sandwich, only ate half to save room for their popular bread pudding. Un. Be. Lievable.
