National Reuben Sandwich Day
Every year on March 14th, National Reuben Sandwich Day gives the classic deli sandwich its moment.
While the sandwich has long been associated with New York delicatessens, the origin story most widely accepted today points west. In the 1920s, a grocer named Reuben Kulakofsky is said to have requested the sandwich during a poker game at The Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. The hotel’s chef prepared it, and the sandwich quickly became a house specialty. In 2013 the city of Omaha formally declared March 14th as National Reuben Sandwich Day in recognition of that story.
For my From Bag to Background food photography project, the approach is simple. The food is photographed as it arrives, without stylists or staging, isolated against a black background. The sandwich cut in half reveals exactly what makes a Reuben a Reuben: stacked corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, and the dressing running through the layers.
There is also the well-known cousin to the Reuben, the Rachel, which swaps the corned beef for pastrami or turkey and replaces the sauerkraut with coleslaw. A different personality, but the same idea.
If you enjoy seeing familiar foods presented this way, you can explore more of the From Bag to Background series and other food photography on my website at https://www.secondfocus.com
A Deli Icon for National Reuben Day and My St. Patrick’s Day Favorite
March 14 – National Reuben Sandwich Day
A true deli icon. My photograph of a Reuben sandwich—layered with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on crispy grilled rye. A sandwich with history, tracing its roots to early 20th-century America. Some say it was created in Omaha during a late-night poker game in the 1920s, while others credit Reuben’s Delicatessen in New York City. Either way, it’s been a staple for over a century.
And with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, this is my way to enjoy corned beef, instead of corned beef and cabbage, which I don’t like a lot!
See more of my food photography and other intriguing photo projects at http://SecondFocus.com Thanks!
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