It's another gray, cold, windy winter day. Crocuses begin to peek at the sun. Tulips, having better sense, decide to hold off a few more weeks before testing the above ground world. Robins, entirely bird brained, have shown up too early again and now sit here and there, all puffed up, and looking out of place and uncomfortable.
There is a bright spot however, the Reubenators are returning to Galahad's. Boasting of new management and improved menu, they have thrown caution to the wind and asked that we return for a second opinion (see first opinion).
We walked into the family dining area. The blinds were tastefully closed, blocking what wimpy sunshine could burn through the clouds. The management had reserved two tables for us. I began to feel our celebrity status, not on the same level as say--the governor, but somebody nonetheless! I recognized our waitress as the same as the last visit. She took our orders as the last time, not surprised at all at the homogeneity of the group's culinary habits. As a bonus, she invited us to partake of the snacks setup in the bar area. Both TVs are now turned to CNN, but thankfully, no sound emanates from either.
I noted with surprise, that smoke was not drifting over from the bar area. There were not more than five patrons in the area, so maybe the lack of smoke was proportional to the lack of smokers. The snacks consisted of peanuts in the shell, cucumber slices and dip, and two other items I can't remember.
The peanuts were great. I was instantly transported in time to a baseball game at Indianapolis' old Bush Stadium. We drank beer, ate peanuts, laughed, and didn't care a wit if the Indians won the game or not.
Back to reality---the Reubens were different this time; they possessed a certain character. The Swiss cheese had holes. The corned beef was quite lean, and the sauerkraut was layered in between slices. The sauce was not special, just regular thousand island. The bread was toasted a bit too much, but not bad. When you bite into the sandwich, you have to fight it somewhat to bite through.
You can taste each of the ingredients, as they stand out slightly from each other. It was delicious. I chose the potato chips this time and have to agree with my fellow eaters; the chips are good. Definitely not like the last time, and in fact, better. The only improvement I can suggest at this time is to use homemade bread and back off on the toasting process. The service was top notch, our waitress made sure we had all we needed and checked frequently to top off drinks.
Try the "new management" Reuben, it's improved.