Foodies like myself sure do miss certain restaurants which have remained closed since the start of the pandemic. A case in point is Reuben’s Deli & Steakhouse (reubensdeli.com) on St. Catherine Street. The Tzemopoulos family have also been operating the iconic spot for more than 40 years now under the RD3 Restaurant Group, which also includes Deville Dinerbar (www.devilledinerbar.com) and Anton & James on Stanley Street.

Deville reopened last summer and has an excellent take-out and delivery process in place. And while the doors to Reuben’s have not been formally reopened, the Tzemopoulos brothers have found a clever way to bring it back. Now you can make an order via Uber Eats or takeout, with everything prepared in the Deville kitchen.

From the moment I learned about this development, I could barely contain my excitement. I was pleasantly surprised to see practically a full menu of Reuben’s favorites available so I arranged a pickup of multiple items to enjoy over a period of several days at the office for lunch.

I arrived at 12:15 pm on a weekday the Double D Pop Up Shop window and everything was ready and so neatly packed.

There was a  grilled karnatzel, with some pieces of toasted pumpernickle bread and mustard; the smoked meat mac and cheese;  the roast beef melt with fries (my personal favorite of sliced roast beef served on thick grilled rye bread topped with roasted garlic mayo, sauteed onions and melted Swiss cheese); the original Reuben sandwich (a savory grilled sandwich served on thick sliced pumpernickel, piled high with a half-pound of sliced smoked meat, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Reuben’s secret sauce); and for dessert a huge piece of Deville’s chocolate food cake (minus the ice cream), the big easy beignets and a Pepsi to wash it all down.

Now let me tell you I spread this treat over the course of four days. It is something I would highly recommend to someone who is looking for a treat, be it working from a regular office or even from home. The Reuben’s menu also includes salads, steaks, honey crunch chicken strips, salmon, ribs poutine, steak cut onion rings, fried pickles and more. Of course also have the option of making selections from Deville, which I did for dessert.

Deville Dinerbar is located at 1425 Stanley Street. You can call 514-281-6556 or go directly to Uber Eats.