The other day I was waiting in line at the Laguna Hills DMV watching all the happy faces fumbling through forms, teenagers trying to pass their driving tests, and others furiously trying not to explode in rage when I was struck by hunger. Admittedly I was in a bit of a foul mood (the DMV does that to you), but if there’s one thing I learned from all the romantic comedies and sultry 90’s R&B is that you should never go to bed angry.
I also apply this to sandwiches, it makes for a much better relationship and no resentment down the line. I actually left the line and walked a couple doors down to “Kosher Bite Deli & Meat.” The first thing I saw when I walked in was that the person behind the counter was rolling dough, that’s always a good sign. My knowledge of kosher food mostly comes from reruns of “Seinfeld” so I’m a bit uncultured when it comes to this cuisine, but they had a lot of the things I would think a kosher deli would have like black & white cookies, marbled rye, and matzo ball soup. It boasts a classic sandwich menu, including tongue, chopped liver, pastrami, and corned beef (among other things). I went with a half corned beef sandwich on rye with deli mustard, a classic sandwich that is great for those looking for simplicity. It came on a styrofoam plate, served with a pickle spear and macaroni salad. The menu actually makes it a point to say that it doesn’t put cheese on any of the meat sandwiches (I’m assuming that’s not kosher) and it charges a couple of cents more for any type of produce, this place certainly feels like an old school deli. It was everything you could expect from a corned beef sandwich, rye bread isn’t my favorite, but it has it’s own distinct flavor that works really well with the salty corned beef and vinegary yellow mustard. With the pickle, one would think that it would be a bit of a salt overload but the macaroni salad provided a nice respite from it all. It’s funny how something that is seemingly so simple can be so good, I suppose that is why it’s such a classic sandwich. Normally, I enjoy a lot of things in my sandwiches, but it really goes to show you that you don’t need a whole lot to make a good lunch. There was all sorts of things there that I need to go back and try, bagels and lox has always been a favorite of mine but I am really interested in trying Kugel (I have no idea what that is, but I like saying it). “Kosher Bite” is a good spot for anyone looking for something simple and classic, a lot of the things they serve are made in house so you can without a doubt get something that really hits home. The portions are pretty good for the price and you get to shelter yourself from the negativity of the DMV’s evil bureaucratic JuJu. With a satisfied belly and a new inspiration to write about, I returned to the DMV with a sunny disposition, it sickened most of the people waiting in line (it would sicken me too). I ended up watching clips from various Mel Brooks movies on my phone there, I’m not sure if it was the sandwich influencing my mind or if I just love Mel Brooks. I guess it doesn’t really matter. By the way, if you haven’t seen “Blazing Saddles” or “History of the World: Part 1” you are absolutely missing out.
