Uptown Deli & Brew
 Columbus, Ohio        Date of Visit  12/22/15            http://www.uptowndeliandbrew.com

Since we were headed to C-bus to try some new places with the ultimate destination being Los Gauchos, we left early so we could also catch lunch somewhere before meeting folks for tacos (Gringas, actually). Jegunda said she had heard good things about the Uptown Deli in downtown Westerville and Bob’s your uncle, here we are.

Nice place, dedicated to their brewery as much as the deli. Didn’t try any of the adult beverages but the tongue-in-cheek name “Temperance Row” in a nod to the town's fierce anti-alcohol history is amusing and a lot of folks seemed to be enjoying the fruit of the barley and hops.
 

We didn’t want to overdo it and ordered the local cheese curds and a couple of sandwiches. The fried, squeaky, salty curds come from Blue Jacket Dairy Farms (do they play hockey too?) and were coated in a crisp little jackets and served with a Cajun ranch dipping sauce which added enough heat to tamp down the richness of a plate of fried cheese. Solid start.

Of course we tried a Reuben with the traditional Rye, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, kind of our gauge for the sammitch purveyors.

The Reuben was a sloppy mess. Perfect! The cure falls into the milder than I prefer range on their beef but it is tender lean and oozing beefy awesomeness. Just enough kraut, probably too much for most dressing and the melted nutty cheese between the earthy toasted rye…that’s just nice. It came with their thickly sliced, warmly seasoned and darkly fried house chips. Tasty.
 

Deliciously Messy
 

Fat Chips Are Crispy Goodness
 

The second sandwich, The Figaboudit. Prosciutto, fig jam, goat cheese and arugula on grilled ciabatta. They spent some time crafting their offerings here, and apparently run a pretty tight kitchen, the proportions are smart and balanced. Peppery greenness, salty long-cured pig, tangy clouds of rich cheese and a rare rich and sweet sticky jam on crispy pressed bread. Delicious. It came with the potato salad, which was fine…I’d probably stick to the chips. If you’re in the area, it’s definitely worth a visit, next time I’ll try a flight of their brews...as long as it includes the Scofflaw Scottish Ale.