Where's the corn in corned beef?
MILLIE: For the past 15 years I was never on a trip without my Dad since my Mom had been taken ill. Since Dad’s passing 11 months ago, my trips to Paris, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Macau, Baguio, Bohol, Los Angeles and Las Vegas this year were, surprisingly, not much different. It seemed like Dad was with me on the trips, telling me where to go and, as usual, where to eat. Funny how our itinerary was always planned around where we wanted to eat and, like creatures of habit, we would go to restaurants we were happy and familiar with.
On this trip to the USA, Karla and I did not plan where to eat this time. We were tired of the rigid schedule and decided we would just go with the flow, so to speak. We went to Los Angeles to visit my aunt Carmen Albano Chavez, my Mom’s eldest and only living sister, now aged 85. Since she was in the ICU at the Henry Mayo hospital in Valencia when we arrived, Karla and I decided to fight jet lag and ventured into downtown LA. My cousin Pol Chavez owns a pharmacy in Hollywood, so we hitched a ride and asked him to drop us off at Hollywood and Highland by the Kodak Theater. From there, we managed to take the bus to Third and Fairfax to go to The Grove for some shopping, but could not resist stopping for a bite at the Farmer’s Market. It was like Dad was whispering to us to stop for some corned beef at Magee’s Kitchen. I laughed out loud because I could almost see my Dad’s mouth watering as we walked through the food stalls but then again, Karla and I kept walking until we stopped, without any warning and almost by instinct, right in front of Magee’s Kitchen.
KARLA: Magee’s Kitchen will definitely catch your eye because of its on-the-spot carving area. Just standing in front as the carver prepares the orders makes you salivate, which was the exact same effect on my lolo the last time we were at the Farmer’s Market. Magee’s corned beef is boiled as a whole slab of brisket and carved as ordered. It is served with boiled cabbage and mashed potatoes.
The Plaza normally serves our corned beef with tournage of potatoes and carrots and boiled cabbage that we shape into balls, which make them look a little like Brussels sprouts.
A lot of Filipinos often refer to corned beef as the canned shredded preserved meat we often sauté in oil, garlic, onion, tomatoes and sometimes, diced potatoes for breakfast. I even had a friend who grew up eating sautéed corn kernels with the corned beef. Because of this, I thought that my lolo invented the boiled corned beef, up until a few years back. I learned that the term “corned” has English origins, which really meant hard grains or particles. At that time, large rock-salt kernels were popular and referred to as “corns of salt.” This gave way to the term “corned beef” as they used rock-salt kernels to cover the beef in order to preserve the meat. The term “corned” nowadays really means “salted” or “cured.”
The Sky High: A combination of two deli meats, pastrami and corned beef with Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing from Jerry’s, famous for its deli-to-go items. MILLIE: A couple of days later, we hitched a ride again with Pol to check out a catering and restaurant supply store in Fairfax and from there, took the bus to the Beverly Center for some shopping. By this time, Karla was seriously jet-lagging and would doze off as she waited for me in those comfy seats at the mall. We decided to get a late lunch and it was a tossup between the Grand Luxe Café and Jerry’s Famous Deli just outside the Beverly Center on Beverly Blvd. in West Hollywood. We decided to check out the deli so we could compare it with our own, The Plaza’s signature Premium Products.
As I was going through the menu, I could hear Dad whispering what to order in my ear. Although I had really wanted to order something new and different, I could not zero in on an item. The whisper was getting louder and Karla and I decided to order the Deli Sky High Combo of corned beef and pastrami to share, and I’m glad we did as it was so huge and filling, we could hardly finish our half.
KARLA: The sandwich was not your ordinary sandwich. It was high, stacked with a combination of thinly sliced corned beef and pastrami with Swiss cheese, cole slaw and Russian dressing. The LA, meaning the smaller portion, goes for $12.50 and the NY for $17.50. Considering we came at a time in between lunch and dinner, there was still a crowd. The whole time I was there, I was distracted and could not help watching the two men at the other table gobbling down a sandwich each, while mom and I could barely finish our halves.
MILLIE: On our sixth day in LA, Auntie Carmen had recovered miraculously and was finally given the discharge order so Pol, his brother-in-law Fernie Bentzen, and I took her home. Pol managed to arrange for a hospital bed and a commode to be delivered at home, while his sister Gigi prepared their mom’s room. It was so touching to see everyone helping out to care for a loved one. Even the grandkids were taking turns feeding Lola Carmen or keeping watch as they did their homework, while Fernie and Gigi were alternating as her nurses 24/7. With all the stress and tension gone, on the spur of the moment, Karla and I decided to go to Las Vegas for some excitement. It was like Dad was again telling us to go because Vegas was his most favorite place in the world! I recall a trip to the USA with Dad in 2001 when we went to Vegas twice on that trip, staying a weekend at first and then for a whole week next. Dad just loved hotel hopping to see the different themed hotels and dining at the best restaurants. His favorite was Caesar’s Palace and the Venetian and he was so fascinated with these two properties.
As soon as we landed, we checked in at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and booked tickets for the 10 p.m. show of Cirque du Soleil’s O, which we have missed all this time. We walked over to the Bellagio, which was just across the street and had enough time to grab a quick snack before the show.
Karla managed to get a 25-percent discount on tickets the next day to Love, another Cirque du Soleil production featuring The Beatles’ best hits at The Mirage. I enjoyed the show tremendously as it reminded me of my teen years and I really thought it was awesome and a great way to keep the Beatles’ memory alive!
KARLA: Mom and I walked to The Mirage from our hotel, stopping for early lunch at the Bellagio to sample their famed buffet but we were a bit disappointed as there were no Alaskan king crabs. But then again, it was lunchtime, so maybe they only bring it out in the evenings. We spent the afternoon shopping and walking through the Forum shops at Caesar’s Palace on the way to The Mirage. Just as we were thinking of getting a light snack before the 7 p.m. show, I saw a familiar logo from afar. As we got closer, I jumped! The signage of Carnegie was on the canopy of The Mirage, and I remembered Lolo Joe all over again. It was his favorite deli place. When I was leaving to take culinary courses at the FCI in New York, the only place Lolo Joe told me to check out was the Carnegie Deli on Seventh Ave. and 55th St. While looking through the menu, I almost walked out. Lolo’s favorite, the “Ah, there’s the Reuben” sandwich cost $23.95! I computed it to be more than P1,000 … for a sandwich! But I figured I was hungry and if I had to walk so far to find another place to eat, then I would have fainted already by then. When the sandwich came, my eyes almost popped when I saw how huge it was. I kindly asked the server to take a picture of me with the sandwich so at least lols could feast with his eyes. I couldn’t even finish, and to think I was hungry so I took it home and ended up eating it for, like, three days!
In Vegas, Mom and I ordered the same “ Ah, there’s the Reuben,” an open-faced sandwich piled high with your choice of corned beef, pastrami or turkey (but of course we chose the corned beef) and topped with melted Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. It is served with Thousand Island dressing and huge dill pickles, which I’m sure my cousin Benjo would have loved.
Lolo was definitely on the trip with us as we enjoyed all of his favorite eating places all over again.
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