See how this all started here:
http://bkatranch.blogspot.com/2012/01/bc-and-kathies-excellent-adventure-to.html
Number 10! Can you believe we are on sandwich number 10? For a little recap:
1. Papa Roux
2. Boogie Burger
3. Northside Kitchenette
4. Hoaglin To Go
5. Nickel Plate
6. Fair Oaks
7. Harry & Izzys
8. The Original Gyro Joint
9. Boathouse Grill
And
number 10 is………drum roll please….
Shapiro’s Deli!
Shapiro’s should need no introduction in Indiana. I think it is one of the most recognizable names in restaurants. They have won countless awards, been mentioned in pretty much every publication that talks about food and has been featured on many national television shows, including one of my favorites, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Heck even USA Today called Shapiro’s one of the top ten places in the country to get authentic Jewish deli food. Perfection takes time and Shapiro’s has had time to perfect, they have been around since 1905 and they are still and always have been family owned. Incredible! In looking at the history I stumbled across some of the personalities of the family which were just great. For instance Louis and Rebecca Shapiro (the original Shapiro’s that started in 1905) would wake their children at 3 each morning with the rallying cry, "The day is half over already!" Max Shapiro (son of Louis and Rebecca) who ended up taking over the business, kept vacations to a minimum, figuring each day was a vacation when you get to see good friends over good eats every day. Max continued to work into his 80’s. Max did not have any children but he wanted a Shapiro to run the business so he enticed his nephew Mort Shapiro and Mort's son Brian to join the firm in 1984. Mort and Brian always pushed for another location and Max would say “"Why should I open a second restaurant when I still haven't got the first one off the ground?" As I talk, read, and listen to successful entrepreneurs across the state, there is always a common thread – HARD WORK. You want the key to success? It is easy. Work harder than anyone else. That is it. That is what Louis and Rebecca knew, that is what Max knew, and that is what 99 percent of the successful small business owners know.
I have been to Shapiro’s probably a dozen or more times in my life but I have never had the Reuben. I have always been scared of the kraut. When I hear sauerkraut I think of hot soggy sauerkraut like what is stewed with brats. Yuck. My agreement with the list is that I try “as served” for one bite and then scrape off whatever I don’t like so I figured it would be just a little bite of nasty kraut. When the sandwich arrived, I immediately noticed a few things. I noticed that the sandwich looked like the picture on Super46.com. It is amazing how many things Kathie and I have eaten from the list that look NOTHING like the picture on Super46.com. I also noticed that the kraut was piled up and looked fresh and un-cooked. I jumped into the sandwich, kraut and all, and I will admit that it was the best Rueben I have ever ate (did you catch that). The crisp kraut sandwiched between piles of corned beef topped off with Thousand Island and Swiss cheese. Oh, I forgot to mention the grilled rye bread that is made fresh that day. I loved every bite of that sandwich and would order it again maybe with extra kraut. I also love the ambience of the original Shapiro’s on Meridian. It looks like a cafeteria from the 70’s but it doesn’t feel “old”. It is kind of hard to describe, but it looks exactly like it should look. Kathie and I were there on a Saturday evening, past the “normal” dinner hour and the place was busy but not crowded. There was every walk of life in there. Families, working people, cops on break, people dressed up and people dressed down. Rich, poor, black and white the only common thread with this eclectic group of people was everyone knew they were eating something special.
I have been to Shapiro’s probably a dozen or more times in my life but I have never had the Reuben. I have always been scared of the kraut. When I hear sauerkraut I think of hot soggy sauerkraut like what is stewed with brats. Yuck. My agreement with the list is that I try “as served” for one bite and then scrape off whatever I don’t like so I figured it would be just a little bite of nasty kraut. When the sandwich arrived, I immediately noticed a few things. I noticed that the sandwich looked like the picture on Super46.com. It is amazing how many things Kathie and I have eaten from the list that look NOTHING like the picture on Super46.com. I also noticed that the kraut was piled up and looked fresh and un-cooked. I jumped into the sandwich, kraut and all, and I will admit that it was the best Rueben I have ever ate (did you catch that). The crisp kraut sandwiched between piles of corned beef topped off with Thousand Island and Swiss cheese. Oh, I forgot to mention the grilled rye bread that is made fresh that day. I loved every bite of that sandwich and would order it again maybe with extra kraut. I also love the ambience of the original Shapiro’s on Meridian. It looks like a cafeteria from the 70’s but it doesn’t feel “old”. It is kind of hard to describe, but it looks exactly like it should look. Kathie and I were there on a Saturday evening, past the “normal” dinner hour and the place was busy but not crowded. There was every walk of life in there. Families, working people, cops on break, people dressed up and people dressed down. Rich, poor, black and white the only common thread with this eclectic group of people was everyone knew they were eating something special. 
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