“This Michelin-Trained Gastropub Lays Claim to the Best Pastrami in the Bay... For several years now, The Refuge has claimed to serve the best pastrami in the Bay Area. Executive chef Michael Greuel and his team tenderize “the heart of the navel” cut—found just below the brisket—and steams the meat for hours to achieve the tenderness you might find in old-world delicatessens nestled in the same European villages from which the Peninsula gastropub sources its impressive Belgian and German beer list. ”

“Twenty-four taps spout a river of mostly Belgian ales: dubbels, tripels, blondes, and Flemish reds, any of which tastes better when friended by one of the kitchen’s enormous Reuben sandwiches. Chef Matt Levin obsesses over his pastrami, made tender after a weeklong process of intense brining, smoking, and steaming.”

“Few sandwiches have as much to live up to as the pastrami Reuben, considering it’s a staple of such legendary spots as New York City’s Katz and Carnegie delis and Greenblatt’s in Los Angeles. Happily, in the Bay Area, the sandwiches at Refuge Pastrami, with locations in San Carlos and Menlo Park can stand up to such pedigreed pastrami Reubens.”

“This trip, Guy’s signing up for a meat-crazed master class. In San Carlos, Calif., the pastrami-crazed neighborhood spot crankin’ out burgers, cheesesteaks and signature sammies.”