I鈥檓 not seeking perfect food moments during the pandemic. I wouldn鈥檛 expect to find them even if I had returned to restaurant dining rooms 鈥 I haven鈥檛 yet 鈥 and I certainly don鈥檛 expect them to be rolled up with the paper napkins and plastic utensils inside my takeout bag. However much of its spirit a restaurant can fit into my to-go clamshell is enough for me. | Perfect moments do happen, though. One day last week I ordered Nomad鈥檚 pastrami sandwich for curbside pickup, took my lunch to Forest Park and ate alone on a bench across from the Jewel Box.
I already knew that chef Tommy Andrew 鈥 aka Tommy Salami, one of the greatest nicknames in St. 不良研究所导航网址 dining 鈥 is serving terrific pastrami at Nomad. I鈥檇 ordered the sandwich for the first time a week earlier and marveled at the meat鈥檚 tender, fat-kissed texture and its precise balance of salt and smoke. I鈥檇 noticed how each slice鈥檚 ribbon of bark acted as a sort of condiment, giving the sandwich crunch and black-pepper bite.
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The sandwich isn鈥檛 complicated: a pile of pastrami with Swiss cheese and Nomad鈥檚 tangy Special Sauce between slices of marble rye. It doesn鈥檛 need anything more. It will be memorable wherever you try it. That day in Forest Park, in summer鈥檚 final blossom of warmth and color, it lifted me out of my pandemic funk and reminded me what I used to write in this column.
Folks, you gotta go eat this pastrami.
The restaurant 鈥 Andrew opened Nomad in February inside Tamm Avenue Bar in Dogtown. The restaurant succeeded Mac鈥檚 Local Eats, which had relocated to Bluewood Brewing in Benton Park, as the bar鈥檚 dining option. Mac鈥檚 is known for its burger, among the best in town. Andrew says Nomad also serves a 鈥渞eally good鈥 burger, but he didn鈥檛 want his restaurant to ride on Mac鈥檚 reputation.
鈥淚 wanted to be known for my thing,鈥 he says.
Making pastrami Nomad鈥檚 鈥渢hing鈥 wasn鈥檛 the result of Andrew鈥檚 lifelong passion. He鈥檚 always liked the dish, he says, but it 鈥渨as never anything crazy or a big part of my life.鈥
So Andrew honed his technique. When Tamm Avenue Bar owner Bob Brazell approached him about replacing Mac鈥檚 Local Eats, he was working at Cinder House at the Four Seasons Hotel St. 不良研究所导航网址, so he tested batches of pastrami there.
鈥淚 just wanted to be the pastrami guy,鈥 he says. 鈥淟ike, (you) come in, that鈥檚 what you get, the pastrami.鈥
The takeout 鈥 Besides the pastrami sandwich, Nomad offers a beef patty topped with pastrami, Swiss cheese and the Special Sauce (the Double Deuce) and a riff on poutine with fries smothered in gravy, pastrami, Provel and scallions.
Andrew uses brisket for Nomad鈥檚 pastrami. He brines each piece for seven to 10 days, depending on its size, and smokes it for 12 to 14 hours. The bark is seasoned with coriander as well as black pepper. He describes the entire pastrami process, multiplied across 250 to 300 pounds of brisket each week, as tedious.
鈥淲hen you have them in the brine, you have to rotate them,鈥 he says. 鈥淪o you鈥檙e digging through these big, massive containers with briskets in them and flipping them around.
鈥淭hen you load up the smoker, and then you鈥檝e got to cool them off, then you slice it, and it鈥檚 just a huge process just to get (the pastrami) onto a piece of bread.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost two weeks, you know? It鈥檚 just nuts.鈥
Grand reopening 鈥 Nomad had been open for only three weeks when Andrew closed the restaurant until further notice in March during the first days of the coronavirus pandemic.
鈥淚t鈥檚 terrifying,鈥 he said at the time. 鈥淚鈥檝e never been this stressed out in my life.鈥
Nomad reopened in May. Figuring out service during the pandemic has been a process of trial and error, Andrew says, but in addition to curbside pickup and takeout, Nomad now offers a few tables in front of the restaurant and a newly rebuilt back patio it shares with Tamm Avenue Bar.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting to a spot where everything鈥檚 going well,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very, very, very good.鈥
The takeaway 鈥 When I contacted Andrew to tell him I wanted to write about Nomad鈥檚 pastrami, he said I should order another sandwich. I鈥檇 posted a photo of my Forest Park lunch on Instagram, and based on the date, he thought I鈥檇 eaten a batch of pastrami that wasn鈥檛 up to his usual standards.
Maybe my palate has gathered some dust. I haven鈥檛 written a traditional review for six months and counting. But the sandwich really was excellent, I told him, both times I鈥檇 eaten it.
Really, though, Andrew鈥檚 perfectionism just underlines my insistence. You need to try Nomad鈥檚 pastrami.
Where Nomad, 1221 Tamm Avenue • More info 314-696-2360; • Menu Pastrami sandwiches, burgers, fries and other casual fare • Current services Patio dining; takeout • Hours 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sunday (closed Monday-Tuesday)
鈥淢y dad basically forced me to cook,鈥 Coria Griggs says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to learn as a kid.鈥
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