Let us now praise John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, after whom the humble (and often, not so humble) sandwich is named.
The way the story goes, the 18th-century Earl was fond of playing cribbage and enjoyed a bite while at table but didn’t like to get his cards greasy. And since using a fork would have meant putting the cards down, he came up with the notion of eating his meat and cheese between bread. Nobles were trendsetters back then. And when the common folk began asking for their food served “the same as Sandwich,” the name stuck.
That said, the Earl of Sandwich simply gave us a name. He didn’t invent the notion of food served between some manner of bread. Flatbreads have been used in the Middle East since time immemorial. And at the Passover Seder, a “Hillel sandwich” is made of meat (traditionally lamb) and bitter herbs between two slices of matzo, which certainly qualifies as a sandwich, though crunchy matzo does shatter more easily than a soft-seeded roll.
All of which brings us to The Original Rinaldi’s Italian Deli — with one branch in Manhattan Beach, and another in El Segundo (and a third on Century Boulevard near LAX) — where nearly 70 sandwiches are available on a daily basis. The Earl of Sandwich would be dazzled.
And for those who love their sandwiches, there’s much to be dazzled by, both old fashioned and new, with a large variety of names classic and names wacky, with a strong leaning toward the wacky side of things. As with big sushi roll restaurants, this is an eatery where giving names to their wares was clearly part of the creative fun.
Thus, we have beach city friendly names such as Pipeline (ham and grilled chicken breast), Ripcurl Riley (grilled chicken breast with pineapple and peanut butter), Sammie’s Hammie (salami and honey baked ham), Bizzarro Brad (honey baked ham and Italian sausage), and The Troll (eggplant parmesan with ground turkey).
There are also sandwiches called Meatballs, Caprese and Grilled Cheese. I figure they must have run out of names, because the plainness of the names makes them stand out as oddities.
If you’re not a regular, you probably do need to give yourself some extra time to go through the sandwich selection (unexpectedly listed alphabetically under each heading). But ultimately, you have to step to the counter, place your order and either wait at a table to eat the creation in house or just hang around watching the guys behind the counter slice and chop and arrange before heading off into the bright light of day. (The branches aren’t open particularly late; wonder why sandwiches are seen here as daylight dishes? For me, a sandwich is a fine meal at any hour. Probably was for the good Earl as well.)
This isn’t the sort of sandwich hot spot where what they serve is famed for being the size of a small child, a massive construct that you can’t possibly get in your face. This isn’t a New York Little Italy submarine shop, a Philadelphia cheesesteak mecca, a New Orleans muffuletta shop, where the sandwiches are so grandiose they should probably come with wheels.
What they serve here is modestly sized — humanly sized — sandwiches that fit well into the hand, that can be finished in a sitting, that don’t overflow the confines of the bread. These are the sort of proper sandwiches we all grew up on.
They’re also sandwiches that use a lot of cheese. It’s the minority sandwich that doesn’t feature slices of pepper jack, mozzarella, provolone, cheddar and habanero jack, along with a thick spread of mayo.
Last time I was there, I had the Ragin’ Cajun — peppery turkey, bell peppers, onion and cheese, all lightly toasted to give the bread a crunch. I ate every bite, and had room for a salad. I wasn’t hungry after, but I wasn’t stuffed, either. I was ready for a round of cribbage, however that might be played.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Send him email at mreats@aol.com.
The Original Rinaldi’s Italian Deli
Rating: 2 stars
Address: 350 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach; 323 Main St., El Segundo
Information: 310-379-9968 (Manhattan Beach); 310-647-2860 (El Segundo), www.theoriginalrinaldis.com
Cuisine: Italian deli
When: Late breakfast, lunch and early dinner, every day
Details: Soft drinks; no reservations
Atmosphere: A pair of old school, casual, easygoing Italian delis, eat in or take out, with lots of sandwiches and pastas as well but mainly sandwiches
Prices: About $12 per person
Suggested dishes: 12 Hot Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwiches ($7.95-$11.45), 9 Hot Beef & Pastrami Sandwiches ($8.45-$11.45), 17 Hot House Specialty Sandwiches ($7.95-$11.45), 6 Pescatarian & Vegetarian Sandwiches ($4.95-$9.95), 24 Cold Specialty Sandwiches ($6.95-$10.50), 8 Salads ($6-$10.95)
Cards: MC, V
