Tzemopoulos

Foodies like myself sure do miss certain restaurants that have remained closed since the start of the pandemic. A case in point is Reuben’s Deli & Steakhouse (http://reubensdeli.com) on St. Catherine Street and Anton & James, which had a storefront on Stanley.

The Tzemopoulos family has been operating Reuben’s for more than 40 years. It is now under the RD3 Restaurant Group, which also includes Deville Dinerbar (www.devilledinerbar.com) and Anton & James.

Deville reopened last summer and has an excellent take-out and delivery process in place. And while the doors to Deville have not been formally reopened, the Tzemopoulos brothers have found a clever way to bring it back. Now you can make an order via Uber Eats or takeout, with everything prepared in the Deville kitchen. Ditto for Anton & James. It is part of the RD3 Restaurant Group’s One Kitchen Concept, essentially a growing ghost kitchen that continues to add new brands.

From the moment I learned about this development, I could barely contain my excitement. I was pleasantly surprised to see practically a full menu of Reuben’s favorites available so I arranged a pickup of multiple items to enjoy over a period of several days at the office for lunch.  

I arrived at 12:15 pm on a weekday at the Double D Pop Up Shop window and everything was ready and so neatly packed in a nice large bag.

There was a  grilled karnatzel, with some pieces of toasted pumpernickel bread and mustard; the smoked meat mac and cheese;  the roast beef melt with fries (my personal favorite of sliced roast beef served on thick grilled rye bread topped with roasted garlic mayo, sauteed onions and melted Swiss cheese); the original Reuben sandwich (a savory grilled sandwich served on thick sliced pumpernickel, piled high with a half-pound. of sliced smoked meat, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Reuben’s secret sauce); and for dessert a huge piece of Deville’s chocolate food cake (minus the ice cream), the big easy beignets and a Pepsi to wash it all down.

Now let me tell you I spread this treat over the course of four days. It is something I would highly recommend to someone who is looking for a treat, be it working from a regular office or even from home.  The Reuben’s menu also includes salads, steaks, honey crunch chicken strips, salmon, ribs poutine, steak cut onion rings, fried pickles and more.   Of course also have the option of making selections from Deville, which I did for dessert.

I made a return trip for Anton & James. It was interesting to note that in the ensuing weeks since my Reuben’s pickup I could see for myself how much business has grown. First off there was a social distanced lineup at the front and when I got to the front to pick up my order I could see a multitude of pickup bags being placed on tables. Good for the brothers!

Anton & James was launched as a trendy New York-styled café, with great pizzas and sandwiches. 

Adam tells me that this concept will likely remain under the Deville roof, even after the pandemic is over. Once again I made an order to last me a few days, starting with ry cured pepperoni (which I opted out of) and chopped smoked meat; and the BBQ Chicken has mozzarella, roasted chicken basted in BBQ sauce and caramelized onions.  I also ordered the Sweet Mac & Cheese, which made for a splendid lunch the following day and their thin and crispy French Fries. To wash it all down I had Stewart’s black cherry soda and yes, I could not resist a piece of the Deville apple pie for dessert.

Deville Dinerbar is located at 1425 Stanley Street. You can call 514-281-6556  or go directly to Uber Eats.

After months of hunkering down and planning out their steps, The Tzemopoulos family finally pushed the play button on the reopening of their trendy downtown Stanley Street Deville Dinerbar (www.devilledinerbar.com). As of this writing their sister property, the iconic Reuben’s Deli & Steakhouse will remain temporarily inactive for a while longer.

Deville is open for dine-in, curbside pickup and a truly neat takeout counter called the Double D pop up Shop, which is intended to focus on foot traffic in the area and for those who are more inclined to grab and go. They built a really nice terrasse, which can accommodate more than 60 guests.  

“During the lockdown my brothers and I remained active, strategizing for the reopening and changing our business model,” Adam said.

Adam, Jim and Anthony Tzemopoulos have also initiated top-of-the-line safety measures. The Double D pop-up shop is a quick and convenient way to experience Deville’s famous premium burgers and shakes on the go.

“Anthony was big on the pop-up shop and it has been a big success,” Adam noted. “We were aware that a lot of people like walking around downtown, so why not select some of our premium burgers an milkshakes and let people order them from a window. We even have a small tent on the side of the building with some picnic tables.”

Among other additions and highlights, Deville offers a seasonal summer menu with the best of its classics, as well as all-new summer recipes. Its incredibly creative cocktail menu is making a comeback. After strong demand, its Aloha cocktails are back along with all new alcoholic Craft Shakes. Guests of Deville Dinerbar will also enjoy the remake of their iconic “Fishbowls,” which will now be prepared in miniature form to be enjoyed individually. 

In order to comply with all government-mandated safety measures, Deville has made the security of its guests and staff an absolute top priority. Modified and flexible changes within all dining areas, to impeccable hygiene measures and rigorous staff training, Deville is set up and ready for action with the incorporation of digital menus, the restriction of movements without a mask, the reservation limited to groups of 10 people or less as well as curfews dictated by our government.

When Adam shared the news of Deville’s return, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to make a curbside pickup. It was nice to see the place busy

The Tzemopoulos family has been operating Reuben’s Deli & Steakhouse on St. Catherine Street for more than 40 years now. They operate under the RD3 Restaurant Group. 

Founded in 2011, Deville pays homage with a modern feeling to the great diners of yesterday. There is a massive bar where you can order yourself a house cocktail or Alcohol-infused Craft Shake. Deville specialties include Adam’s Beef Back Ribs, Crispy Mac and Cheese Stuffed Wontons” and signature steaks selected from 100 percent premium Canadian grass-fed beef.

There are 180 seats plus the seasonal terrasse.

The detailed and separate bar menu features classics, house cocktails, mini-fish bowls and craft shakes, with or without booze.

I decided to not only get lunch to bring back and enjoy at the office but not only for that day. It in fact lasted me three. Those crispy Mac and Cheese Wontons were a great starter. They are an original Deville creation. It took me two sittings to enjoy every morsel. Ditto for the salt and pepper calamari. Lunch number one was the diner club with fries. I ordered Adams’s famous beef back ribs for day number two. They came with fries and rolled right off the bones. I made sure my office door was closed and plenty of napkins were handy. “The level of research that went into the recipe for the ribs was insane,” Adam says. “In this city when you order ribs it is most commonly pork, but we agreed beef is a much more accommodating protein.”

Finally, as day three arrived the firebird chicken from the pop-up shop menu was my choice. A couple of desserts came with me: the big easy beignets and the apple pie, minus the ice cream and a Little Havana mocktail.

I cannot wait for Reuben’s to be back in business!

Deville Dinerbar is located at 1425 Stanley Street near St. Catherine. For more information call 514.281.6556, email info@devilledinerbar.com or log on to www.devilledinerbar.com. The hours of operation are Monday to Thursday. Noon to 10 pm;  Friday and Saturday, Noon to midnight; and Sunday,  3 pm to 10 pm.