by MARK SLUTSKY

Reuben's opened up shop on Ste-Catherine back in 1976, in the twilight of an era much more congenial to the big, old-fashioned deli than today. Times have changed, and Reuben's, which bills itself as "the last true delicatessen located in Montreal's vibrant Golden Square [Mile]" (pointedly omitting Ben's), has recently undergone a sweeping makeover, in a seeming attempt to appeal to today's restaurant-goers, with a tip of the hat to the past. Whether they actually pull it off, though, is debatable.

From the street level, the new Reuben's certainly makes more of a splash; the new scene is a wonderfully gaudy, neon-and-lightbulbs anachronism, which is a nice contrast to the now-prevalent sign style of fluorescent-illuminated plastic. Inside, the décor is now a strange Art-Deco-meets-family-restaurant-meets-country-kitchen jumble. The red booths have been re-upholstered, sporting a swank brown two-tone. Up along the wall runs a long plaster relief seemingly depicting Montreal during the Jazz Age (I deduce this from the presence of a flapper). Whole dark-wood shelving units contain heaps of rustic-seeming bread and rows of wine bottles, which contrasts strangely with those deli staples, big jars of pickled vegetables and masses of smoked meat.

The décor is strange, yes, as is the fact that we're offered a glass of wine by the waiter who seats us. But what of the food? Reuben's still boasts a mega-menu, as all good delis should, and still offers burgers, smoked meat and the usual fare. But lest they scare off the chi-chi customers, some fancier items, and a lot of salads, have been added.

My pal and I thought we'd start the evening off with some good old-fashioned onion rings ($6.49). They're not really old-fashioned any more at Reuben's, though. The restaurant now offers a rather boozy variation on the theme - beer-battered rings served with a side of Jack Daniel's-enhanced barbecue sauce. But they are good, thick and chunky with a very satisfying crunch. I couldn't really detect the bourbon in the barbecue sauce (though it had a sweet, smoky taste), but it did make for some very pleasant dipping. We washed them down with ginger ale and iced tea, both served in satisfyingly large glasses. My ginger ale tasted like any other, while my friend pronounced his iced tea "too sweet," and "nothing special."

For our main courses (funny to speak of courses - this is a deli we're talking about) my pal and I decided to do a split - he would order a more old-school dish and I would get something a little fancier. So he ordered the triple-decker grilled cheese ($7.49), and I went for the sweet smoked barbecue chicken ($11.49). The grilled cheese was a satisfying mini-tower of comfort food, made with fresh, thickly cut bread, cheddar, swiss, bacon and tomatoes. The fries were a little limp, but overall, if you're in the mood for gourmet grilled cheese, this is the one to get.

My chicken was another matter. Doused in the same barbecue sauce that accompanied the onion rings, the half-chicken was crisp and tasty on the outside but dry and boring within. The best I can say about it is that it tasted like a mediocre roast chicken coated in a nice sauce. Accompanying the chicken were a side order of grilled, marinated vegetables (zucchini, red pepper and corn niblets) and a lump of garlic mashed potatoes. Whatever they marinated the vegetables in wasn't pleasant at all - they all had a uniformly sour taste that made them almost inedible. The potatoes were sticky and lumpy, and tasted as if they'd been through a blender and then left to congeal somewhere.

No matter what efforts Reuben's is making to keep up to date with the latest in culinary mores, it seems that the old deli favourites remain the restaurant's strength. You can appreciate the effort they're making to celebrate the Montreal deli tradition of yore, but the modern touches feel out of place and more than a little depressing.

Reuben's
Address: 1116 Ste-Catherine W. (between Peel and Stanley)
Phone: 866-1029
Hours: Daily 6:30AM–2:30AM
Best features: Thick, delicious onion rings
Alcohol: Yes
Vegetarian friendly: Yes
Credit cards: Yes, but no interac
Wheelchair access: Yes
Price: $10–$15 per person before tax, tip, and wine
Rating: ** out of ****