Sentence 1: After a morning of Thrift Store hunting, a friend and I were thinking of lunch, and he suggested Emil's after he'd seen Chris Sebak do a bit on it and had tried it a time or two before, and I had not. Sentence 2: He said they had a decent Reuben, but to be prepared to step back in time. Sentence 3: Well, seeing as how I'm kind of addicted to late 40's and early 50's, and the whole Rat Pack scene, stepping back in time is a welcomed change in da burgh...as long as it doesn't involve 1979, which I can see all around me every day. Sentence 4: And yet another shot at finding a decent Reuben in da burgh... Sentence 5: well, that's like hunting the Holy Grail. Sentence 6: So looking under one more bush certainly wouldn't hurt. Sentence 7: So off we go right at lunchtime in the middle of...where exactly were we? Sentence 8: At first I thought we were lost, driving around a handful of very rather dismal looking blocks in what looked like a neighborhood that had been blighted by the building of a highway. Sentence 9: And then...AHA! Sentence 10: Here it is! Sentence 11: And yep, there it was. Sentence 12: This little unassuming building with an add-on entrance with what looked like a very old hand painted sign stating quite simply 'Emil's. Sentence 13: We walked in the front door, and entered another world. Sentence 14: Another time, and another place. Sentence 15: Oh, and any Big Burrito/Sousa foodies might as well stop reading now. Sentence 16: I wouldn't want to see you walk in, roll your eyes and say 'Reaaaaaalllly?' Sentence 17: This is about as old world bar/lounge/restaurant as it gets. Sentence 18: Plain, with a dark wood bar on one side, plain white walls with no yinzer pics, good sturdy chairs and actual white linens on the tables. Sentence 19: This is the kind of neighborhood dive that I could see Frank and Dino pulling a few tables together for some poker, a fish sammich, and some cheap scotch. Sentence 20: And THAT is exactly what I love. Sentence 21: Oh...but good food counts too. Sentence 22: We each had a Reuben, and my friend had a side of fries. Sentence 23: The Reubens were decent, but not NY awesome. Sentence 24: A little too thick on the bread, but overall, tasty and definitely filling. Sentence 25: Not too skimpy on the meat. Sentence 26: I seriously CRAVE a true, good NY Reuben, but since I can't afford to travel right now, what I find in da burgh will have to do. Sentence 27: But as we sat and ate, burgers came out to an adjoining table. Sentence 28: Those were some big thick burgers. Sentence 29: A steak went past for the table behind us. Sentence 30: That was HUGE! Sentence 31: And when we asked about it, the waitress said 'Yeah, it's huge and really good, and he only charges $12.99 for it, ain't that nuts?' Sentence 32: Another table of five came in, and wham. Sentence 33: Fish sandwiches PILED with breaded fish that looked amazing. Sentence 34: Yeah, I want that, that, that and THAT! Sentence 35: My friend also mentioned that they have a Chicken Parm special one day of the week that is only served UNTIL 4 pm, and that it is fantastic. Sentence 36: If only I could GET there on that week day before 4... Sentence 37: The waitress did a good job, especially since there was quite a growing crowd at lunchtime on a Saturday, and only one of her. Sentence 38: She kept up and was very friendly. Sentence 39: They only have Pepsi products, so I had a brewed iced tea, which was very fresh, and she did pop by to ask about refills as often as she could. Sentence 40: As the lunch hour went on, they were getting busy. Sentence 41: Emil's is no frills, good portions, very reasonable prices, VERY comfortable neighborhood hole in the wall... Sentence 42: kind of like Cheers, but in a blue collar neighborhood in the 1950's. Sentence 43: Fan-freakin-tastic! Sentence 44: I could feel at home here. Sentence 45: You definitely want to hit Mapquest or plug in your GPS though. Sentence 46: I am not sure that I could find it again on my own...it really is a hidden gem. Sentence 47: I will be making my friend take me back until I can memorize where the heck it is. Sentence 48: Addendum: 2nd visit for the fish sandwich. Sentence 49: Excellent. Sentence 50: Truly. Sentence 51: A pound of fish on a fish-shaped bun (as opposed to da burgh's seemingly popular hamburger bun). Sentence 52: The fish was flavorful, the batter excellent, and for just $8. Sentence 53: This may have been the best fish sandwich I've yet to have in da burgh.