The perfect Reuben
Regarding your recent review of Reuben sandwiches ("What Is Madison's #1 Reuben?" 1/4/2013): No, no, no. It is not Stalzy's Deli that makes the best. No matter the quality of the ingredients, if the proportions are wrong, the Reuben can't taste quite right. Stalzy's meat overwhelms the other ingredients. I tried it and never repeated it.
For perfection in proportion, look to the classic succulent Reuben at Ella's Deli. Since 1960 Ella's has been bringing New York to Madison with its authentic Jewish deli. It is the gold standard by which I judge all other Reubens, and none has yet measured up.
The only bad thing Ella's ever did was to remove their house-made curly-cue thin french fries from the menu. I heard a rumor they may reintroduce them. Stay alert!
Margo Redmond
The N-word
In Marjorie Baumgarten's review of Django Unchained ("The Way We Weren't," 12/28/2012), she indicated that Quentin Tarantino should have somehow avoided using the N-word in a film taking place in pre-Civil War America and focusing on slavery. Perhaps such a word offends her sensibilities, but her suggestion to omit it is more offensive.
She might prefer to watch Django the African American Plantation Worker. I prefer to watch Django Unchained. I prefer to lose sleep over it. I prefer to still be thinking about it for weeks to come. This is not an easy movie to watch, and if one walks away from it condemning the use of the N-word, the entire point was obviously missed. Slavery is the worm at the core of our society. It always has been, and it always will be.
Heather Boggs
