My friend Jay McCarthy spent over a decade at Ryan’s Wake in Troy, NY. With a strong culinary background—including time at the Culinary Institute of America and working in NYC kitchens—Jay brought his experience back home to elevate the menu and expand the catering side of this local hot spot.
Revamping the kitchen was no small task. It meant overhauling equipment, sourcing new ingredients, and finding the right vendors to deliver on quality. The result? A menu filled with crowd favorites—one of the standouts being a sandwich bold enough to carry the name:
The Best Reuben You’ve Ever Had.
And it lives up to the hype.
What sets this Reuben apart starts with the corned beef. Jay’s process involves breaking down the fat slowly, using none other than Utica Club—a beloved lager in Upstate New York—to tenderize and flavor the meat over a 12-hour cook. From there, every element is chosen with care: locally sourced ingredients, housemade Russian dressing, and a generous helping of that beer-braised beef. No shortcuts.
The Reuben is just one example of Jay’s impact on Ryan’s Wake. And while he’s since moved on to pursue new culinary ventures, his fingerprints remain all over the menu. If you’re in the Troy area, grab lunch at Ryan’s Wake—you’ll still taste the legacy he left behind.
Before Jay showed me the magic behind that Reuben, he stepped behind the bar to share his Take ’N Plate—his favorite show, movie, and go-to meal.
Jay prefers shows over movies. He likes the extended storytelling, the deeper character development, and the time to fully invest in a narrative. That said, his favorite movie is The Departed—which just so happens to be mine too.
As for shows, his top pick is Peaky Blinders—a series widely praised for Cillian Murphy’s breakout performance before he went on to star in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
And when it comes to food? Jay’s choice is duck breast—ideally dry-aged and roasted on the bone.
