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Katz's Delicatessen
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On a three-day visit to New York, reviewers Steve and Jackie were seeking “real New York” food experiences. At
Katz’s Delicatessen, located at the corner of Houston and Ludlow streets in the Lower East Side, we found a confluence of food, history, and atmosphere that could only exist in New York.
Katz’s is a family-run New York institution that is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. It has been in its current location since 1917.
The Lower East side is an historic neighborhood, home of many immigrant groups, including Jews, Italians, Poles, Ukrainians, and Germans, and more recently Japanese, Chinese and muslim immigrants. It was also home to a booming “Bargain District” market, which remains in a few Orchard Street stores, and the Essex Street Market.
From the outside,
Katz’s is unassuming, with a tall, old-fashioned sign that dates back to the 1930s. Other signs, one advertising wurst fabrics, also decorate the outside.
Inside, the walls are filled with pictures of the many of the famous people who have visited the Deli. There’s a picture of Franklin Roosevelt from when he was Governor of New York, and many with President Clinton, including one with the whole staff.
Katz’s is also, famously, where Harry met Sally: an overhanging circular sign with the writing, “Where Harry met Sally...hope you have what she had!” and an arrow pointing downward, hangs overhead the table where Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan sat in Rob Reiner’s film. The area behind the counter is filled with hanging salamis and a neon sign, advertising, “Mail Order Dept., Send A Salami.”
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Behind the Counter
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When Kevin Albinder, the manager, introduced himself to us, he told us he’d only been there for 27 years, and so was a “new” employee. Kevin emphasized that the deli is successful because it is family run, and they do everything themselves.
“What we do here is really authentic deli,” he said. “The meats are done the old-fashioned way, cured in-house, for three weeks. Almost everywhere else in the country they inject the meat with a curing solution, so it only takes 2 or 3 days, but it’s not the real thing.”
“Most of the other things we have here are hand-made, like the latkes – the potato pancakes. We still do the pickling ourselves here.”
“We’re still one of the only places that carve sandwiches by hand with a knife. We’ll give you a little taste, see if you like it, then slice it up for you, people seem to like that. We have been around so long that it’s the kind of place generations come one after the next. We have people my parents’ age and my grandparents’ age saying they came around here when they were a kid.”
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Steve and Kevin
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The first dish Kevin brought out was latkes, which Steve and Jackie both found crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside. Sour cream and applesauce were both a perfect complement, though they would have been fine without either.
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Latkes like Grandma used to make (or maybe better)
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Katz’s is best known for their Pastrami sandwich. Kevin brought a towering Pastrami sandwich, along with a plate of sweet and sour dill pickles. For the record, Jackie does not normally like pastrami, corned beef or other cured meats, finding them too salty. Steve has often had the experience of eating pastrami that has the texture of Canadian bacon—thick and a little rubbery.
The Pastrami at
Katz’s though, was not salty at all, and was tender and juicy. It was, said Jackie, “like a little bit of heaven.” Steve thought it was hands down the best Pastrami he’d ever had.
Kevin explained why: “The pastrami isn’t salted, it’s a combination of flavors, smoky— the outside has pepper and sugar, and other spices—kind of a sweet, peppery, smoked flavor.” The pastrami is also steamed for at least an hour and a half so it’s tender, and the meat at
Katz’s is carefully screened so that it’s not too lean. The fat content keeps it tender and juicy.
Katz’s also cures their own meat. Steve’s experience with pastrami that has the consistency of Canadian bacon is the result, Kevin said, of using meat that’s too lean.
Steve then asked where the spices came from. “I can’t tell you the littled nuanced secrets of the great pastrami at
Katz’s,” Kevin smiled. Every great restaurant has its secrets...
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Amazing Pastrami
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Kevin then brought out what he described as “the unsung hero of Katz’s”: brisket that was so light it fell apart with the touch of a fork. “Would be great with a little horseradish,” Steve said. Though it was also great without.
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A Bissel of Brisket
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Steve then rhapsodized about tongue his grandmother had made as a child, and lo and behold, Kevin brought out a few slices of tongue. The tongue was light and creamy, and, like the Pastrami, is cured by
Katz’s, and steamed for an hour and a half. With the mustard? Perfect.
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Tongue
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Lastly, Steve mentioned he had never had Matzo Ball soup. Never? Kevin could not let him leave without trying this. The soup was rich, the matzoh ball light and fluffy, a perfect comfort food for a cool autumn day.
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Matzo Ball Soup
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Jackie asked about one of the signs hanging overhead, this one advertising: “Senda salami to your boy in the army!”
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Senda Salami
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“We’re also famous for the salamis, and our send a salami program,” Kevin explained. “The original owners’ sons went overseas in World War II, so they started sending them hard salamis which were aged and don’t need refrigeration. Then they took out an ad, ‘Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army’ – it rhymes when you say it in New York, ‘cuz there’s no ‘r’ in ‘Army’. Now we do it through the website, you can send a salami to any military location, displaced New Yorkers that can’t find good deli, college kids…”
Katz's is a must-visit in New York. Steve suspects Sally's famous filmed reaction was inspired by pastrami with dill pickles. Delicatessen has a special status in New York, the deli capital of the world, and
Katz's treats its pilgrims with reverence, with generous portions and a friendly, helpful staff. Even if you're not a deli fanatic, this is the place that will convert you.
Katz’s Delicatessen: 205 E. Houston Street, New York, NY 10002
PH: 212-254-2246 or 1-800-4HOTDOG
http://www.katzdeli.com/
Hours: Su, We, Thu: 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m., Mo-Tue: 8:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., F&S: 8:00 a.m. to 2:45 a.m.
Senda salami: http://www.katzdeli.com/shopping/index.php?cat=salami
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