No trip to NYC is complete without a visit to a delicatessen, and the two of the most notorious delis in NYC are Carnegie Deli and Katz's Delicatessen. My hubby insisted that we hit one or the other on this trip, and since he's the one who wanted to go, I let him choose which one we would go to. He ended up choosing Katz's, because 1) he's been to Carnegie Deli, and 2) it's on Anthony Bourdain's list of top 10 places in NYC.
It's been around since 1888 (that's 124 years!), and while being in business for that long doesn't necessarily mean that it's the best, it certainly says A LOT in a city like NYC where there is an abundance of deli-style restaurants all competing for your business.
At 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, there was a line out the door. But don't worry, it moves quickly.
Be sure you get one of these tickets on the way in, and don't lose it. When you go to the counter to place your order, the butcher will mark your ticket with the price. Not everyone's ticket will be marked, but everyone needs to turn in their ticket before exiting the restaurant. If you lose your ticket, they'll charge you $50.
After entering the restaurant, you can either proceed straight to the lines to get your food (while the other people in your party search for a table in the back) or check-in with the guy at the door and wait for "table service".
Here's a snapshot of the madness at 3pm! Good thing there is a guard at the door that controls the number of people coming in to the restaurant.
Nice looking sausages hanging in the window.
Here's what many people come for - the pastrami sandwich. The meat is hand-carved right before your eyes. I could not believe how satisfying this sandwich was. The meat was perfectly smoked and very juicy.
Was it worth the wait and chaos? Most definitely.
Katz's Delicatessen
205 E Houston Street
(212) 254-2246
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