KATZ'S DELICATESSEN

205 E. Houston St. (at Ludlow St.) NYC (212) 254-2246

Annually I embark on a pilgrimage to the east coast for my New York City food and cultural extravaganza.  It is basically one hedonistic week of eating, drinking, clubbing, live performances, art appreciation, and shopping.  This year my culinary experiences included Babbo, Ess-A-Bagel, Blue Ribbon, Gray's Papaya, John's of Bleeker, Per Se, Two Boots, Amy's Breads, Barney Greengrass, Zabar's, lots of street venders, and of course Katz's delicatessen.

Located on Manhattan's lower east side, Katz's is old school New York.  Founded in 1888 by a Russian immigrant family, this delicatessen has served generation after generation, creating an iconic status rivaled by few other dining establishments.  Katz's is many things to many people, but for me, it's all about the pastrami.

As a bit of background, Katz's pastrami starts its life as a beef brisket.  Next, using old world preservation techniques, the brisket is cured in spiced brine for up to 30 days, using no chemicals or additives.  Once cured you basically have an uncooked "corned beef".  After rinsing and drying, a black pepper based dry rub is applied.  Finally the corned beef is gently smoked, producing finshed pastrami.

Katz's pastrami holds legendary status among New York delicatessen acolytes.  Having heard the hype, I had to judge for myself.  Following local convention, I placed my order at the main counter, and simultaneously inserted a one dollar gratuity into the sandwich makers tip cup.

My order was for pastrami on rye with a combination of full and half sour pickles.  At a separate station I requested side dishes of house made potato salad, and house made coleslaw.  After my order was filled, I found an empty table, and prepared to feast.

I obviously had to try the Pastrami on Rye first.

A common problem with pastrami is it can become dry from the smoking process.  Katz's was moist and juicy.  The meat was also excruciatingly tender, no pastrami jerky here.  Pastrami can be exceedingly fatty when the brisket is prepared improperly, but Katz's had just the right amount of fat which provided flavor, and moisture retention.  The flavor was peppery, with hints of coriander, bay leaf, and mild smoke.  The rye bread was ultra fresh with just the right firmness, crispy crust, and solid flavor.  Although this sandwich did not possess the colossal proportions of Carnegie Deli's skyscraper sized offerings, when judged on flavor, and quality, Katz's won hands down.   This was the best pastrami, and the best pastrami sandwich, I have ever had.

Next I sampled the House Made Potato Salad.

This was the quintessential New York deli style potato salad.  The potatoes were soft, but not mushy.  There was lots of tangy dressing which made the salad very creamy.  This was a simple, well executed potato salad.

It was time to try augmenting my pastrami on rye with some of the House Made Coleslaw.

I absolutely love coleslaw on deli sandwiches.  The slaw was a simple preparation of shredded cabbage, carrots, and lots of wet, creamy dressing.  I spooned a big dollop on the sandwich, waited for the rye bread to absorb some dressing, and then too a big, glorious bite.  It was pure nirvana.

Next I sampled Katz's pickle offerings.

The longer a pickle is fermented the more sour it becomes.  Full sours are cured for at least 45 days, and are prized by aficionados.  Katz's were intense to say the least.  I tasted fresh garlic, spices, and saltwater flavors.  Oh yeah, and they were sour, very sour.

Half sours are cured much more quickly in a low-salt brine.  The halfs were crisper than the fulls, and retained a refreshing cucumber flavor.  They exhibited a slight tartness, and were robust yet fruity.  I preferred the half sours, and though I am loath to admit it, the full sours were a bit too much for me.

Although I did not partake, (there was late night street food on my radar this evening) Katz's had a nice looking dessert counter that offered New York style cheesecake, as well as other sweet items.

I went to Katz's with very high expectations regarding their house made pastrami, and I was not disappointed.  The pastrami is absolutely phenomenal, and it provided a truly transcendent food experience.  Are we talking white truffle risotto?  No.  But if anyone tries to sell you the "hey, it's only pastrami, how good can it be?" line, don't buy it.  They just have not been to Katz's.

As a point of interest, Kirk K. of mmm-yoso fame and I will be visiting Los Angeles in December for a food blogging weekend.  While there, I plan on noshing at Langer's delicatessen to try their famous house made pastrami.  It will be fun and interesting to compare and contrast Langer's pastrami with Katz's version.  This will be a west coast versus east coast showdown, and of course, I will share all my findings here.

Comments

[Kirk]

I think noshing is too mild a term for what what we'll be doing at "Langer's"......

[Birdie]

I cannot wait to see your next review as I have been to both. It is cool for me to revisit in my mind!

[Captain Jack]

Hey Kirk,
Hmmm, how about "Push the limits of gluttony"?

Hi Birdie,
I am glad the review brings back good memories for you. Thanks for stopping by.

[Jim]

Hey Jack,

After seeing your first post on NY, I can now understand the need for the oyster diet prior to leaving!

[Scott]

Yum! What a great report - more NY reports on the way?

[Captain Jack]

Hey Jim,
Yup, Yup, see what I was in for?

Thanks Scott,
It is always nice to receive compliments from a fellow food blogger. I do have a couple more NYC reports.

[Alice Q. Foodie]

Did you say Per Se? My ears are perked!

[Christina]

I dream about the Pastrami's at Katz's. Everytime I'm in NYC that is a must have. There is nothing like it.

[Chubbypanda]

Panda likey pastrami.

That's a truly gorgeous sandwich. Not a shred of fat to be seen in the pastrami, yet you describe it as moist and flavorful. Maybe someday...

- Chubbypanda

[Captain Jack]

Hi Christina,
It is definitely on my permanent rotation.

Hey CP,
If you like pastrami, you gotta make it to Katz's.

[james]

Great review of Katz's! The hot dogs and knishes are great there as well.

The most impressive thing there was the sign up stating that Bill Clinton ate a whole sandwich, fries, potato salad, a hot dog, ginger ale and coffee. An extremely impressive amount of food - even if he did get the turkey!

An added benefit there is that I have found all the counter guys to be gruff at best. The last time I was there, the hot dog guy graphically described what he would do to a co-workers wife and wondered how such an ugly guy married a such a hot woman. (language cleaned up for publication). All in all- perfect NY service!

[Captain Jack]

Hi James,
I guess ol' Billy Boy can really eat. I am not so sure about his ordering prowess however, turkey? You are right, the counter guys definately give Katz's a gruff, New York Vibe. I am glad you liked the review.

[FoodieFriday]

Hey Capt Jack,
I went to NYC for the first time in 2004 and I had a stop at Katz's not knowing I was at the Mecca of pastrami. You described it perfectly! I dream about that sandwich. I stumbled onto a pizza place too where I had the best pizza of my life but I was on such a food high I forgot to get the name of the place. Have fun with KirkK in LA. I am jealous and cannot wait for those reviews. Love your blog!

[Captain Jack]

Hey FF
Thank you for the kind words. So you dream about Katz'z pastami huh? Hey it makes perfect sence to me. LA with Kirk will be a blast. We are staying in little Tokyo, god only knows what he will have me eating!

[FoodieFriday]

Capt Jack, I cannot wait to hear about you, Kirk and LA!

[FoodieFriday]

I see I already said the same thing about your trip to LA--must have been zoning on the pastrami dream!