Made it down to the famous Katz Deli on my trip last week to New York. It’s a place with a unique approach to service. When you walk in you’re handed a ticket that’s used to track your purchases. Much like a parking voucher, if you lose it, you pay a $50 max upon exit. There are several unorganized lines for the grill, for sandwiches and for beverages. You have to get in a new line for each order. Seating is open and every sandwich comes with a generous selection of pickles.
We ordered the turkey and pastrami. The turkey was hot, white meat turkey with good sandwich fixin’s and decent bread. It was a little too much meat for my liking – a theme repeated with the pastrami. Maybe it’s because I’m a California wuss, but I like a sandwich a little more moist and not quite so heavy. The look of shock I got when I had the audacity to ask for lettuce and tomatoes on my pastrami force reconsideration, but in retrospect I wish I had stuck to my guns. The pastrami was good, no doubt, really nice, moist and warm, with the just right level of tenderness. There was just too much. It’s really hard for me to enjoy a sandwich that’s 90% meat. Add on the fact that it’s about $20 a sando and I don’t think I’ll go back. The pickles were just okay – not any better than something out of a jar at Safeway. Have you been to Katz? Did we order the wrong things? Let me know in the comments!