Man Bites Dog: New York Times Restaurant Critic Reviews Legendary Deli
In a move certain to infuriate upscale chefs and restaurateurs in New York (who mistakenly believe the Times' restaurant critic should stick to reviewing fancypants restaurants), the Times' Frank Bruni devotes his review today to a delicatessen. Not just any deli, of course. But the beloved institution Katz's.
He was spurred on by all the rumors floating around that Katz's might be sold. Frank correctly identifies just about all the must-have items on the Katz's menu; pastrami, corned beef, and knoblewurst. But he also talks up the virtues of the Katz's turkey sandwich. Even if the turkey is surprisingly moist, there is still no reason to order a turkey sandwich at Katz's. If a turkey sandwich is what you're after in New York, go to a Viand Coffee Shop.
Also Frank says that "the turkey says a lot about the restaurant's pride in what it serves." Unfortunately that pride doesn't extend to the awful french fries (when I was growing up Katz's fresh french fries were legendarily delicious), the pretty dreadful matzo ball soup, the terrible potato pancakes and knishes, and the generic cole slaw not made on premises that is identical to the cole slaw found at Smiler's and hundreds of other faceless delis and coffee shops in New York.
His only comment on the hot dogs, which are indisputably delicious and one of the highlights of the Katz's menu, is that they are markedly inferior to the knoblewurst. I love the knoblewurst, too (though they can toughen if they have been on the grill too long), but Katz's hot dogs do rock.
For more on Katz's hot dogs and pastrami, here are a couple of choice morsels from stories I wrote for the Times. Serious Eats offers them up free of charge.
"You know those hot dogs that you know and love, and can't wait to eat this time of year? The ones served at Katz's Delicatessen, Gray's Papaya, Papaya King, the legendary Dominick's truck in Queens and the best "dirty water dog" carts?"
"They're all the same dog, manufactured by Marathon Enterprises, of East Rutherford, N.J., the parent company of Sabrett. They may vary in size, preparation and condiment selection (and Papaya King has Marathon add a secret spice to its mixture), but they're the same ol' dog. In fact, until a few years ago, Marathon made Nathan's hot dogs."
"Classic New York delis have a long and proud hot-dog-serving tradition. Sure, Katz's, on East Houston Street, serves that same old dog, but its 100-year-old trick is to leave the franks on the grill long enough so that the exterior is nice and crisp and the interior stays juicy."
"The countermen at Katz's still cut the pastrami by hand. The meat is very juicy, flavorful and usually extremely tender. The experience of eating it is rivaled only by the ritual of its order and preparation, in which the the counterman pulls a navel from the steam box in back of him and then slices meat for your sandwich in the manner of a surgeon. Invariably, he will offfer you a taste, put forth on a small plate. If the pastrami seems understeamed or a little tough, don't be afraid to ask for another pastrami that has been steaming longer in the metal box."
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5 Comments:
i was a little disappointed that the NYT only gave it one star.
CambridgeFoodie at 10:25AM on 05/30/07
Sorry, Ed, I have to disagree about the turkey. I am a Katz's pastrami traditionalist myself(I can't resist it when I am there), but my wife is a huge fan of the turkey. It is extra moist and delicious, and is my favorite NYC turkey sandwich. In any large group of out-of-towners who I take to Katz's, there is always one person who wants something delicious but perhaps slightly more healthy than the usual fatty Katz staples. After telling this person that they are clearly insane, I always point them at the turkey.
Viand used to be my favorite, but I've had a couple of pretty bad Viand turkey sandwiches, and I've never tasted a bad Katz's turkey sandwich. Lack of consistency has brought Viand down a peg in my eyes.
empath at 12:42PM on 05/30/07
Interesting, empath. I am going to have to hit Katz's in the next couple of days and try the turkey sandwich. I do agree with you that the Viande turkey sandwich is not what it used to be. Too many locations now, I guess.
Ed Levine at 1:21PM on 05/30/07
"all the rumors floating around that Katz's might be sold"
Egads! Could it be the day is coming that we'll have to visit Romania for a decent pastrami sandwich? (do they even have them there?) Just this weekend my 87-yr-old Jewish mother was bemoaning the fact that she can't find an uncooked corned beef anywhere in town, including at her old reliable kosher butcher.
I'm all for change and enjoy many wonderful foods that weren't locally available five years ago, let alone the 12 decades Katz's has been around. But maybe someone should start thinking about opening a food museum, where the disappearing old standbys of all cultures will still be prepared and eaten. Kind of a culinary Colonial Williamsburg.
kqrbob at 1:28PM on 05/30/07
I've been eating at Katz' for over fifty years and still get there for a
pastrami sandwich a couple of times a year. Simply none better.
If Katz' disappears we lose another icon. And so it goes.
Funny story: my wife is Chinese, we live in Greenwich Village and for many years we hosted Thanksgiving, Christmas and Chinese New Year's parties for her very large family (30-40 guests). But we always started with a lunch take-out order from Katz' . Pastrami, corned beef, brisket, turkey, salami and a couple loaves of rye bread. That lunch was always more popular than whatever meal followed for dinner.
toolminer at 8:50PM on 05/30/07