Katz's Delicatessen
Katz's Delicatessen, also known as simply Katz's Deli, is a Jewish kosher style delicatessen on the Lower East Side of New York City, located at 205 E. Houston Street, on the south-west corner of Houston and Ludlow Streets, in Manhattan.
Since its founding in 1888, it has become popular among locals and tourists alike for its pastrami sandwiches and hot dogs, both of which are widely considered among New York's best.[1] Each week, Katz's serves 5,000 pounds of corned beef, 2,000 pounds of salami and 12,000 hot dogs.[2]
The pastrami sandwich at Katz's was featured on the 2002 PBS documentary, Sandwiches That You Will Like.
During World War II, Katz's encouraged parents to "send a salami to your boy in the army" which became one of the deli's famous catch phrases,[3] along with "Katz's, that's all!" which is still painted on the side of the building. The former phrase is referenced in the Tom Lehrer song "So Long Mom (A Song for World War III)", with the lyric "Remember Mommy, I'm off to get a commie, so send me a salami, and try to smile somehow". Katz is also well known for its Pro-Israel pictures/plaques and photos placed along its wall.
Katz's was the site of Meg Ryan's famous "I'll have what she's having" fake orgasm scene in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally...; the table at which she and Billy Crystal sat, is clearly marked with a sign that says "Where Harry met Sally...hope you have what she had!". [4] It was also the site of Johnny Depp's character meeting with an FBI contact in Donnie Brasco.[3]
The deli has served its food to several U.S. presidents, including Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. The walls are lined with pictures of famous people - actors, writers, politicians, and more - who have dined at Katz's. A documentary film entitled "Katz's: That's All!" [1] is presently in production in New York to be released in 2008, as the biggest and oldest Jewish delicatessen in the world turns 120.
This deli was featured in the 2007 film [i]Across the Universe (movie)[/i].
References
- ^ New York City Travel Guide: Katz's Deli, accessed September 24, 2006
- ^ Citysearch: Katz's Deli, accessed September 24, 2006
- ^ a b The New York First Company: There's Nothing More New York Than Katz's, accessed September 24, 2006
- ^ "Salamis to Fend Off Military Blandness", The New York Times, May 22, 1991. p. C8
Photo gallery
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Front window at Katz's. -
Tables at Katz's on a typical Sunday. -
Salami.
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Hot Pastrami on Rye and a Dr. Brown's.
