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Katz's Delicatessen, also known as Katz's of New York City, is a kosher-style delicatessen at 205 East Houston Street, on the southwest corner of Houston and Ludlow Streets on the
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
of Manhattan in New York City."Katz's Delicatessen"
on the Zagat website
Since its founding, it has been popular among locals and tourists alike for its pastrami on rye, which is considered among New York's best. Each week, Katz's serves of pastrami, of
corned beef Corned beef, or salt beef in some of the Commonwealth of Nations, is Salt-cured meat, salt-cured brisket of beef. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained rock salt, also called "corns" of salt. Sometimes, sugar and sp ...
, of salami and 4,000 hot dogs. In 2016, Zagat gave Katz's a food rating of 4.5 out of 5, and ranked it as the number one deli in New York City.


History

According to Katz's chronology, brothers Morris and Hyman Iceland established what is now known as Katz's Delicatessen on Ludlow Street in New York's
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
. Upon the arrival of Willy Katz in 1903, the establishment's name was changed from Iceland Brothers to Iceland & Katz. Willy's cousin Benny joined him in 1910, buying out the Iceland brothers to form Katz's delicatessen. Their landlord Harry Tarowsky bought into the partnership in April 1917. However, according to food writer Robert F. Moss, records at Ellis Island indicate that Morris and Hyman Iceland immigrated to the United States in 1902. Moss states that the "Iceland Hyman delicatessen" had only opened by 1911. The construction of the
New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...
's Houston Street Line in the 1930s required the deli to move to the present side of the street, although the entrance remained on Ludlow Street. The vacant lot on Houston Street was home to barrels of meat and pickles until the storefront facade was added in the period 1946–1949. In the early part of the twentieth century, the Lower East Side was home to millions of newly immigrated families. This, along with the lack of public and private transportation, forged a solid community such that Katz's became a focal point for congregating. On Fridays, the neighborhood turned out for franks and beans, a long time Katz tradition. During the peak of the Yiddish theater, the restaurant was frequented by actors, singers and comedians from the many theaters on Second Avenue as well as the National Theater on Houston Street. During World War II, the sons of the owners – Lenny Katz and Izzy Tarowsky – were both serving their country in the armed forces, and the family tradition of sending food to their sons became established as the company slogan "Send A Salami To Your Boy In The Army". The slogan was coined by Izzy's mother Rose Tarowsky, whose son served in the South Pacific as a bomber pilot. The next change in ownership took place with the death of Willy Katz, when his son Lenny took over. In 1980, both Benny Katz and Harry Tarowsky died, leaving the store to Benny's son-in-law Artie Makstein and Harry's son Izzy. In 1988, on the 100th anniversary of its establishment, with no offspring of their own to leave the business to, Lenny, Izzy and Arthur sold Katz's to long-time restaurateur Martin Dell, his son Alan – who was a chef and a manager at a neighboring deli – and Martin's son-in-law Fred Austin. Alan’s son Jake joined the business in late 2009 and is in charge of major operations. The restaurant celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2013 marked by the restaurant opening a pop-up art gallery next door. The gallery featured original art by local New York City artists with
Baron Von Fancy Gordon Stevenson, known as Baron Von Fancy for certain artistic and commercial purposes, is a multimedia artist who lives and works in New York City. Background Baron Von Fancy was born in New York City and attended Columbia Grammar and Prepara ...
and
Ricky Powell Ricky Powell (November 20, 1961February 1, 2021) was an American photographer who documented popular culture including hip hop, punk rock, graffiti, and pop art. His photographs have been featured in ''The New York Times'', the ''New York Post' ...
among the first displayed and others rotated on a monthly basis. In 2017, Katz's opened its first auxiliary location, in the
City Point City Point of CityPoint may refer to: United Kingdom * CityPoint, an office tower in London, England United States *City Point (New Haven), a neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut * City Point, a section of the South Boston area in Boston, Massac ...
development's DeKalb Market Hall in Downtown Brooklyn, and also instituted mail-order sales. in September 2021, it was announced that Katz's Delicatessen would be partnering with
Hendrick's Gin Hendrick's Gin is a brand of gin produced by William Grant & Sons at the Girvan distillery, Scotland, and launched in 1999. The brand was created by spirits marketer Steven Grasse, while the gin itself was conceived by Lesley Gracie, a Yorkshir ...
to make
gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis''). Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...
inspired pickles. Master Distiller, Ms. Lesley Gracie collaborated with Katz’s owner Jake Dell, to create a
brine Brine is a high-concentration solution of salt (NaCl) in water (H2O). In diverse contexts, ''brine'' may refer to the salt solutions ranging from about 3.5% (a typical concentration of seawater, on the lower end of that of solutions used for br ...
that featured gin standard
juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
and cubeb berries, with an additional emphasis on
coriander Coriander (;
, a botanical shared by both Katz’s pickles and Hendrick's Gin.


Catchphrases

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 noted catchphrases. It is part of the lyrics of a song in the 1950 Martin and Lewis film '' At War with the Army'', and referenced in the Tom Lehrer song "So Long, Mom (A Song for World War III)" in the following lyric: "Remember, Mommy, I'm off to get a Commie, so send me a salami, and try to smile somehow". Katz's continues to support American troops today: the deli has arranged special international shipping for U.S. military addresses only and has been a source of gift packages to the troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Another of the deli's catchphrases is "Katz's, that's all!", which came about when a signmaker asked Harry Tarowsky what to say on the deli's sign, and Harry replied "Katz's, that's all". This was misinterpreted by the signmaker, who painted the sign as it stands today on the side of the building.


Tickets

As each customer enters Katz's, a door attendant hands them a printed, numbered ticket. As they receive their food from various stations/areas throughout the deli (separate for sandwiches, hot dogs, bottled drinks, fountain drinks, etc.), employees compute a running total of the pre-tax bill. If several people's orders are combined on a single ticket, a cashier collects the blank tickets. Katz's has instituted a "lost ticket fee". If a customer loses a ticket, an additional $50 surcharge is added to the bill. The fee's purpose, as stated by the management, is to encourage patrons to go back and find the lost ticket in the hopes of preventing theft (substituting a smaller ticket for a larger one).


In popular culture


Film

*Katz's was the site of Meg Ryan's
fake orgasm A fake orgasm occurs when a person pretends to have an orgasm without actually experiencing one. It usually involves simulating or acting out behaviors typically associated with orgasm, such as body movements, vocal sounds, and sequences of intensif ...
scene in the 1989 romantic comedy '' When Harry Met Sally...'', followed by Estelle Reiner's line "I'll have what she's having"; the table at which Ryan and Billy Crystal sat is marked with a sign that says, "Where Harry met Sally... hope you have what she had! Enjoy!" *It was the site of
Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
's character meeting with an FBI contact in ''
Donnie Brasco Joseph Dominick Pistone (born September 17, 1939), is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser ...
'' (1997). *Katz's Deli is the site for a scene in ''
Across the Universe "Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the 1969 various artists' charity compilation album ''No One's Gonna Change Our W ...
'' (2007), in which Max reveals he has been drafted into the Vietnam War. *The deli appears in the 2007 film '' We Own the Night'', starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg and Eva Mendes. *Katz's appeared in the background of the claymation movie '' Mary and Max'' (2009), in most of Max's bus stop scenes. *In the French film ''Nous York'' (2012), Manu Payet and
Dree Hemingway Dree Louise Crisman Hemingway (born December 4, 1987) is an American fashion model and actress. She gained attention playing the lead in American director Sean Baker's feature '' Starlet'' (2012). She has since become known for her high-profile ...
visit Katz's, where Fred Austin greets them at their table. *In the 2001
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
indie film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, in ...
'' Sidewalks of New York'', David Krumholtz's character Benjamin and a friend wolf down a pastrami sandwich and hot dog at Katz's. *Katz's is featured in the 2014 documentary ''Deli Man''. *Katz's appears in the 2004 film '' Looking for Kitty''. *In the film '' Off Beat'' (1986), a group of police officers enjoy a hot meal at the deli. *The contract to kill
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
's character in '' Contract on Cherry Street'' (1977) was drafted in a Katz's meat locker. * In a scene in '' Enchanted'' (2007), Nathaniel ( Timothy Spall) contacts Queen Narissa ( Susan Sarandon) from Katz's kitchen and then joins Prince Edward ( James Marsden) for lunch while trying to silence Pip the chipmunk from spilling his betrayal.


Television

*Katz's serves as a local hangout for Jim Gaffigan in several episodes of TV Land's '' The Jim Gaffigan Show'' (2015). *''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'' has filmed outside the restaurant. *''
Impractical Jokers ''Impractical Jokers'' is an American hidden camera Reality television#Hidden cameras, reality show with improvisational elements. Produced by NorthSouth Productions, ''Impractical Jokers'' premiered on truTV on December 15, 2011 starring the m ...
'' filmed for a season 4 and 8 episode inside the restaurant, as did ''
Man v. Food ''Man v. Food'' is an American food reality television series. It premiered on December 3, 2008 on the Travel Channel. The program was originally hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman. In each episode, Richman explores the "big food" o ...
''.


Gallery

File:Katzs salamis.jpg, Front window at Katz's File:katzs_tables.jpg, Tables at Katz's on a typical Sunday File:Salami at Katz's Deli.jpg, Salami File:Pastrami Sandwich.jpg, Pastrami on rye File:Corned Beef Sandwich.jpg,
Corned beef Corned beef, or salt beef in some of the Commonwealth of Nations, is Salt-cured meat, salt-cured brisket of beef. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained rock salt, also called "corns" of salt. Sometimes, sugar and sp ...
on rye


See also

*
List of delicatessens This is a list of notable delicatessens. A delicatessen is a retail establishment that sells a selection of unusual or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessens originated in Germany during the 1700s. They later spread to the United States in the m ...
*
List of the oldest restaurants in the United States This list of the oldest restaurants in the United States includes currently-operating restaurants that were founded prior to the year 1900. Most of the establishments are located in the Northeastern United States, many of them predate the Civil War ...


References

Notes


External links


Katz's Delicatessen New York (official site)
{{Authority control 1888 establishments in New York (state) Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine Ashkenazi Jewish culture in New York City Hot dog restaurants in the United States Jewish delicatessens in the United States Jews and Judaism in Manhattan Kosher style restaurants Lower East Side Restaurants established in 1888 Restaurants in Manhattan