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Katz's red neon sign is a Lower East Side landmark
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It is unclear when exactly Katz's Delicatessen became a New York landmark, but one bite into its legendary pastrami will at least tell you why. Anchored at the corner of Houston and Ludlow Streets since 1888, Katz's is the standard by which many New Yorkers gauge classic Jewish deli fare like corned beef, brisket, matzo ball soup, and the knish.
From the outside, Katz's may seem a little overwhelming. From Houston Street, peer through the front window's salami pseudo-curtain to see a grill layered with sausages and knishes, continuously manned by a restless young man in a white shirt and paper hat. Beyond that, see the plateau of white tables that, in a blink, can go from bare to beehive-busy.
And speaking of busy, there are waiters intently weaving between tables and the three long counters against the wall, yet some customers still order directly from the carvers and countermen -- for no apparent reason, just a matter of personal preference.
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| Founded in 1888, Katz's Deli is a Lower East Side staple |
"It's an anachronism and it's archaic, but it's what works here," says Fred Austin, who owns Katz's with his wife, Juli, and her brother, Alan Dell. "Some things defy explanation. But I love the way it is -- I always thought it was just me."
Austin and his partners are a product of the Katz's culture. They took over the restaurant from the Katz and Tarowsky families in 1988, somewhat on a lark, after Dell called the Austins to tell them the place was for sale.
Having grown up on the Lower East Side, the trio jumped at the chance to join its legacy despite their lack of restaurant experience. Of course, the shock of being a part of such a "heavy-caloric" entrepreneurial endeavor caught Austin a little off guard -- lending him several extra pounds within the first months of taking the reigns.
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| Bill Clinton posed for a typical Katz's photo with owner Fred Austin* |
"Everyone gains weight when they start here," Austin jokes. "You can tell how long a person's worked here by how much weight he's put on."
Austin is, simply put, a real character. If a customer happens to throw a compliment his way, expect a wisecrack. For that matter, expect a wisecrack no matter what's thrown his way. His personality is a perfect fit for the deli, where, once they get the hang of it, customers feel part of an inside joke -- like they're back home for a favorite meal.
At Katz's, it's the little things. Like the carvers behind the counters who serve up a sample of the sandwich meat they're putting together for you, almost like getting to lick the bowl while the cookies are in the oven.
It's also the layout. Tables are abundant, often full, and squeezed together so that you and your neighbor share the bond of savoring Katz's world for a few moments.
And don't forget the deli's trademarked catchphrase -- "Send a salami to your boy in the Army!" -- sure to reverberate in your head with its New York-accented sweetness. Austin explains that the salami-shipping trend has transcended the decades since World War II -- though nowadays Katz's products ship out to as many civilians as soldiers.
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| Every huge Katz's sandwich comes with a plate of pickles* |
Part of what gives Katz's Deli the family feel is Austin and Dell's omnipresence, thanks to the hundreds of photos plastering the walls. In every photo, find one of their two proud, wide smiles beside an endless stream of actors, politicians, musicians, and sports stars who can't resist Katz's brisket on rye, or potato latkes, or the hot dogs that Gourmet magazine called the best in New York.
The photos are now as much a part of Katz's as the servers' trademark light-blue jackets. Dell came up with the idea for covering the walls with them just after taking over the place -- an idea Austin resisted at first, reluctant to alter the feel of a thriving deli that hadn't changed much since it doubled in size in 1952.
"So many people are attached to the space, I didn't want to change it, necessarily," says Austin. "Here people come in and revel in the nostalgia and experience almost as much as the food."
But Katz's has earned the limelight in its own right. It's been a location for a handful of films and television shows like Donnie Brasco and Law and Order and, of course, as the site of an unforgettable pastrami-eating scene in When Harry Met Sally…
It is also a favorite of local and global politicians, from Mayor Bloomberg, to Mario Cuomo, to Al Gore joined by Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. But it's Bill Clinton's first visit that really gets Austin going. "He met everyone on the staff, looked everyone in the eye, shook everyone's hand. Then he ate a huge amount," laughs Austin.
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A glimpse of old New York in the form of Katz's Deli
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Mostly, however, Austin says Katz's clientele breaks down to about 70 percent local customers, whom he defines as "from around the region." Elaborating, he cites one young man who drove up from Philadelphia strictly for a pastrami sandwich, which is the kind of gastronomic enthusiasm that occurs fairly regularly at Katz's.
"It's astounding to me, and gratifying," says Austin, who is positive the deli is perfect just as it is. "It's organically grown in that we've always been neighborhood-driven and family-owned. People come here with their own memories. Everybody's got a favorite story about this place," he adds, in between bites of knoblewurst and sweet-potato knish.
"This is one of those joys of New York that people are either told about, or they discover it on their own," he adds. "But everyone's a friend here. We'll always make fun of you, and we'll make sure you never leave angry -- or hungry."
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* photos provided by Yura Dashevsky
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