Who knew you could reserve a table at Katz’s Delicatessen! I didn’t until I called to see if they’d take a group of ex.expats for a pre-meal before a tour of the Faith Reingold exhibit at the New Museum. We were able to reserve a table for 13 through their catering department by paying a deposit of $10 per person.

Since the closing of Carnegie Deli, Katz’s is the most famous remaining Jewish-style one. It’s been around since 1888. Although many of our group had never been to this iconic delicatessen before, they knew of it from film. The most classic appearance was in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally when Meg Ryan had a fake orgasm followed by director Rob Reiner’s mom Estelle’s line, “I’ll have what she’s having.” A sign hanging from the ceiling  “Where Harry Met Sally… Hope you have what she had! Enjoy” commemorates that.

I’ve read that weekly, Katz’s serves 15,000 pounds of pastrami, 8,000 pounds  of corned beef and 4,000 hot dogs. After we were seated, our friendly server placed complimentary cut pickles and pickled tomatoes on our table. We added their cole slaw ($6.95 per 1-pound portion) and crispy piled high steak fries ($7.95). Most people shared one of their deli sandwiches as they are almost too much for one person!

Some goodies that our group ate included the legendary pastrami sandwich ($24.95), the slow-brined and hand-carved corned beef sandwich ($23.95), the Reuben ($25.95), potato latkes with applesauce & sour cream ($13.95) and a half sandwich with matzoh ball soup ($20.95). The 13 of us shared two slices of  their carrot cake ($6.95).

After our lunch, we headed to the New Museum for a guided visit of “Faith Ringgold: American People,” containing over fifty years of her impactful vision. Ringgold has drawn from her autobiography to document life as an artist and mother and to amplify the struggles for social justice and equity.

Definitely worth the visit as is the Faith Ringgold exhibit at the New Museum!

Katz Delicatessen
205 East Houston Street
(corner of Ludlow St)
New York City, 10002
1-800-4HOTDOG OR (212) 254-2246
katzsdelicatessen.com