Monday, March 9, 2009

Katz's Delicatessen ~ Where Harry Met Sally


Katz's Delicatessen, is a 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, and open 365 days of the year, it has become popular among locals and tourists alike as you can see by this crowd on Saturday afternoon. It's especially known for it's thick hot pastrami sandwiches.
Each week, Katz's serves 5,000 pounds of corned beef, 2,000 pounds of salami and 12,000 hot dogs. * source

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, along with "Katz's, that's all!" which is still painted on the side of the building.

Katz's continues its "Send a salami to your boy in the army" to this day. The deli has arranged special international shipping only for U.S. military addresses and has been a source of gift packages to the troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Check their website for details.

The deli has served several U.S. presidents, including Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. The walls are lined with pictures of writers, politicians and actors and actresses, and more, who have dined at Katz's over the years.

On this visit my husband and I shared a potato knish and a hot dog with sauerkraut, and a couple of Dr. Brown sodas. Then, before we left we decided to get an egg cream soda "to go" for old times sake.
An egg cream is a classic Brooklyn beverage consisting of chocolate syrup, milk, and seltzer, and Katz's made a really good one!

Katz's has been used as a location in many movies, but the most famous is the "I'll have what she's having" scene in the movie "When Harry Met Sally." You can see a sign hanging from the ceiling pointing to the spot where actress Meg Ryan sat when this scene was filmed.

A close up of the sign. The Katz web site claims it was really their food that got her so excited!

A YouTube clip below of the "When Harry Met Sally"scene. Be prepared to blush!

(You will have to turn off my blog's music first by going to the purple playlist box on my right sidebar and pressing the two bars in the circle, which will turn the player off. Otherwise, you can double click on the Youtube below and it will open on the Youtube website.)





Or, if you prefer, you can watch a short Youtube here of some of the deli's highlights.

Eating at a delicatessen is definitely a New York experience. In time I hope to bring you to a few more!

47 comments:

RoeH said...

I'd love to go there. The food looks great.

aliceinparis said...

Terrific! I'd LOVE to visit there. A "real" NYC deli. I'll have what she had.:)

Unknown said...

Hi Pat,
There is so much in NYC!

One thing about it...you won't ever run out of blogging topics! LOL

Thanks for telling us about the restaurant. I'm going to forward this to my son.

Diane

Carol Murdock said...

Pat.........
I loved the movie! I bet they serve a mean Rueben Sandwich there!

Bo said...

Hi Pat...it is so nice of you to escort us around in NYC...I've heard of 'egg creams' but didn't know what it was...this was a fun post! Thanks, ;-) Bo

Anonymous said...

Pat, thanks so much for taking me along to Katz's. I had a great time!

Wonderful post!!

Darius T. Williams said...

I bet that was SUCH the experience!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I love that this place endures, even though I've only eaten there once. I hate seeing all the old places close down. Is Gus' Daughters pickle place still around? Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

Anonymous said...

Wow! It sure is packed in there! I've never been there before, although I've passed by several times, as it's on the way to my vet.

Paz (who loves hot dogs with sauerkraut and hasn't had a potato knish in ages and is craving both after reading your post)

Tracy said...

YES, YES, YES!! hehehe...Oh, I loved that film...and I would love to sample that deli...mmm...It was such fun to see it and hear more about it. As always, thanks for taking us along, Pat :o) Happy week, my friend ((HUGS))

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Pat, I am now officially starving! I think I need to take myself to Panera before it stops serving egg sanwiches. LOL!

See what you started! ;-)

Love ya...

XO,

Sheila :-)

"When Harry Met Sally" is one of my favorite movies! I will have to check this out the next time I'm in the City.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Oh, and my favorite deli sandwich is corned beef with swiss on egg bread with dijon mustard.

XO,

Sheila :-)

black eyed susans kitchen said...

This is pure nostalgia for me. My favorites are the hot dogs, fries and most importantly, a tongue sandwich with gravy. Haven't had that in the longest time, but just the memory of brings a smile to my face.
♥, Susan

Lora @ my blessed life said...

I was just thinking of Katz's Deli recently when I was looking at some old pics of when my husband and I went there on a NY trip in '98. *When Harry Met Sally* is one of my ALL TIME favorite movies and we had to go there and have a meal and an egg cream. It was a lot of fun!

Vee said...

I'd be so sunk in NYC! Especially a place as popular as this one. (I require quiet corners and far fewer people.)

Fun post, Pat! Your meal looked interesting, but the egg cream soda sounds mahvelous!

pammiejo said...

I loved that show and particularly that scene!! I would love that place and would make it a definite spot to dine - IF I was there! Maybe someday!! PAM

Reader Wil said...

"I'll have what she had!" That was funny! She made her point! New York is quite some city! I've never been there, but my daughter Thymeline has. She works for an American company. She is a technical draughtsman. Thanks for coming to my blog! I hope to go to NY city once and to have a meal at Katz's Delicatessen.

Nola said...

That's still one of my alltime fav movies! I'm starving for a Reuben now; what are the chances I'll find a good one down here on the prairie?

Marg said...

The movie is great and what a perfect place to grab a sandwich.
I remember eating at the European Deli. I have seen several of them in NY. They are my favorite.
They have the best Napolean Slice.

Joanne Kennedy said...

So Pat, DID you have what she had? LOL

I love that line in the movie and I heard it was ad lib and not written in the script. But everyone thought it was so funny they kept it.

Hugs,
Joanne

Anonymous said...

That looks like such a fun place to go! I love going to place with a history like that. Thank you for sharing with us. Great post!

Unknown said...

Please stop by and receive your Friendship Award from me. I just love to read blogs from fellow New Yorkers & Italians. Thanks for your lovely blog and posts! Rita

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the trip Pat. Gosh that film had me trying to swallow a cushion I was laughing so much at that scene.

Rue said...

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... I love that movie and that scene always cracks me up LOL

I want to eat there ;)

hugs,
rue

Lisa's RetroStyle said...

That is my kind of place to eat!!! I think their food would get me that kind of excited too;) Love the video clip. Fun, fun, fun!!

Lorrie said...

Pat this is a fabulous New York experience and you shared it so well with us--thanks. I do remember that scene from the movie--oh my!

imjacobsmom said...

Pat, I'd like to have what you had - LOL! What a cool post. ~ Robyn

CatHerder said...

Yum....my son just went there not long ago...i never get into the city anymore...but i did make it to HAROLDS ...you should check them out online...the sandwiches feed a family...im not kidding..their eclairs are about 3 feet long..the place is AMAZING. if you go back on my blog i have a couple videos of us eating there,...not only do you get TONS of food, the food is just amazing!

Susie Q said...

It is on my list of must dos the next time we are in NYC! And egg creams are sooooo good. : )
One of my favorite films ever...thanks for the smile tonight!

Love,
Sue

steviewren said...

Pat, I love the scene and the movie! I own the DVD and rewatch it every so often. Whenever my daughter and I feel bad we like to groan like Billy Crystal did in the scene when he is sick and talking to Meg Ryan on the phone.... aaagghhhh ....aaagghhhh....aaagghhhh....

Unknown said...

ah..I would love to go there Pat :D hope you'll have a great week, big hugs and much love, M

Linda Lou said...

Pat, memories of egg creams and our corner luncheonette...i miss those NY deli's, and the sharp toungued waitresses-and of course the best sandwiches, and the scene from from Harry Met Sally, will always bring a smile to my face.

supplies overflowing! said...

I haven't thought about egg creams in a long time- I never even knew what they were until I met my future husband's family. My mother-in-law had grown up in the Bronx- were they popular there? I don't know- but it was a new one on me. No one could believe I'd never heard of this delight. My husband still gets excited when he sees them mentioned on a menu!

Brenda said...

Great post! I LOVE NYC...there's no place like it!

Arlene Delloro said...

Wow, it's been a lot of years since I've eaten at Katz's. Did you know that the elder woman who spoke the line, "I'll have what she's having" was the director, Rob Reiner's mom? Love your NY posts, Pat.

GailO said...

There is nothing to compare with a NY deli...and my husband and I have searched! Love that movie and especially that scene...

Cynthia Pittmann said...

Wow! Send him a salami has a new meaning! I find that scene in When Harry Met Sally so funny! Thanks for visiting at Oasis and leading me to this interesting blog...I will become a follower directly. I hope you add on Oasis and we can keep in touch. Great photos! <3

Judy said...

Another great NYC tour! I had to think of my aunt...who sends her granddaughter sausages by 'expresspost' mail on a regular basis. I guess it's nothing new...mailing sausages!

Laura @ the shorehouse. said...

SO funny...when I mentioned our potential meet-up with Diane Mr. Shore House said...she should go to Katz's Deli while she's in town. And here you are (along with a comment from Diane saying she's sending it to her son :-).

There really is no place else on earth like Katz's!

Jojo said...

That was such a fun read and I loved the accompanying music! My son just got home from his tour of duty but next time I will send him a treat from Katz!

Anonymous said...

I want to go every day so I can try everything on the menu. But, mostly I do want what she had.

Anonymous said...

NY is full of movies locations, I whish I could take the whole tour, but I guess it would be a very long one!

Kat Mortensen said...

Oh, Pat! Sinatra at 7:30 a.m.! What a treat!

The place is packed, eh? Well, I suppose the movie didn't do it any harm on the popularity scale, but it looks like the food is fantastic too!

Thanks so much for this delightful exploration of one of New York's famous sites. The outside puts me in mind of the diner used on "Seinfeld" too.

Kat

Edie Marie's Attic said...

Hi Pat!

Oh what a fabulous place! I'm starting to daydream of all the possible places Chris & I might be able to see while in NYC!

What would you see next after the Statue of Liberty?

Great post Pat! I can almost smell the food cookin'!!

Hugs, Sherry

Anonymous said...

Katz is the BEST!!! It's such a generational deli in my family. My Dad frequented it with his Dad as a kid, then with his friends while in college, always getting the hot pastrami (Mammoth sammies, and perfection in every aspect), and then he would take my sister and I there as kids, and THEN we went with friends when we were older. I haven't been in a while, but seeing your post and photos brought it all back, and once I'm able to walk normally, I'm there!

BTW..pricey Stadium tickets aside, we'e in a bit of trouble minus A-Rod for a bit, not to mention he'll be playing partially injured when he comes back since they're not doing the whole surgery, yikes!

Mmm said...

this was so interesting. looks like an amazing place and I still can't believe Meg Ryan acted that on screen! crazy.

Proud Italian Cook said...

I want to eat there so bad Pat! 5000 lbs of corned beef? Wow! How about the pastrami? (my weakness)What a cool place, I love the atmosphere.