I'll probably get back to New York in the next few months. I'm not sure what I'll be doing there yet but I'm fairly certain I won't be eating any deli food. That used to be part of my New York Experience but since then, the Carnegie Delicatessen has closed, the Stage Delicatessen has closed and my go-to alternative, the Ben Ash Delicatessen has closed. For years, no trip to New York was complete for me without meeting Joe Simon at the Ben Ash…and now they're both gone.
The two best delis remaining there are the Second Avenue Deli — two locations, neither on Second Avenue — and Katz's. I usually stay in or around Times Square and all three of those locations are tough to get to from there. Katz's is always mobbed and noisy — and while the food is pretty good, there's just too much of it. The sandwiches especially are too big and priced accordingly. Since my Gastric Bypass, I can't finish half of one let alone a whole one. Unless you're splitting it with a friend or heading from there back to your hotel room and your hotel room has a mini-fridge, don't order a sandwich.
Also, I like mustard on my corned beef sandwich — not deli mustard, not honey mustard, not dijon mustard, not brown mustard, not spicy mustard, not hot mustard, not German mustard, not whole grain mustard…just plain mustard, the yellow kind. If you ask for it at Katz's, they act like you want to smear your sandwich with bat guano or worse, mayonnaise. If you don't mind, I prefer my deli food without cole slaw or attitude.
Here's a video about the place featuring a young woman who is a little too impressed to be there. I mean, I like the place but not as much as she does…