deli

The ecstasy of pastrami at Katz’s Delicatessen

The ecstasy of pastrami at Katz’s Delicatessen

Established in 1888, Katz's Delicatessen was already a New York institution when it rocketed to international fame in the rom-com When Harry Met Sally. We probably don't even have to describe the scene where Meg Ryan, as Sally, fakes an orgasm at a table in the back of the deli. She was eating a roasted turkey sandwich. We can't imagine the volume of her pleasure had she ordered Katz's famous pastrami. We've learned that it's best to be flexible about eating hours if you want to avoid the biggest crowds at New York's iconic eateries. We stopped at Katz's early one morning and the guy at the door told us that we would be able to walk right in if we returned for lunch by...Read More
Multiculturalism jazzes up the menu on the Plateau

Multiculturalism jazzes up the menu on the Plateau

Like many Montrealers, the new gentry of the Plateau prize authenticity. How else to explain the nostalgic appeal of old-fashioned restaurants from an earlier era? Francophone points of reference like La Binerie and Jewish touchstones like Schwartz's are treasures for the whole city, but they cannot be separated from the Plateau. Here are three spots to get historic tastes of Montreal when you're visiting for the Jazz Festival. Schwartz's Smoked Meat There's nearly always a line out front of this narrow deli that has occupied the same spot on The Main (as Anglophones used to call boulevard Saint-Laurent) since 1928. But it rarely takes more than fifteen minutes before you'll be seated family style at a long table. Then things move pretty quickly. Everyone orders...Read More