The late Anthony Bourdain once traveled the world seeking out the best food the world had to offer so it’s safe to say he had a pretty long list of restaurants he absolutely loved. When he wanted to indulge in a classic pastrami sandwich he knew exactly where to go: straight to Katz’s Delicatessen smack dab in the heart of New York City. Bourdain frequently spoke about his love for the classic institution even showcasing the legendary spot on a 2009 episode of his show “No Reservations” and singing the deli’s praises in several interviews. As the food critic famously said in a 2006 interview uploaded by YouTuber Yura Dashevsky “When you think of New York you think of pastrami you think of Katz’s.”
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Anthony Bourdain on What to Eat in New York City
Known for its generous portions the iconic Lower East Side deli apparently has a unique process of preparing its meats with a slower-than-normal curing method ensuring that the pastrami is packed with maximum flavor. For reference while some pastrami restaurants cure their meat for 36 hours Katz's takes 30 days. We imagine that extra time (684 hours more to be exact) makes all the difference and could be a big reason why Bourdain was such a fan.
Anthony Bourdain was no stranger to slurping down warm bowls of pho at random hole-in-the-wall joints or hunkering down over sticky countertops to devour a plate of skewered meats so it may come as a surprise to some that he frequented an institution as grand as Katz’s Deli. The restaurant was famously featured in the classic romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally” and is one of America’s must-visit delis for New Yorkers and tourists alike. Still Bourdain was a huge fan of the flavor of those pastrami sandwiches and he knew Katz’s was popular for a reason.
He admitted that maybe the rest of the world should try a Katz's sandwich at some point but he was also wary of the place becoming a franchise and losing some of its quality. He loved every part of the place as it was and as he shared in that 2006 YouTube interview "I hope it stays exactly the way it is." While Bourdain was certainly charmed by Katz's he did frequently acknowledge another classic New York restaurant that he claimed had some equally delicious pastrami offerings. That other woman was another classic New York deli known as the Pastrami Queen.
