Aka where you’ll find the best pastrami sandwich.

And I mean the best.

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I’m not a huge pastrami fan. I’ve always had them too dry and tasteless. The meat made me feel like my arteries were clogging up right then and there.

But all of that changed when I had a warm, delicious bite of pastrami from Katz’s Deli.

Katz’s Delicatessen, when it is not known in New York City as the absolute best place to get a pastrami sandwich, is also known from a scene in the classic film, When Harry Met Sally. Yes, it is that scene. The scene where Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm in front of Billy Crystal, and the rest is history. “I’ll have what she’s having,” a woman slyly said after witnessing the iconic scene.

They don’t make ’em like Nora Ephron anymore. The movie is where the motel learned about the infamous deli spot in the first place. Leave it to iconic movies to determine where you’ll eat for dinner!

It was certainly worth it though. The place has been open since 1888, and at this point is not only a deli, but somewhat of a historical landmark. How amazing is that? It is truly one of the things I love about New York City: there is a living piece of history around every corner, even if you might not know it.

It was a rainy day in New York City when I finally stumbled my way into Katz’s. The doorman handed me a ticket and said sternly, “Don’t lose that.” I didn’t quite know what he meant, but trotted along.

There are several stands where you can place your order and apparently, it’s best to know what you want and move quick, otherwise they’ll yell at you. Not in a mean way, but in the blunt New Yorker kind of way. It’s their quirk.

Regardless, you’re free to sample things at the stand. The cutter handed me a thin slice of their signature pastrami and oh boy, once it hit my tongue, I was a goner.

I had found myself in pastrami heaven.

The meat is juicy and flavorful, but not too overpowering. It melts in your mouth in the best way possible — I couldn’t get enough of it! The meat had exceeded my expectations.

Katz’s still does things the old fashioned way. They mark your order on the ticket you were given at the door. You get your food, sit down, then pay at the cashier up front after you’ve finished eating.

This is a paying process that they’d kept since the olden days. I found it to be quite refreshing and, in a way, challenging. It was fun to observe the way they did things back in the day. When else will you get an experience like this? I had to admire their diligence in preserving their historical essence.

If only a Katz’s existed around every corner but sadly, they don’t. That is perhaps what makes them special. Regardless, it is a place I hold in high regard and would happily come back to. Not only was a movie filmed there, BTS has eaten there, and it is basically a NYC staple, but it is also a standing piece of living history that warms the soul.

And our stomachs!