Orgasmic eats at another NYC classic - Katz Deli

Jewish Deli food is a serious must for anyone staying in the Big Apple. Chicken noodle soup, creamy chopped liver and sky-high pastrami sandwiches are all typical dishes in these much-loved NYC institutions, perfect for a quick bite during the day or a sobering snack at the end of a long night out.

The Classic NY Deli, Katz

Katz Deli, year upon year, tops lists as the number one deli in New York. Their pastrami sandwiches draw in locals and tourists the world over, who come in the hope of leaving as pleased as Sally was in the famous scene from the well-known and loved rom-com, When Harry Met Sally.

 

While I refrained from reenacting the scene, it was fair to say my pastrami sandwich was, well...pretty orgasmic. Flavorsome, soft rye bread encapsulates the two-to-four week cured beef, which is salty, soft and filled with flavor.

The famous Katz deli sandwich, and me working how quite how to conquer it

The beef used to make these serious sandwiches has been cured, rubbed, smoked, boiled, and lastly steamed for ultimate flavor and texture. The results of this laborious process? Some absolutely beautiful meat covered in a peppery skin with a melt-in-your-mouth softness for texture. The selection of pickles which come along with your sandwich add a great vinegary tang to each bite, and with a touch of mustard I'd say this sandwich reaches its peak of perfection. 

Pickles + pastrami = paradise

Despite the gigantic portion of pastrami I had just confronted, I was eager to try out some of the desserts on offer. New York cheesecake was a no-brainer, but I was left curious about a noodle pudding, also know as a  kugel or lokshen pudding. My mum told me it was a traditional Jewish dessert made up of cooked pasta, and that she had only ever know herself and her own mum to be fans. Given that it got the thumbs up from none other than mama and grandma Bidmead, I felt it was only right to give it a go, despite how weird it sounded. 

Kugel or Lokshen pudding, and the classic NYC cheesecake

The noodle pudding was pretty much as described - thick, pasta-like noodles cooked and compacted together, mixed in with raisins and baked. Obviously that isn't all there is to this dish, and the addition of tasty and health-giving things such as cream and butter resulted in what turned out to be quite a tasty dessert. Perhaps I wouldn't jump to order it again, and may potentially prefer to keep my pasta as part of my main, but I did actually enjoy it. As for the cheesecake...it didn't stay around long. With practically no biscuit base, it was a slice of pure, unadulterated cream cheese delight. 

Katz Deli was as much a cultural activity as visiting a New York city museum or gallery. From the packed out dining room to the chaotic ticket system used to pay the bill to the cashier out front, it felt like we were seeing some real New York City action. Who cares if it's mainly filled with foreign tourists staring hopelessly at their 7-inch sandwiches and the fact that the process of getting served is a bit chaotic? Sit down, roll up your sleeves, and have what she had in New York Cities number one deli. 

BidmeadBites in Brooklyn : Smorgasburg food market and Trini food in Crown Heights

A short subway ride from Manhattan,  Williamsburg is the hipster hub of Brooklyn - we knew we had arrived when we saw the sea of excessively bearded men and checked duffel shirts. It's a great place to just mosey around and has plenty of trendy bars, restaurants and quirky shops, including a big junk store and an indoor market. We ended up in Williamsburg on a Saturday, in search of Smorgasburg food market, which is described as an 'outdoor flea food market' with 100 vendors. There was an immense array of food on offer - brilliant fusion foods such as Asian hot dogs, Mexican-Japanese, along with some innovative veggie foods, including a whole stand devoted to beetroot burgers.

There are lots of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans in NYC and I'd been keen to sample some of their typical dishes since our arrival. Although a lot of it is pretty similar to Colombian food, both these cuisines make mofongo - mashed green plantain which can be filled with vegetables, meat or fish. Mofon-go was one of the stalls in the market, and the menu was simple - mofongo (surprisingly), filled with either chicken or vegetables. I went for the chicken, which came with chicharrón (fried pork crisps), and a wonderful tomato sauce, filled with olives and oodles of flavor.

My Smorgasburg delight - mofongo with chicken and chicharrón

My lovely mother decided she wanted something meatier (because clearly the combo of chicken and fried pork didn't do it - easy to see where I get my carnivorous side from). She opted for a burger from a rock-themed burger stall and went for the "balls to the wall" lamb burger with a harissa-tahini dressing. Once the guy on the stall and I could get over my mother asking for "balls to the wall" in her politest voice, her burger was served - a really tasty lamb patty, served with a side of chickpea salad.

My lovely mum and her bollocks (sorry, balls) to the wall burger

Smorgasburg is a great show of just how foodie New York really is, and I only wish I had the gift of never being full to allow me to try a bit of everything! We left Brooklyn but were left keen to return - given the fact it such a huge borough in the city, we knew there was more to be explored.

Crown Heights is in the middle of Brooklyn, and I came to read about it doing some foodie research on NYC eats. Crown Heights has a majority West Indian and African American population, and I was drawn to the area in search of what Serious Eats claims to be some of the best Trinidadian food in the city.

The Original Gloria's

Gloria's seems somewhat of an institution in the area, so much so that there is the original Gloria's which we headed too, and a "Gloria's Next Generation" which is just down the road. Serving up Trini classics such as goat curry and stew oxtail, my mum, my sister and I sat down for what turned out to be some exceptionally tasty food.

Back left :Stew Chicken, Middle right : goat curry, front left : prawn roti and front right : a channa filled double

My sister (the fish-eating vegetarian) opted for one of their famous filled rotis. Trinidadian roti is much like that found in Indian cooking and is a great accompaniment to a meal- it can be served torn up (called buss-up shot) or used as a wrap. While she enjoyed her curried shrimp roti roll, me and my mum got stuck into the 'dinner' options, which came as a main dish with rice and two sides. My mum went for stew chicken, which is cooked in spices and brown sugar, giving it a delicious, caramelized taste. Her sides were callalo (served up almost liked creamed spinach) and pumpkin, while I enjoyed my favorite choice of curry goat with fried plantain and baghee (which is also a lot like spinach).

My wonderful goat curry with baghee, plantain and rice and peas, with the tasty double on the side

My curry goat was rich and delicious, with all the perfectly cooked, tender meat slipping beautifully away from the bone. I opted for an extra double on the side, which is a typical Trinidadian fried bread (known as bara) filled with sauteed chickpea (called channa) and onion. Often eaten alone or as a snack, I really enjoyed this tasty addition to my meal, which was particularly yummy dipped into the curry.

Overall, a brilliant lunch, and bloody good value too! All that food with soft drinks came to a grand total of $38 dollars. Highly recommended and worth veering slightly off course for a taste of these Trini delights.

Williamsburg and Crown Heights are two very different Brooklyn boroughs, but very good examples of how much Brooklyn has to offer. If you are visiting NYC, you definitely need to head out of Manhattan and check out the many things happening across the Brooklyn Bridge. Stay tuned for the next New York City post, which sees me back at another Manhattan classic, Katz Deli. Pastrami sandwiches here I come!