Sarge's Deli

I posted about Kaz's Deli some time ago, but there are definitely a few other players on the New York deli scene worth paying attention to. Sarge's Deli is one such place. Their pastrami may not be sliced as thick as Katz's but it definitely gives Katz a run for its money in the taste department. In fact, I'm even a little tempted to say that  Sarge's pastrami is a little tastier.

First come the customary pickles. I probably said so in my post about Katz, but pickles are definitely one of the best parts of the NYC experience!



Then comes a complimentary side of cole slaw, it is huge and it is delicious! It comes with a very simple dressing that just takes this salad to the next level. Wish they'd learn how to make a proper cole slaw here.



Ah... the star of the evening! Rye bread piled high with cured meat goodness! Just look at the perfect color on that meat... it was succulent, my friends! However, much like Katz, bread is kind of Sarge's weak point. It's a little crumbly to my liking. But I was under the impression Katz's bread was unseeded whereas Sarge's is definitely seeded as is evidenced by the photo below. If Katz's bread is seeded, I definitely didn't taste the caraway seeds which is a pity, because that is my favorite part of the rye bread experience. So while neither deli gets too high a mark on their bread, my preference still goes to Sarge's. Don't get me wrong though, Katz's Deli still rocks!



Also Sarge's pastrami is somewhat cheaper than Katz. I believe Katz's pastrami sandwich is around $19.75.



On separate visits, I tried a couple more items on Sarge's menu. I remembered eating macaroni salad in NYC many. many years ago, and I wondered if the taste I remembered was authentic or just a fragment of my imagination, so I gave the macaroni salad a try, and it was sweet and hearty just as I remembered! It's definitely good comfort food, but it's pretty rich so I couldn't finish it.



I also sampled the corned beef at Sarge's, and it was equally good. That time, I ordered the sandwich on a roll rather than on rye, but again the bread was nothing to write home about.



I thought I'd also give the cheese fries a taste. The portion was huge and, well, probably not the healthiest item to order on the menu, but we all know what to expect when we order cheese fries. Don't expect to be able to finish that either!



So that was my experience at Sarge's. Typical NYC deli fare. Not something I would recommend on a regular basis but on the occasional trip to NYC, it's definitely worth it!

Katz's Delicatessen

For my New York Series reviews, I'm going to kick things off with one of New York's most iconic delis. Located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Katz's is now famous the world over for its pastrami sandwiches among other things! It's definitely one of those touristy things you do when you go to New York so I figured I would pay them a little visit even though I usually tend to go to delis that are closer to my neck of the woods when I'm in the city.



Like just about everything worth doing in New York, you have to wait in line to get what you came for at Katz's. However, the counter is a super busy area, and just looking around can be something of an entertaining experience, not to mention the gentleman preparing your sandwich will probably give you a couple of pieces of pastrami to sample while you're waiting. And frankly, I just enjoyed standing around and taking in all of the sights, smells and sounds at the counter including the assortment of pickles, breads and condiments (mainly mustard) coming in from all around me.



And then finally, after the wait, you're rewarded with the beautiful piece of art that is the Katz pastrami on rye. Your sandwich will come with complimentary pickles, and as I will no doubt keep repeating throughout my New York series, I love me some good pickles!



Katz's world famous pastrami on rye with just a hint of mustard. If this isn't one of the most beautiful sandwiches on earth, I don't know what is!



Pickles, pickles, pickles... I heart pickles!



Truth be told, after the first half of my sandwich, I was kind of stuffed, but hey, when in New York and whatnot... so I went ahead and finished it.



So during my vacation I only went to Katz's the one time, but boy oh boy, it was worth it! To be completely honest though, I wasn't overly impressed with the quality of their rye. I wouldn't give anyone in Geneva a pass for serving sub-par quality bread, and I have a strict "no double standards" rule on gvafoodie.blogspot.com! Do the contents of the sandwich make up for unimpressive bread? Absolutely! Nothing in Geneva is even close to being in the same league as the deliciousness of that pastrami. But when you have something that close to sandwich perfection, in my opinion, it's just a tad disappointing to skimp on bread quality.

Overall though? Thumbs up! Highly recommended!