New York restaurant recommendation: Katz's Deli

Katz's Deli is my number one foodie recommendation in New York City, and well worth the visit to the East Village.

You arrive to the manic deli and are given a small pink ticket that you are advised to hold on to with your life as it is necessary for paying your bill. Don't lose it, basically. There are two options, wait for a table where a waiter will take your order, or line up at the take away counters and shuffle through the canteen style arrangement until you have everything you could want wrapped up in your brown paper bag. However exciting it is watching the guys heap sauerkraut onto hotdogs and salt beef sandwiches, we thought it would be a whole lot easier and neater to join the queue and wait for a table. While waiting for a table the feast for your eyes that is this place unfolds in front of you. Rammed from wall to wall, the tables are full of people feasting on the biggest sandwiches you've ever seen.

E Mischkin's: Über sexy cool eating

Russell Normal does indeed strike again...

I set out this evening with the intention NOT to make the above statement. I wanted to form my opinion of the brand new (perhaps now not so new), über cool Mishkin's based on what any foodie would form an opinion on... Food, service, experience etc. It was only after a long walk to digest my massive meal that I realised I couldn't steer away from the statement.

E. Mishkin's is the 5th Soho restaurant Norman has opened in 2 years, and with the anticipated whispers on the London foodie circuit well before its opening, how could it not be a success. Norman has managed to do what any great artist does; make his mark on a booming industry... As dare I say an avant garde restaurateur, perhaps? He certainly has become his own brand.

Mishkin's oozes the same style and pizzaz as Norman's four other establishments(Polo, Da Pollo, Polpetto, and Spuntino), and screams retro New York chic. Keeping to this theme, upon arrival you can opt to sit at a table or at the counter(perfect for the solo diner) before a plastic menu is slid in front of you. Short, but sweet the menu is quaint yet still surprising, perhaps most impressingly is the cocktail selection... All gin. If you've ever read a single tweet from me you'll know I'm a maniac when in comes to gin. Of course I was going for the full pitcher. It was fresh, fruity and delicious. We had two.

After much deliberation we finally ordered; Reuben sandwich, cod cheek popcorn, meatloaf, baked mac and cheese, pickled herring on beetroot, plus a side of sauerkraut. Worth a whopping amount of prise is the Reuben salt beef sandwich, it was huge, greasy but not sickening, salty and cheesy. Another highlight was the medium rare, perfectly cooked and flavoured, neat and tidy meatloaf that sat in a dainty four bite portion perfectly hugging a runny egg.

I feel we ordered well, which is unusual for me as I can never make a decision, yet this perfect combination of what was possibly too much food made the meal tasty, unique and above all belly busting. After a few long hours of grazing and drinking we paid our bill and made the unanimous decision that we would definitely be back.





Images courtesy of The Skinny Bib.

Find out what Foodie-at-large Jay Raynor thought of Mischkin's here, in his review for The Observer.