Katz's Delicatessen

My boyfriend very strongly dislikes eating out in New York, because all you can get is expensive, mediocre food. But there is one place that he thinks is worth the money, and is actually good, and that would be Katz's. When Harry Met Sally was also filmed here; I'm a bit too young to have watched that movie, but if you liked that movie, this is a historical landmark.

In true NYC deli fashion, Katz's is really grimy. This place is cash-only, and if you walk to the very back of the restaurant to the ATM, you'll see two Porta Potty/outhouse-looking bathrooms, and the floors outside in the seating area are really slippery. It's very unlikely to have been pure water, so I held my breath while withdrawing $20. Of course, after experiencing this, I had to duck out of there ASAP, so I got my sandwich to go.

I got the pastrami sandwich, which is probably Katz's most famous item. It is so good; super juicy and tender. It is a huge portion (enough for two meals), so the $17 is well worth it. Unlike a lot of deli sandwiches, this actually has flavor and does not taste like disease. The sandwiches usually come with pickles too, and I've heard that they're good, but I can't vouch for that, because I'm terrified of pickles.

Service is pretty awful here. Thank you's and please's will absolutely be ignored, and your sandwich maker will most likely not be paying attention to what you say, unless of course you're wearing a very low-cut top.

The Lower East Side has a reputation for being gross and slightly dangerous. But if want to go to Katz's at night, just be sober and wear a sweater; East Houston Street has so many bars that rapists will have skimpier-dressed, less-composed targets to focus on.

Katz's Delicatessen

205 E Houston St., at Ludlow St.

http://katzsdelicatessen.com/

The Meatball Shop

I went to the Meatball Shop on a cold rainy day--I needed something homey and rich.

The menus here are super cute; you get a laminated menu and a dry-erase marker and check the items you want.

I got the spicy pork meatballs with mushroom gravy with rigatoni--it's a really unattractive plate of food, but it was really nice and satisfying, and the pasta was perfectly al dente. However, one criticism I have is that there isn't really a balance; everything is heavy and savory. From the meatballs to the sauce to the sides, there isn't a single item that is on the lighter side (except the "Simple Salad" and "Market Salad," but why would you get that here? You could make that yourself). I recommend getting spaghetti or rigatoni (instead of risotto) under the meatballs, since the sauce can get very salty.

For dessert, I got an ice cream sandwich with brownie walnut cookies and mint ice cream. This thing was, like, four feet tall.

The cookies were beyond mediocre--they're dry and crumbly and not very flavorful. However, the ice cream was amazing. It's everything you want from mint ice cream: it's actually made with mint and tastes like mint, as opposed to the horrible generic artificial green ice cream. If you don't like mint ice cream, this one could change your mind.

I'm not one to factor service into my opinions of restaurants--I think a restaurant is really defined by its food--but my experience the last time I came here was so terrible that I have to share it:

Each plate of meatballs comes with a toothpick (I'm not sure why... you already have a fork) but mine didn't. While I was eating the risotto, which came under the meatballs, I bit into part of a broken toothpick that got mixed into the risotto, and immediately told our server, who then pretty much said that I just wasn't careful and ate the meatball and the toothpick in one bite. Ten minutes later, she came back and said, "Well, because of your, um, thing, I'll get you guys some desserts." Should've been free right? She charged us for it.

So, in short, I almost swallowed half of a broken toothpick, and I got charged for an ice cream sandwich in return. It was only $5.00, but come on.

But, the food is still nice and I still came back. I would come for lunch, though, since this place is absolutely packed for dinner, with an hour-long wait that is hell in New York winter weather.

The Meatball Shop

http://www.themeatballshop.com/

Hours: Saturday to Wednesday 12:00pm to 2:00am, Thursday to Friday 12:00pm to 4:00am