Bring Legendary NYC Jewish Deli Food Home For The Holiday

If you love pastrami and corned beef and other Jewish delicacies—you know of—or you have eaten at Carnegie Deli and Katz’s Delicatessen. Both places are destinations for residents and tourists alike. The two iconic Jewish Delis located in New York City serve old-world food but are selling in the 21^stcentury with their online offerings.

Both ship nationwide in insulated cooler bags and use frozen gel packs to make sure that the food is as pristine when you receive it was when they pack it. I especially appreciate that the meat is sliced and vacuum-sealed for maximum freshness. Besides meat by the pound, there is an entire menu of feasts, sweets, kits and other offerings from both Katz’s and Carnegie Deli.

I made the first Matzo Balls of my life with the Carnegie Deli X The Matzo Project: Better Than Bubbe’s Matzo Ball Soup Kit. They were unexpectedly easy, delicious, light and fluffy but stayed together even after freezing, and re-heating. If you buy the kit, my two tips are to boil/simmer the matzoh balls in chicken broth, and add a little extra oil to the mixture.

Maybe because I made them, or maybe it was The Matzo Project matzo meal, but for whatever reason, they were the best matzo balls that I’ve ever tasted.  Since the soup is made for you, all you need to do is heat it up and add your matzo balls, so it really is a perfect taste of Carnegie Deli at home.

Both restaurants have launched fun creative promotions this year.  In the fall, Katz’s collaborated with Hendrick’s Gin to make gin-inspired pickles. What was an April Fools’ joke quickly became a limited-edition pickle that was more popular than anyone could have guessed. The pickles are out-of-stock right now but hopefully they will be back soon. The pickles are non-alcoholic, but inspired by the flavor notes in Hendrick’s gin. You can read about the collaboration here.

I tasted the pickles and was impressed by the flavor and the sheer amount of whole spices that were packed into the brine. These pickles are infused with whole juniper berries and heavy on the coriander to make them echo the flavor of Hendrick’s.

Carnegie recently partnered with long-time restaurant patron, Mel Brooks, to create the Mel Brooks: A Memoir and a Nosh Kit. The kit is in honor of the recent publication of his memoir, “All About Me: My Remarkable Life in Show Business.” The legendary comedian, writer and director of Blazing Saddles, The Producers, and many more has written his memoir and Carnegie Deli has a supporting role in the book. The Nosh Kit includes a copy of the book, and several of Brooks’ favorite bites from the Deli including pastrami, corned beef and cheesecake. The kit also come with a 12-ounce bottle of Carnegie Deli Dusseldorf Mustard and a mug. This is the ultimate gift for the movie/Broadway buff deli-food lover. 

Both delis also offer such favorites as Jewish rye bread, Knishes, Black and White cookies, Babka, cheesecake, rugelach and Katz’s also offers Nova Lox, chopped liver and bagels if you are looking for a fun holiday breakfast or brunch idea.

Whether you shop at Katz’s or Carnegie—or both—you can be sure that the food will come with that authentic time-honored, much-loved deli flavor and will transport you back to the city no matter where you are.