NEW YORK WEEK: Carnegie Deli

On my second trip to New York, I visited some other notable restaurants. One of them was the famous Carnegie Deli, which was pretty close to our hotel in Times Square. 

We actually stumbled on it by accident (I didn't follow my own tip to Google attractions before we went out). We were on a short break in-between conference sessions and decided to venture out by lunch. Imagine my surprise when we saw it as we were walking by! 

Taken from Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Commons is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse, Caroline the Adventurer. 

Anyway, considering all the hype, we were expecting really big things. And we got big — the food was huge — but rather plain. I was ultimately disappointed with my experience. 

According to the website, the deli is "known for our pastrami, corned beef, brisket and many other"s which are cured in the Carnegie plant. Continuing on: "All of our gargantuan sandwiches are overstuffed with at least one pound of meat. We also specialize in old world favorites such as: knishes, matzoh ball soup, stuffed cabbage, and of course our pickles.)"

A note before you go: You must pay in cash. No checks or credit cards. Never fear. There is an ancient, creaking ATM in the back of the restaurant. There is a surcharge. That thing must make a killing. 

You walk in, stand confusedly at the counter, and are eventually seated. This might take a few minutes. And boy, is it CRAMPED. You'll find yourself sharing a table with strangers. If you're claustrophobic or xenophobic, this one is not for you.  

My party found itself seated to some rather pleasant British people, who made polite conversation until their departure. You never know who you'll find sitting next to you. My friend Taylor swore she saw Morgan Freeman walking out.

You're served pickles pre-meal, and they're Carnegie Deli pickles — probably unlike anything you've ever had before. There were four different kinds, if I recall correctly. Now, I LOVE pickles. I have a yen for salty food. But I didn't like ANY of the four set out before us, even though I tried. 

We ordered. The food that arrived was ENORMOUS, EXPENSIVE AND REALLY, REALLY BLAND. I had the matzoh ball chicken soup, which was served in an enormous pot. The matzoh balls were made correctly and the chicken was cooked and everything, but nothing had any real flavor. I can make better chicken soup at home. I tried a bite of each of my friends' sandwiches and was similarly unimpressed.

In fact, the only thing I found entirely satisfying was my egg cream soda (another New York thing). 

The service was fine, and seeing the place was cool, but considering my total came out to about thirty dollars and I wasn't happy with my food, I'd rate it as an experience to skip. 

If you do go, SPLIT SOMETHING. Trust me. The portions are way too big for one person, and you don't want to have to negotiate leftovers on vacation. My boss Julie summed it up really nicely: "This is way too much food for one person. What do they think they're doing? All this extra food could really bless the homeless."