Katz's Delicatessen

"You may have to wait half an hour on a Lower East Side corner to get your food at Katz’s, New York’s most legendary Jewish deli. You’ll also need to hold tight to your paper ticket, and know exactly what you want—or get ready to be bullied by the person taking your order at the counter. And yes, it's almost $30 for a pastrami sandwich. A sandwich that, by the way, could probably sustain the Maccabees through all eight nights of Hanukkah. Play by Katz’s rules, and you’ll be rewarded with Meg Ryan-in-When Harry Met Sally levels of elation. The Order: If you’re by yourself, get the following combo: half hot pastrami on rye (with a nice schmear of mustard), and matzoh ball soup. That should keep you full until tomorrow." - will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, bryan kim, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick

"One night, we were pretending to have fun at a bar in the East Village, and then we remembered we could just go to Katz’s instead. On weekdays, the Lower East Side pastrami institution is open until 11pm. But on Friday, they open their doors at 8am, and don't close them until 11pm on Sunday. The late-night scene at Katz’s is still crowded and tourist-heavy, and you will need to pull it together for an interaction with the deli bouncer, but once you make it inside, all the pastrami and potato salad you need are right at your fingertips. And after a few drinks, forking over $27.45 for a sandwich feels like a fine idea." - willa moore, will hartman, neha talreja, bryan kim, sonal shah

"Who said private dining should only go down in fancy restaurants? Not the people at Katz’s, the Lower East Side icon with a room for rent. Book it and you won’t have to feel embarrassed by your "I'll have what she's having" jokes after a bite of their incredible pastrami. They offer a few set menus for under $55 per person, but if you're looking to throw a bigger party, you can also buy out the restaurant." - neha talreja, bryan kim, hannah albertine, will hartman

"This mythical Lower East Side sandwich counter has been dishing out astronomical portions of some of the city’s best pastrami since 1888. Yes, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, with a line down the block at peak hours, trademark gruff service, and more than 750 photos of famous customers on the walls. That doesn’t deter us from coming back at least once a year. Barack Obama, Britney Spears, DJ Pauly D, Mikhail Gorbachev, basically everyone" - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah

"This mythical sandwich counter on the Lower East Side has been dishing out astronomical portions of some of the best pastrami this city has to offer for over a century. Yes, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, with a line down the block at peak hours, trademark gruff service, and photos of famous customers on the walls. But if you live here, you should wait in that line at least once a year for a hot pastrami on rye. It's worth it for those juicy hunks of peppery meat, sandwiched between disintegrating bread. Pastrami on rye with mustard and sauerkraut, Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray" - molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, bryan kim, sonal shah