« Clarett Says It'll Cap 340 Court Height Navigation Tip »
November 16, 2007
StreetLevel: A Katz's for Brooklyn on 4th Avenue?
A new deli opening on 4th Avenue and Bergen Street is aiming to be Brooklyn's answer to one of the city's great delis. "We'll have bagels and coffee, but we're also going to have things like hot pastrami," one of the owners of Canteen, which is scheduled to open on Monday, told us. "We'd like to be a Katz's for Brooklyn." Although it remains to be seen whether they'll achieve their lofty goal, the gleaming renovation of the space (see photo on jump) is certainly an improvement on the poky interior of the bodega that preceded. Think you'll give 'em a shot? GMAP
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/2937
Comments
I hope this is true. the key is massively huge sammiches, the best pastrami on earth and a ticket when you walk in the door.
When does this den of pleasure and cholesterol open?
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 9:40 AM
Yes! I would so love a place like Katz's nearby. I would definitely try it out. Having last lived 4 blocks from Katz's and 5 blocks from Russ and Daughter, I miss this kind of food.
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 16, 2007 9:40 AM
Katz's? That's big talk. Are they going to cure their own pastrami, or at least have it cured out of house to their own recipe?
http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=156775&sid=523f30d6ede04185d4f285e3f0363abb
Did they say anything to back this up? Or are they just talking sh!t? Either way, I guess it worked on me because I'm curious now.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 9:47 AM
Essex on Coney has awesome corn beef and pastrami. Its on Coney Island Avenue between J & K. But i think brooklyn can definitely use more corn beef and pastrami yay!!
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 9:48 AM
Sure would be great - but not very likely; last time I looked real deli's like Katz's don't have a gum and candy racks in the front or trendy decor and names like Canteen.
This is going to end up being just another place for a sandwich - which might not be bad but I seriously doubt it will be anything like a real deli.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 9:55 AM
Let's not forget the need for some serious sour pickles, crusty rye, cole slaw, grain mustard, chicken soup, chopped ckicken liver, potato pancakes, and the pastrami/corned beef needs to be piled high. We'll see if it is real or pretend. If I see Tofu and veggie burgers on the menu with pickles in plastic pouches it will be strike one.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 9:59 AM
I share 9:55's skepticism. Pastrami is not served in "canteens." It is, ideally, served in diner-like places by lovably grouchy guys named Mo or Izzy. Since they are not making Mo's or Izzies anymore, the future of the Total Pastrami Immersion Experience may be bleak...unless one counts the ghastly tourist-deli theme-parks of midtown.
Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at November 16, 2007 10:02 AM
Definitely not katz's, just a deli that serves pastrami like a thousand other delis in the city.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:04 AM
They've got those electronic deli slicers, so obviously it's going to be nothing like katz's
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:05 AM
Only time will tell. If they were the real thing, it would definately be worth going out of your way for in lieu of any deli down the corner. Just another deli will serve the local clientel. We'll see.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:10 AM
I live 2 blocks from this place and I cannot wait for it to open! I could care less if they are claiming to be like Katz's--I just want a decent place to get a sandwich. The other bodegas in the area are disgusting.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:12 AM
I dunno, I kind of liked that bodega. They stayed open late and only charged $1 for a soda after everyone else raised their price to $1.25.
Posted by: Ampersand at November 16, 2007 10:16 AM
I remember before Brooklyn Burger Bar opened, they were promising "awesome burgers and fries, and legendary shakes, and a gourmet Kobe burger!" And that place serves shit on a plate.
Proof will be in the pudding (or brining, in this case)
Posted by: Rocknrope at November 16, 2007 10:20 AM
Fear not 10:12, you'll soon not recongize 4th ave.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:22 AM
Agreed "Rock", The Brooklyn Burger Bar gives the cliche "Shit on a Shingle" a new meaning. The food deoes suck.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:26 AM
It shouldn't be difficult to emulate Katz's. I mean, how hard can it be to serve up tasteless, overpriced food in a rude manner?
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:29 AM
Brooklyn already has Essex on Coney, Adelman's on Kings Highway, and pastrami joints on Avenues T and U. Get out of Park Slope sometime, guys! Brooklyn's a big place.
The proprietor saying "This is like Katz's for Brooklyn" is a little like someone opening a soul food restaurant in the West Village and saying "this is fried chicken for Manhattan."
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:29 AM
10:12- ever go to City Sub on Bergen btwn 5th and 6th? Very very good sandwiches, nothing fancy, but great bread and good quality meat. My favorite sandwiches on earth.
Also the deli on 5th and Berkely makes good sandwiches too.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:39 AM
so why does it hurt to have something similar in the park slope area? People from boerum hill (which i think technically this is where this place is located) fort greene and cobble hill along with park slope people can eat there. 4th ave is a great location and is surrounded by a huge population of people.
maybe people dont wanna go to coney island to get a nice sandwich. Also places like Katz and Russ and Daughter are pretty much museum peices at this point. Nostalgia locations can be lame and overpriced. Ive had better lox & bagels than the one I had at Russ and Daughter and much cheaper as well.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:40 AM
Mitchell's on Flatbush makes awesome sandwiches.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:43 AM
4th and bergen, boreum hill, 10:40?
don't think so.
this is in park slope.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:43 AM
the deli on 5th and berkeley is my favorite in the neighborhood.
so clean and bright, too!
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:44 AM
Two words:
Boars Head
(oh and at 2x the price of the bodegas)
Posted by: Mamacita at November 16, 2007 10:47 AM
wtf is boreum hill then.
wouldnt the other side of 4th across from the park slope side be boreum hill.
I dont even thing 4th ave is park slope for that matter.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:49 AM
This deli is serving Boars Head and claiming they are the Katz's of Brooklyn? Hah.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 10:59 AM
The east (or south, depending how you look at it) side of 4th ave is park slope. The other side is Boerum hill or gowanus.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:00 AM
I don't have much faith in a place called Canteen. For good deli, as close to Katz's in Brooklyn you're going to get, go to Mill Basin Deli. Real kosher deli.
Posted by: North Sleeper at November 16, 2007 11:01 AM
I want a nearby place to get this stuff. So sue me. And don't go dissing Russ and Daughter. It is expensive but the smoked fish is excellent. Ess-a-Bagel is great as well and cheaper.
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 16, 2007 11:04 AM
where are you getting the boar's head from??
typical assumption by uninformed commenters, or actual knowledge?
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:06 AM
Boar's Head is the worst deli meat imaginable. They are popular because they are cheap and have great distribution. As for quality: no.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:08 AM
This is on the east side of 4th Ave ... so it's PSlope.
I see the outside every day when I go home on 4th Ave ... outside looked carppy for awhile but inside pic looks nicey nice.
Wish them luck but they will have to bring the noise to back up the Katz's comment ... 75% chance of being a more expensive nicer-looking sandwhich shop/bodega.
Also, "Bagel World" on 5th Ave has awesome bagels (but no real deli stuff ... smoked salmon, real lox, chopped liver).
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:09 AM
Anyone even thinking of trying to compare Boars Head pastrami to that which is made on the premises and served hot from a Ben's, 2nd Ave, Carnegie, etc. is out of their minds. That is like comparing Hillshire Farms Polish Sausage to that of the little Polish provision store on 5th between Propect and 17th (Not White Eagle, they suck). Both cases are on different levels and are not to be compared. You want Boarshead, be my guest. I'll take the real McCoy thank you very much.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:33 AM
Katz absolutely cannot be duplicated.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:37 AM
This place just looks like a regular deli, nothing special.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:42 AM
People who judge before even SEEING this place are beyond ignorant.
Your lives must be so pathetic.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:45 AM
Some posters on the Slope side of the park may not want to schlep to CIA, but that's where the real deal is if you're looking for kosher deli. I don't think you're going to see a community of orthodox Jews just suddenly springing up in your own nabe just so you can get a Pastrami fix close to home. Some things you just have to travel for.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 11:47 AM
Pastrami will be worthless after AY is built.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 12:37 PM
those getting in on their leases in this northern stretch of 4th and 5th avenues are going to find themselves with quite successful businesses once ay is built, i do believe.
they are smart to get in and i think it's why there seems to be something new opening nearly every week along these two stretches...
rents will go up enormously after ay really gets going.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 12:43 PM
Which should be about 2079.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 12:45 PM
yeah, or 2015.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 12:59 PM
I'm planning to open a boutique sealant shop in that area called Just Caulk. I'll make a fortune off of people who will need to seal up their leaky Frank Gehry condos.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 1:03 PM
It was just a guess that they'd have Boars Head. They have an electronic deli slicer and the norm in PS is B.H., so why wouldn't they?
In addition if they have great Katzesque pastrami I won't complain.
Posted by: Mamacita at November 16, 2007 1:06 PM
"For good deli, as close to Katz's in Brooklyn you're going to get, go to Mill Basin Deli. Real kosher deli".
A place like the Mill Basin Deli will never be like Katz's which is a real Jewish deli that is NOT kosher. That IMO is one of the things that makes Katz's so good--an emphasis on food rather than rabinical mumbo jumbo.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at November 16, 2007 1:42 PM
I can't believe no one has mentioned the wonderful Catene Italian Deli on 9th Street off 4th ave. An excellent calamari hero is to be had there among other good sammiches.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 2:03 PM
You can keep your Katzs. I want cheese on my sandwich, so it's italian deli for me. Boar's Head makes a great genoa salami.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 2:14 PM
Never been to Catene. Have seen it there for years though. Have to stop in now and check it out. There is of course Defonte's on the other side of the battery. Not sure how many people even know that exists. I travel out of my way sometimes to get a 1/2 for lunch. You also have Russo's on 7th which is wonderful, but fairly pricey. At least when you ask for Parma, you get Parma not a Canadian subsitute.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 2:30 PM
Brenda from Flatbush - you forgot the waitresses that serve you named Peggy or Dot.
Also what about a good old Egg Cream? Not seen an authentic one in 20 years.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 2:37 PM
Katz's isn't kosher but they don't mix meat amd milk products. And they don't serve any pork. I found this out when I went in and asked for "pigs in a blanket" for a party and they said they didn't have it. I was about to leave and then I added "Don't have those little hot dogs wrapped up in dough?" "Oh, yeah, we got those! But they're not pig, they're beef!"
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 16, 2007 2:45 PM
East side of 4th is Park Slope. West is Boerum Hill.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Learn more about citing Wikipedia •Jump to: navigation, search
Boerum Hill is a small neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn that occupies 36 blocks bounded by State Street to the north, 4th Avenue to the east, Court Street to the west, and Warren Street to the south. There are commercial strips along Smith Street, Court Street, and Atlantic Avenue[1]. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 2.
Posted by: Boerum Hill at November 16, 2007 2:46 PM
Carol Gardens,
Katz's may not serve pork, but, the last time I was there, my son had a Philly cheese steak--lousy choice IMO, but available.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at November 16, 2007 3:19 PM
Thanks for the correction. I thought it was "kosher style":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_style
Posted by: Carol Gardens at November 16, 2007 3:36 PM
"Catene Italian Deli on 9th Street off 4th ave"
I didn't know that place was even open. Cool, I'll have to try it.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 4:12 PM
Katz's food is so bad. I tried several times and it's just terrible.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 4:25 PM
It's only open during lunch hours, closes by 4pm. So it's a pain to visit unless you work in the area.
Posted by: Mamacita at November 16, 2007 4:25 PM
Mitchell's does make amazing sandwiches. Their pastrami sandwich is great.
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 4:32 PM
I'll add my kudos for City Sub. Used to live nearby and don't really ever get over there anymore. I recall that the guy who owns it is Japanese by way of South America or something... but I could be wrong!
Posted by: guest at November 16, 2007 7:45 PM
Regarding local pastrami & such, can anyone confirm if David's Brisket House in Bed-Stuy has shuttered for good? I saw a comment to that effect on a board somewhere and then finally took a drive over there and found it closed on a Tuesday afternoon. Anyone know for sure?
Posted by: guest at November 17, 2007 10:14 AM
Get a REAL sandwich.
Catene -- on 9th Street, right by the R and F train stop on 4th Ave.
Old-school. Open for breakfast and lunch M-Sa only ... Nice, real folks keeping decent hours. The heroes are truly heroic.
Posted by: guest at November 17, 2007 12:55 PM
hello Mama Catene--I mean 12:55!
Posted by: guest at November 17, 2007 11:31 PM
14th Street? Where at?
Posted by: guest at November 19, 2007 10:23 AM
Catene is great. I'm salivating just thinking about their chicken parm hero. Yum!
Posted by: guest at November 19, 2007 2:10 PM
Essex On Coney is excellent-we drive there all the time for deli,. it would be nice to have some place like that here. but, i highly doubt this is going to be a kosher or kosher style deli with an array of meat sandwiches like katzes or Essex On Coney.
oh and Catene Deli on 9th Street? They stink-what a poor excuse for italian heroes that place. Anyone who likes the food isn't italian that's for sure!
Posted by: guest at November 20, 2007 10:11 AM
Walked by there today, Tuesday. Behind the counter: Boar's Head meats, cheese, bacon......
But hell, I still hope they step up to their Katz challenge. Basic deli meats are fine. If they deliver, stay up till 3am, even better.
Posted by: Mamacita at November 20, 2007 6:33 PM
Living in the Slope since the 60's I know Catene Deli has been on the corner of 9th street/ 4th ave since 1965..It opened on the corner and moved into the Building next to corner in 1985 I think. It is a family owned business and they make great Shrimp parm heros and Calamari Heros with hot sauce....There fish is excellent and there Chicken parm heros and other Cold cut Sandwiches are great also....They play rock music out of 70's...the guys are nice they tell Jokes and Sometimes i see them Playing trivial Pursuit ....The kind of deli you would see in the Movies about NY.. A LOT OF BROOKLYN CHARACTER
Posted by: guest at December 3, 2007 12:23 PM
I got a menu from them. It boasts Boars Heads meats. There is no corned beef on the nmenu. They mention pastries from Balthazar, La Patisserie, Margaret Palca Bakes, they had no pastries. They had no Cole Slaw or Mashed Potatoes. They do not make their own salads. Doesn't sound to much like Katz's deli to me.
Posted by: guest at February 26, 2008 6:45 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.