Katz’s: Autobiography of a Delicatessen
Photographs by Baldomero Fernandez
Introduction by Jake Dell
Foreword by Adam Richman, actor and television host
Published in association with Glenn Horowitz Bookseller
LIMITED AVAILABILITY
This sumptuous photography book, the first-ever book to feature Katz’s Delicatessen, indelibly captures the unique spirit and appeal of the Lower East Side classic. Page after page of evocative photographs shot by Baldomero Fernandez bring a bit of Katz’s right into your own home. Described by Florence Fabricant of the New York Times as “A book as overstuffed as Katz’s pastrami on rye,” this book will elicit nostalgic pangs of hunger for anyone who has eaten at the iconic deli.
September 2013
Paperback with French flaps
384 pages
645 color photographs
6.5 x 9 inches
ISBN: 978-0983863267
$24.95
Description
“I got all misty-eyed a few times, [seeing] the significance of such a New York icon illustrated in word and image…”
–Serious Eats
A New York City institution since 1888, Katz’s Deli on the corner of Ludlow and East Houston streets is the oldest and most beloved delicatessen in America. Famous for its mouth-watering pastrami and mouth-puckering pickles—as well as its traditional Friday evening hot dogs—Katz’s has been serving Jewish comfort food to literally generations of hungry customers, from locals dropping in for their “usual” and tourists from around the world, to a veritable who’s-who of celebrities and politicians, their visits immortalized in hundreds of photographs along the walls.
This elegant and hefty tome may be small in dimension, but it contains almost 650 striking photographs by Baldomero Fernandez. It is a great visual record of the day-to-day operations of this long-famous deli, including the people on both sides of the counter, the storied cutting stations, the distinctive signage, the remarkably small kitchen, and more. The images capture the vibrant dynamic of the endless flow of customers on a busy night as well as the rare quiet moments when most of the city is asleep and the well-worn chairs and tables sit empty.
In a short introduction, part-owner Jake Dell reveals the deli’s rich and compelling history and discusses traditional Jewish deli foods, including the different preparations for pastrami and corned beef. Travel Channel star Adam Richman provides a very personal and evocative foreword. No need to be a New Yorker. This book will prove equally irresistible to both the regulars and the uninitiated who have yet to walk on the famous sawdust-covered terrazzo floor, ticket in hand.
