New York City is full of institutions. The Empire State Building, Central Park, the yellow cab that somehow never stops when you need it. But if you really want to understand the city, you need to sit down at Katz’s Delicatessen, a Lower East Side legend that has been serving up sky-high sandwiches since 1888.

Like most great New York stories, Katz’s started with immigrants chasing the American dream — except these guys knew their way around a cut of beef. Today, the pastrami on rye (hand-carved, slow-cured, and stacked so high it defies gravity) is why people from every corner of the world squeeze into this place.

What's so special about it is the simple truth: good things take time. While commercial delis take shortcuts — pressure-injecting their meats to “cure” in 36 hours — Katz’s takes a leisurely 30 days to get its pastrami just right. No chemicals, no additives. Just patience, tradition, and a lot of love.

The best way to visit Katz's? Save room. The sandwiches are the star, but the knishes, pickles, and cheesecake deserve their moment too.

Still family-owned, still unmatched. While most century-old restaurants get gobbled up by corporate chains, this has remained a family affair. Today, it’s helmed by Jake Dell, who keeps the tradition alive while ensuring the next generation gets a proper introduction to real-deal Pastrami. Proof that the best things in life don’t need reinventing.