I’m to busy attending Scientology meetings to actually post today, so I’ve asked my good friend Josh Mertz to step in –
Howdy, everybody. This is guest blogger (and Chris’s college roommate) Josh Mertz writing from New York City .
We interrupt Chris’s foody meanderings to bring a short column on Katzinger’s Deli in Columbus, which Chris visited recently and asked me to write a review for. Why me, you ask? Well, because Chris knows that Katzinger’s is just about my favorite sandwich shop on the whole freakin’ planet. I go out of my way to make a special trip there whenever I’m in (or heck, within 50 miles of) Cowtown, and I fondly remember being a poor post-college actor in a temp job nearby, saving my pennies for lunch there once a week.
A combination deli and specialty foods store, the place is an indecisive sandwich lover’s nightmare—over 60 sandwiches in 7 categories jumble up the mammoth menu board, daring you to narrow your choice down to just one. And it ain’t cheap—a regular sandwich probably averages $10—but you get A LOT for your money—bread piled with meat and toppings. It’s been a year or so since my last visit, but a glance at the internet menu reminds me of some favorites: #1—the Katzinger’s Reuben—you’ll probably only find a finer Reuben at Katz’s famous deli here in NYC. Or #3—Ari’s Open Door—Pastrami, Salami AND Cream Cheese on Pumpernickel. Venture further down the menu and you’ll find some odd and inviting combinations of meat, cheese and bread, such as #7 Lonny & Sonny’s Concoction -Turkey Breast, Proscuitto, Scallion Cream Cheese, AND Dijon Mustard on Rye !
The variety and innovation of this “NY style” deli REALLY set me up for disappointment when I moved to the Big Apple and found that every corner WASN’T cheerfully occupied by a friendly sandwich shop with over 60 sandwich selections! Another advantage over its big city brethren: Katzinger’s is under no obligation to observe kosher laws, so you can get that pastrami with swiss that you can’t get at many NY delis.
While you’re waiting for your sandwich to be made, you can engage in the fine Katzinger’s tradition of Spoiling Your Appetite By Gorging On The Free Pickles. Two big barrels sit in the dining room, filled with two types of dill pickles: Garlic and Regular. And they’re good. So good. Like I said: spoil-your-appetite good.
If you’re not a pickle fan (or somehow manage to summon up the self-control to eat only a few), you can browse the specialty food selection that, though small, contains a variety of fine gourmet-market foods, including a great selection of wines, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil, for you non-Rachael Ray fans), and breads, that, for its size, is probably one of the best in Ohio.
Another highlight of Katzinger’s is the ginormous meat and cheese counter, with a dizzying array of product. Especially the cheeses—you can have a friendly employee give you a sample of any item in the case.
If the food doesn’t do it for you, how about socially conscious business practices? Since 1996, the owners have practiced a gain-sharing plan whereby the owners split profits with the workers—the difference of all food costs below 35% of sales are shared—a practice that has led to Katzinger’s boasting one of the lowest attrition rates in the restaurant industry.
So take my word for it—if you’re in Columbus , make a special trip to German Village to sample the many delights of Katzinger’s. Just don’t expect me to offer any recommendations for sandwiches—I still can’t decide!
When he’s not single-handedly bankrupting once proud Wall Street investment banks, Josh appears regularly at the Green Room in Greenwich Village with his sketch comedy group Slightly Known People
http://www.slightlyknownpeople.com/
http://www.myspace.com/slightlyknownpeople
He can be seen this summer at the world renowned Williamstown Theater Festival in Williamstown, MA.
Josh appears courtesy Silk Voda.
… you just know when its silk.
