Pastrami-lovers, watch your pocketbooks—a thief has been snatching bags from unsuspecting diners at the Houston Street institution Kat'z Deli, and she's still on the loose. more ›

As you no doubt know, Paul Reubens is bringing a stage version of his Pee Wee Herman Show to Broadway this month. (Check out some photos from the colorful production.) The beloved TV star took a break from rehearsals today to play tourist in downtown Manhattan, getting lunch at Katz's Deli ("I'll have what Wee's having?"), wandering around Chinatown and Little Italy, and getting his photo taken on the steps of the Tweed Courthouse (which he misidentified on Twitter as City Hall). more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] In the wake of Katz's Deli's 47-pointer on its most recent health inspection, it seemed like a good idea to take a closer look at what other NYC eateries will most likely be branded with the yellow C of doom when the DOH letter grades begin taking up residence in restaurant windows next week. A quick look at the DOH's complete inspection reports had some pretty terrifying news for a long list of restaurants—more than 6,000 by the Post's count—and for our collective gastrointestinal system. more ›

The Health Department has begun rolling out its controversial letter grades for restaurants, and the first high-profile casualty is Katz's Deli, which racked up 47 points after a recent visit found evidence of roaches and mice. That score puts Katz's squarely in the C range, and owner Alan Dell is miffed, because he thinks the scarlet C will stay posted until he's inspected again. "Sometimes they take points off when they aren’t warranted, and that sits with you till the next time you’re inspected, which could be six months," Dell tells Grub Street. (N.B.: C-grade restaurants are reinspected within 90-150 days.) "It all depends on which inspectors come in," Dell adds. "Sometimes you get a rude disgusting person, and sometimes you get a nice, normal person." We suppose the ideal inspector is the nice, disgusting person? more ›

In response to the Health Department's new salt reduction initiative, the Times ordered some food from local restaurants and sent it off to a Long Island lab for sodium testing. What they found may not shock you: A Double ShackBurger, fries and a peanut butter shake from Shake Shack contain 1,980 milligrams of sodium. Two slices of Cajun bacon-cheeseburger pizza from Two Boots clock in at 2,240 milligrams. But the saltiest of them all is the corned beef sandwich from Katz's Deli, which contains 4,490 milligrams of sodium. Considering that the FDA recommends a maximum of 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day, "having what she's having" might just leave you with hypertension. more ›

A new list picking 50 foods and naming the best spots in the world for them finds that various locales around the five boroughs have the top burgers, ravioli, pork belly and pastrami sandwiches (at Katz's, natch). But if you're looking for the best slice, you're in the wrong town. more ›

We've covered New York City brunch here and there, perpetually getting those bloggy defibrillator paddles to ask time and again whether or not all those filled-past-capacity mimosa hours are ever actually worth it. While it's still not clear why brunch even exists, brunch springs eternal. Thankfully, the kind folks over at Time Out New York have put together some epic roundups on those magical, egg-poaching hours in this week's issue, breaking things down into nine categories such as no-wait spots and best biscuits. There's a section on deals, like Mercadito's massive $15 fresh fruit mimosa, rice, beans, and entree superplate. Another section measures the door-to-door travel time of one prospective brunchee waiting in line at the popular Clinton Street Baking Company with another trekking out to Forest Hills to a underdog spot called Just Like Mother’s. Perhaps most useful are details on four alternative brunch cocktails. That section, however, leaves out Clover Club's entire "Liquid Brunch" menu, probably the most innovative brunch talking point to emerge in a long time. more ›

The folks at Serious Eats have launched the first of their city guides today, focusing on -- where else -- New York City. The guide is designed to highlight NYC's "essential eating experiences," and doesn't contain many surprises. You'll find quintessential New York icons like Russ & Daughters and Katz's Deli for "Best Old-School New York Landmark," Blue Ribbon for "Best Late Night Eats," and Blue Smoke, Hill Country and Daisy May's for "Best Barbecue," along with a list that should fill the bellies of many tourists. Visitors should take particular note of the list of eats under the category "Must Eat Before Leaving City," which includes the holy trinity -- a hot dog from Gray's Papaya, a slice of pizza from Di Fara, and a burger from the Shake Shack. Anything they missed? Not a whole lot of love for the outer boroughs, particularly Queens. . . more ›