Autobiography of a Delicatessen: Katz’s

"I'll Have What She's Reading: a book as overstuffed as Katz's pastrami on rye." - Florence Fabricant, The New York Times "I got all misty-eyed a few times, as the significance of such a New York icon was illustrated in word and image... The book teems with intimate stories and humorous anecdotes, capturing the many people who have made Katz's an institution since 1888." - Jacqueline Raposo, Serious Eats "Intimate, beautifully composed photos showcase the main dining room, but also the back-of-house operations like pickling, meat-cutting and restocking. The book doesn't just offer up food porn shots of pastrami, corned beef and pickles, though there are plenty. It's also a valentine of sorts to the 103 women and men who keep Katz's going..." - Michael Kaminer, New York Daily News A New York City classic since 1888, Katz's Deli is the oldest and most beloved delicatessen in America. Famous for its mouth-watering pastrami, Katz's has been serving Jewish comfort food to generations of locals dropping in for their Friday night "usual," tourists from around the world, and a veritable who's-who from celebrities to politicians whose visits are immortalized on the photo-filled walls. A great visual record of how a restaurant runs, this special edition brings a bit of Katz's Deli right into your own home. While Katz's recipes remain a family secret, hundreds of color photographs document the unique character of Katz's Deli - people on both sides of the counter, the storied cutting stations, the remarkably small kitchen, and more. Travel Channel star Adam Richman provides a personal and evocative foreword, while part-owner Jake Dell reveals the deli's rich and compelling 125-year history and apprises the unenlightened about traditional Jewish foods at the core of Katz's culinary offerings, including pastrami, corned beef, full- and half-sour pickles. No need to be a New Yorker. This book is as irresistible to the long-time regulars as it is to the uninitiated who have yet to walk across the famous sawdust-covered terrazzo floor, ticket in hand.

Jake Dell is part owner of Katz’s Delicatessen in New York City, along with his father Alan Dell and uncle, Fred Austin. He is currently in charge of all major operations. Photographer, Baldomero Fernandez, has been taking pictures since age 14. His work has appeared in Life, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and W Magazine. His many honors include the Communication Arts Magazine Editorial Award of Excellence, received in 2005 for his work done in Cuba. Adam Richman is the host of NBC’s Food Fighters; executive producer and host of Travel Channel’s Man v. Food Nation and Best Sandwich in America; author of America the Edible: A Hungry History from Sea to Dining Sea and Straight Up Tasty.