PASTRAMI ON WHEELS (Katz n Dogz Truck)

My search for the best corned beef/pastrami in New York continues….

Walking down the streets of Midtown, there are lots of wonderful smells coming from food carts. Expected aromas include grilled chicken and lamb kebabs, curry, and perhaps even caramelized Belgian waffles. It wasn’t until I visited the new Katz n Dogz truck that I ever smelled the smells of a Jewish deli on the streets of New York. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced those wonderful briney, garlicky scents in the open air.  The prospect of a Jewish deli food truck was exciting on its own and these smells offered even more potential for greatness.

Dubbed the Pastrami Truck, Katz n Dogz appeared on the streets just a few months ago and the menu is a smaller version of what you’d find at most Jewish delis, offering franks, knishes, meat sandwiches, and, of course, pleasing kosher-style smells.

The Egyptian owners also owned Adelman’s Deli in Brooklyn, which has sadly closed since my visit a few years ago. But they obviously know their stuff when it comes to this food.

For the $11 price tag, my combo sandwich was pretty well-stuffed, shmeared with the perfect amount of mustard, and served with a bag of sour pickles and a creamy container of cole slaw. I remember the rye bread being incredibly soft and fresh at Adelman’s and it did not disappoint here either.

In between the bread, the pastrami and corned beef were served warm and the flavors were mostly good. I really enjoyed the salty and garlicky corned beef. But the pastrami could have used a little more aggressive smoke and spice flavor. The texture of both was just a tad chewy and was missing the buttery tenderness I anticipated.

I also found the meat to be a little too fatty. I’m one of the crazy people who actually likes the leaner cuts of pastrami and corned beef. Fat is no doubt important for flavor, but I like it to be a little bit leaner for texture.

Although the name hints and the reuben orgasm hints otherwise, this truck is not related to the iconic Katz’s Deli. Many in the internet world anticipate that a cease-and-desist letter is imminent. Perhaps that will happen and this truck will be forced to change its name. If it does, I just hope they continue to pipe out that unmistakeable smell.

Is Katz n Dogz the best corned beef/pastrami in NY? It’s exciting to finally be able to get this food from a food truck and it gets a 7 out of 10 for some solid kosher meats and an especially soft rye bread jacket.