Scroll down for notes on the opening of El Califa de León, as well as reviews of the pastrami sandwiches at Katz’s and Hometown, both of which jumped up in price by a few bucks recently. Each will cost just below or over $40 after tax and tip. We’ll discuss whether they’re still worth it, and we’ll go over other great options at Thea Bakery and elsewhere.
I’ll also have a quick take on three dishes I didn’t get a chance to dive into in my Bar Chimera review for the NYT!
But first…
On the need to recharge…
As some of my friends know, I’ve been recovering from being a whisper under the weather here and there. And while the good news is that I’m okay (for real!!!), the better news is that I’ve taken this as an opportunity to do something I’m less familiar with: Slowing down the pace. To give my Sutton self a chance to rest and recharge.
That has meant spending a little less time writing newsletters, and a little more time away from the computer. It’s been good for me.
Morning Spanish lessons have been a balm, as have evening swims in Cold Spring Harbor (as warm as the Gulf!). And instead of zone 4 heart-rate intervals on the indoor bike trainer, I’ve been taking slow walks in the woods to spot baby deer and friendly chipmunks. Just keeping things chill.
Keeping things chill also means less nightly news, more Yankees baseball, and more Steven Soderbergh flicks (Logan Lucky!). At some point, I’ll get through “The Bear,” but for now, it brings back too many memories of working in hospitality. These days, I’ve been leaning on comfort watches like “Legacy of Monsters” — a soapy series about three generations of kaiju chasers who cheat on their romantic partners (!!!). No food angles there, though there’s one very satisfying udon slurping scene.
I love a good slurp!
Writing brief reviews for the NYT continues to be an absolute delight — and a brilliant excuse for late-night dinners with dear friends — though I’ve been cooking at home as much as I’ve been eating out, which feels like a nice rebalancing. I make a mean brown butter caper sauce (a halibut hates to see me coming), and one of my finest new skills is resurrecting bad restaurant lobster rolls with beurre monté and cayenne.
My official breakfast of the summer has been a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, a piping hot Colombian pandebono, and a cup of mint and chamomile tea. Sometimes, I’ll take a quick nap right after :)
And apropos of nothing: I could literally feel my body and soul convalescing during a 10:00 p.m. meal with a high school buddy at Dean’s. A little rare roast beef and NA Guinness can do wonders, apparently.
That’s not medical advice!!!
In any case, I’m eager to start sending out more newsletters now that my Sutton energy levels are on the rise again. And I’m equally stoked to report that I’ve been getting back on my trusty road bike for some easy outdoor spins down by the local salt marsh, home to lanky egrets, terrapins, wrens, and a family of hawks.
After a little more rest and a lot more training, I’ll head out West for a week and cycle up my favorite canyons in Boulder.
I’ll get there, slowly.
Our Country’s Great Mexican Restaurants!
My note about Colorado makes for a good segue: Since before the pandemic, I’ve maintained that Denver has one of the country’s most underrated Latin food scenes, and so it was satisfying to see my home away from home represented in this New York Times list of the country’s top Mexican restaurants.
Alma Fonda Fina (get the sweet potato with salsa macha) and La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal (order the tiny al pastor tacos!) both made the cut, and I encourage you to read the whole excellent guide, written by Brian Gallagher, Tejal Rao, Ligaya Mishan, Brett Anderson, Luke Fortney, Regan Stephens, Priya Krishna, and Bill Esparza.
Shout out to the two New York picks: Carnitas Ramirez in the East Village and Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile in Corona!
On scheduling matters: I should be back next week or thereabouts with a fun guide I’ve been chipping away at. Stay tuned, and thanks so much for your support as I get my sea legs back! I’ll be creepin’ on in to your inbox soon enough, as Dolly and Norah would say ❤️.
El Califa de León opens in Manhattan!
The Mexico City-ification of New York City dining continues.
El Califa de León, the first ever taqueria awarded a Michelin star, made its stateside debut yesterday in Flatiron. You probably know El Califa already for its gaonera, a slice of griddled tenderloin garnished with salt and lime.
A bare bones affair.
This is one of the year’s biggest openings, for sure. Food media — in both English and Spanish — collectively seem to be tracking El Califa the way entertainment reporters write about “The Odyssey.”
Not bad for a taqueria.
Most of this week, it’s reservations-only, according to the official Instagram. Starting on Friday, the restaurant will take walk-ins.
So yes, there will be lines.
My advice is simple: Give this place some time. Just as you didn’t need an opening night, center-row seat at the Lincoln Square IMAX to enjoy Christopher Nolan’s latest flick, no one gets a prize for booking an El Califa table during the opening days. After a week or two — or maybe a month — things’ll settle down. They always do.
Another reality check: The thinly-sliced, minimalist steak tacos that El Califa specializes in have been trending in New York for the past year or so. They may not be the same, but they’re in the same ballpark. You can find great versions at Soledad by Julian Medina and at the growing El Chato and Santo chains. As I always say, if one place is too crowded, go somewhere else.
So kindly also check out our Definitive Steak Taco Guide!
For further reading, turn to the opening coverage over at El País, Edible Manhattan and Grub Street! 20 West 23rd Street, Flatiron
Artificial intelligence-assisted food writing about El Califa…
I reckon this is a good time to note that a non-bylined blog post about El Califa on a deep-pocketed tech-media platform — that comes up on the first screen of my Google Search results — was “created with AI assistance.”
It’s too bad. An opening post is a great chance for reporters to sharpen their writing skills by weaving together a venue’s story while trying to reckon with why the space is important to the community or the particular cuisine.
This is a platitude I can’t believe I’m typing out, but: A live person brings a unique and valuable point of view to writing, to journalism. An artificial entity doesn’t, at least not in my experience. And putting an actual byline on a high-profile opening also shines a proper light on a new (or established) writer, which is a good thing in an era when so many journalists are struggling.
I have no doubt that editors at sites like these are good people who are under enormous pressure to produce more and more…stuff, but I’d argue that this sort of thing is something we can do without.
Let’s have more journalism, less AI content.
Is Katz’s still worth it at nearly $40 after tax and tip?
The rising cost of beef — due to droughts out west and other factors — is pushing up the price of so many things we love. Prime ribs. Burgers. Korean barbecue. And, it seems, one of New York’s signature foodstuffs.
The Katz’s pastrami sandwich has jumped up by two bucks to $30.95 over the past month or so. After tax and a $5 tip to your carver (what I see most people giving), you’ll end up spending just under $39.
Katz’s hasn’t responded to our inquiry about the pricing move (they haven’t answered our emails in previous years), but consumer beef prices* have increased roughly 24 percent since the deli’s last price hike in December 2024, or thereabouts.
New Yorkers don’t eat pastrami on rye as frequently as slice pizza or tacos — Katz’s has always been an accessible splurge of sorts — but spending nearly $40 on a single sandwich makes it feel just a bit less accessible.
That said: Is Katz’s still worth it? You bet it is.
I dropped by on Friday.
The sandwich stands tall, at least four or five-inches. White rye, yellow mustard, and a fistful of meat, as red as a brick. That’s it.
Do you want to add melty cheese, like so many folks do?
You do not.
Open wide and squish it down to get a proper bite. Or more realistically: Remove a little meat, to cut down on the altitude.
If you ask for an “extra moist” sandwich, like I usually do (a carver once took offense when I asked for something “fatty”), you can expect thick-cut navel meat that pulls apart like tender barbecue — but that still has a little springiness to it. That’s especially true of the chewier burnt ends. The bark packs a strong aroma of fresh cloves, while the meat smells powerfully of pickling spices (I call it a hot dog perfume, lol).
This is a very good pastrami sandwich. And remember, you get more than enough to share. That’s not so much obvious advice as it is a benign warning. If you try to eat the whole thing in one sitting, by yourself, you will not feel well. 205 East Houston Street, Lower East Side
Hometown: My favorite pastrami sandwich right now!
I enjoyed the Hometown pastrami sandwich when I tried it a few months before the pandemic. But truthfully, I found it too salty, too rich. Still, not a bad deal at $17. It eventually went up to $28, and over the last month or two, it hopped up to $32.
That means the Hometown pastrami will now set you back $41 after tax and tip.
Yep, this one is still worth it too.
Bill Durney and his team have improved upon the sandwich since its early days, at least based on a visit late last week.
After 15 minutes or so of queuing up, I watched as a pit worker carved up the pastrami, added brown mustard, and placed it on rye like a ribbon spread of playing cards. It is the most aesthetically pleasing smoked meat sandwich I’ve ever encountered.
The first thing I notice is the aroma. The brisket packs a heavier bovine musk than at Katz’s, where the meat tastes more of spices. That is to say: You can really tell you’re eating beef here at Hometown. The pickling is gentler. The inky bark is more subtle too, without a strong clove or peppery punch. The smoke is there — this is a barbecue restaurant — but it never overpowers the rest of the sandwich, and a maple-like sweetness balances out the modest salts.
But my favorite part is the texture and the butchering: Unlike the wonderfully jagged shards at Katz’s, the slices here are more precise and geometric. The impossibly tender meat pulls apart like an accordion — it almost disintegrates under the weight of gravity when you pick it up — while the fats are as silky as marshmallows.
The buttery rye, more substantial than elsewhere, keeps things on an even keel. So does the mustard. The whole thing feels like a work of harmony, not unlike a perfect piece of nigiri sushi. Not words I usually deploy when talking about pastrami or barbecue, but that’s what we have here. We have balance.
This is my favorite pastrami sandwich right now. I ate half at Hometown, where Ziggy Stardust was playing through the speakers, and then I walked over to the Pier 44 Waterfront Garden and watched the sun set behind the Statue of Liberty. 454 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook.
The Hometown pastrami sandwich is available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
How about 2nd Ave and other pastrami sandwiches?
New York pastrami isn’t about good versus better versus best.
It’s about you’re looking for. Just like with wine.
Thea Bakery is a very solid option. Tomer Blechman and crew cut their meat thick, like at Katz’s, and the beef is super smoky, with an intensely peppery kick. And a little homemade shifka — spicy pickled peppers — helps keep the fats in check…if acid balance is what you’re looking for in pastrami. You can read my full review here! Cost: $21.
For clarity of spices and a more modest portion size, S&P is my go-to for a solo pastrami sandwich. Cost: Just $19.
Sometimes, I crave the marbled, machine-sliced pastrami from 2nd Avenue Deli, which currently runs $28.95, but that Kosher establishment, famous for its ultra-thin meat, often raises its prices right before or after Katz’s does the same.
Pastrami Queen — where I had a not-so-good sandwich at its Penn Station location — is now $29.95 at the Kosher Upper East Side flagship.
“ICE Picked Up a Chicago Chef and His Wife On His Way From the World Cup Final. Now, He’s Imagining His Future From Inside a Detention Center”
Please do spend some time with this piece from Ashok Selvam over at Ravenous!
Bar Chimera: What to order, what to avoid
I had an absolute blast writing about Bar Chimera by Simon Kim — the impresario behind Cote.
You can read my full review over at the New York Times, but the takeaway is that Chimera is a P.J. Clarke’s all jacked up on wagyu, caviar, and expensive martinis. Sometimes it’s fun. Sometimes it’s not, depending on how you navigate the hit-or-miss menu. As always, there are dishes that I didn’t have enough room to cover at length in my review. So here are three of them:
Bresaola with Sugar Kiss melon: Prosciutto with cantaloupe is perhaps the most common Italian pairing of cold cuts and fruit, though bresaola with melon is not uncommon by any stretch. That said, I’m not sure I’ve encountered a version like this: Soft, heady, air dried wagyu sitting beneath cubes of Sugar Kiss melon, a proprietary fruit that, in this case, oozes sweet juices like a summer peach. Really good stuff!
Chicken paillard: I’m a longtime chicken breast apologist; I actually got into a heated argument about this with a date back in my mid-30s! Indeed, a good paillard can be a thing of beauty, be it pounded meat drenched in a luscious butter sauce, or grilled with olive oil and topped with peppery arugula. It’s something you’d expect on a breezy lunch menu, rather than a $95 prix-fixe, so I was curious what type of fireworks the Chimera team could produce. Alas, there were no fireworks. This was a bland slab of overcooked chicken with a side of ho-hum salsa verde. Blah.
Oysters Dynamite: I’ve never really found myself seduced by Oysters Rockefeller — an old school preparation of bivalves beneath breadcrumbs, garlic, butter, herbs, spinach, Pernod, and such. You can find those here (I didn’t try them), but let me tell you about this here “Dynamite” dish. The kitchen torches West Coast Fat Bastards underneath a cloak of lump crab, gochujang, and kewpie. Onto that goes a layer of chives and vibrant orange masago. Everything is creamy, spicy, and rich, but somehow, amid all these ingredients, the oysters remain plump, with a clean, cucumber-forward flavor. Well done. 550 Madison Avenue (56th Street), Midtown East
What’s going on with Salt Hank’s?
Just the other month, I reviewed Henry Laporte’s Salt Hank’s for the NYT, long after the lines had vanished.
It serves a delicious French dip sandwich, though the same could be said about Hillstone, Au Cheval, and other institutions that aren’t engineered to go viral.
Well, it appears that the success of Salt Hank’s has attracted some serious money.
Wonder, the sprawling ghost kitchen network founded by tech billionaire Marc Lore, has purchased Salt Hank’s, Eater NY reports. This means the hefty sandwich will be available from Wonder’s Upper East Side location (for pickup and delivery) sometime this fall. Further expansion will follow, Nadia Chaudhury writes.
I encourage you to read Kristen Hawley on the Salt Hank’s acquisition over at Expedite, but here are some of her key musings:
“Still, I’m not convinced that even the most meticulous reconstruction of an iconic, viral sandwich can replicate the original. Will it taste as good if you don’t have to fight as hard to get it? What happens to the magic of an indie business when its essence (and IP!) is taken over by a highly capitalized corporation? We’ll see, I guess. But I hope everyone feels like they got a great deal.”
One last thing: I’m not quite sure I believe in proper omens or the Greek Gods, but I’m a fan of “Hadestown,” and this summer I’ve randomly sat next to Gary Dourdan (at a West Side bakery) and Ben Davis (at a downtown hotspot), the two most recent actors to play Hades in the Broadway production. What are the chances?
Honestly, in New York, probably pretty high.
I’ll take it as a good omen!
Ryan!!!
*I used uncooked beef roasts to measure rising consumer prices for beef. If you want to go further down the supply chain, producer prices for slaughter cattle are also up about 24 percent over the same time period.
Ryan Sutton is a contributing restaurant critic for The New York Times and editor of The Lo Times. You can read starred NYT reviews by Mahira Rivers and Ryan Sutton right here. And you can read “Where to Eat” columns by Luke Fortney and Becky Hughes over here.
I recently got to try Langer's Deli in LA and theur number 19 was exquisite. Have to give Katz another chance.
You would think Katz’s would improve on the shameful commercial bread they serve but then, few people know the difference these days