It's been announced that the legendary Carnegie Deli in New York will close at the end of this year. That's sad but not surprising. Not that long ago, the Stage Delicatessen — which was one whole block away — went outta business. For years, they were dueling delis, fighting for your brisket dollar, both often with lines out the door. People would argue over which was the better of the two.
At times, it was hard to get a seat in either and when you did, you were crammed into a tiny, noisy space. In the Carnegie, you had the risk that often, it would be right next to Jackie Mason. Still, I liked the place…and no trip to New York felt quite complete unless I'd dined there once. It was the history of the place more than the food. There were and still are better delicatessens in New York. There are also places where you can get a sandwich that is smaller and cheaper the way you'd really prefer your sandwich to be.
Every Carnegie sandwich presented the dilemma of what to do with the two-thirds of a sandwich that you had to pay for but couldn't eat. I never went there on my way to the theater; only after. I didn't want to have to carry 65% of a corned beef sandwich with me into the play and I didn't want to abandon all that pricey meat.
I'm wondering how much of its demise is due to that, how much is due to its recent closure because of an illegal gas hookup, how much is due to people just wanting to eat healthier and how much is due to the business problems of running a restaurant in Manhattan. All but the gas line were cited in the Stage shutdown. I'm also wondering if some buyer isn't going to swoop in, grab the location and the famous name and try to reinvent the Carnegie. I can imagine someone doing wonders with it if they post an "Under New Management" sign, retool the menu a bit and bar Jackie Mason.
But the Carnegie is not completely doomed. Sez here its owners will maintain the name, use it for wholesale distribution and continue to operate Carnegie Delis in Bethlehem, PA and Las Vegas. So if you have a craving for good, old-fashioned New York deli food, just head for the Mirage Hotel in Vegas. It's in the casino, right next to the California Pizza Kitchen. Same food. Not the same vibe.