Katz’s does offer half-orders of many menu items these days, as well a “cup” of soup more like a bowl anywhere else and the old standby bowl of soup that’s large enough to sail transatlantic ocean liners in. A half sandwich at Katz’s is still so content-rich that it provides enough sustenance to equal two full-size sandwiches anywhere else.

One of our visitors was hoping that security wouldn’t keep him from taking a super-giant pastrami and egg salad on rye sandwich to his seat on the plane. The takeaway box was large and clear. He was counting on the two pickle spears packed with the sandwich, as well.

All things potato were great: French fries, homemade potato chips, latkes, and mashed potatoes. Other items found more than acceptable by those in our party were an open-faced roast-beef sandwich with brown gravy on challah, a vegetable soup containing barley, carrots, cabbage, and more, grilled salmon, a turkey ham and Swiss cheese sandwich on rye, a chocolate milkshake, and other items too numerous to remember. As always, Katz’s was very busy; as per usual, Marc Katz himself was to be seen on the premises. Just barely audible amidst all the lively conversation were a few bars from disco records; phrases caught were “boogie oogie oogie” and “disco highway.”

One choice for a toy-camera photo to illustrate this was the standing sign on the sidewalk, displaying laden plates larger than life. The other was this, showing part of a large diorama filling one of the front plate-glass windows, with lots of color and glitter, especially on the representation of the Chrysler building. That’s a reflection of the Hoffbrau across the street.