Kalina, 8/29/05.
Tomorrow, believe it or not, Frank Bruni reviews Katz's, the beloved Lower East Side Jewish delicatessen. Today, the Eater oddsmakers have set the action as follows:
Zero Stars: 2-1 ??So, hows about everyone take deep breaths and save the shit-storm for tomorrow? Good. Here we have, of course, the classic in-your-face Frank Bruni action: New York institution, having gone years without real critical attention, vulnerable, and immune, to a beating. By the most optimistic estimation, there's a small chance in hell that Katz's will score better than one star. First of all, it's filthy and counter-service-style, and if you put Jean Georges himself behind this counter, Frank Bruni might find a way to give it two stars. Even one star is somewhat of a longshot, though if nostalgia has you slow to bet on the goose egg, the corned beef does provide some glimmer of hope. In all likelihood, however, the Bruni is going to perform according to his playbook. He'll run the zilch train straight through Katz's, site a few bits of glorious and cardiac arresting meat among a stable of mediocre staples and be extremely witty. As such, ergo and thusly, Eater's money is on zero stars.
One Star: 4-1
Two Stars: 8-1
Three Stars: 75-1
Four Stars: 25,000-1
· Katz's Delicatessen [NYT; after 9:00 PM]
?? denotes the Eater bet.
