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The Carnegie Deli in midtown Manhattan.

A corned beef sandwich from the Carnegie Deli.

The Carnegie Deli is located in midtown Manhattan on 7th Avenue between 54th and 55th Streets and was opened in 1937 adjacent to Carnegie Hall. Now in the third generation of owners, the Levine family's delicatessen is among the most visited restaurants of its type in the city according to the New York Convention & Visitors Bureau. USA Today has called the restaurant the "most famous" deli in the United States.[1]

The restaurant offers pastrami, corned beef and other sandwiches with at least one pound (0.45 kg) of meat, as well as traditional Jewish fare such as matzoh ball soup, potato pancakes, chopped chicken livers, and smoked salmon. Available for order are cheesecakes of over a pound per serving. For an additional plate to share, there is a $3.00 charge and a minimum charge of $12.50 per person. The restaurant accepts only cash for its sit-down and take-out services. The restaurant's motto is: "if you can finish your meal, we’ve done something wrong." In addition to the large servings, the restaurant is also known for its surly waiters who allegedly try to impart some of the gruffness of New York to visitors.

The Carnegie Deli was the favorite hangout of comedian Henny Youngman, and Adam Sandler includes a reference to the deli in The Chanukah Song in the mid-1990s. The walls of the deli are nearly completely covered with autographed pictures of celebrities who have eaten there. Menu items have been named after famous patrons, including a corned beef and pastrami sandwich named after Woody Allen after the deli served as a filming location for Broadway Danny Rose. A number of items on the menu feature Broadway themes and Yiddish vocabulary, including dishes like "nosh, nosh, Nanette" and "the egg and oy."

Co-owner Milton Parker has written a book called How to Feed Friends and Influence People: The Carnegie Deli, providing the history of the family's ownership and detailing the success of its operation.

The deli opened a second location in Las Vegas, Nevada at the The Mirage in 2005. The deli also opened a third location in Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey for its 2006 season, however, it's current location in the park is being replaced by a Cold Stone Creamery and it is unknown whether, just after 1 season of operation, the deli will leave the park or be relocated in a different building.

In addition to the retail operation, the restaurant sells cheesecakes and other products on-line.

Parker, Milton (2004). How to Feed Friends and Influence People: The Carnegie Deli. ISBN 0-471-68056-7. 

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