Katzinger's Delicatessen

If the question was, "Are delis and vegetarianism mutually exclusive?", I think I might know the answer and exactly where it's at.

Delis aren't your typical go to spot for vegetarian dining. Katzinger's, however, located in German Village, doesn't go the route of most sandwich shops that offer one nondescript slab called the veggie sandwich. Katzinger's instead has six varied vegetarian and vegan sandwiches that beat the tar out of the assembly line products that you get at Subway and Quizno's.

The place also stocks gourmet food items, including olive oils, spices, salts, pasta sauces and other foodstuffs, some of which were available to sample. There are also two pickle barrels filled with garlic and dill pickles to sate you while you wait for your order. (Warning: the garlic pickles were no joke. They weren't sorta garlic pickles or kinda garlic pickles. They were like slathering your insides with garlic pickles, and I'm still breathing fire as I type. Plan accordingly.)

But back to the sandwiches. Sandwiches are available in small and large sizes, and come with the options of many different sides. I tried Fred's Jazzy Pita Treata, a vegan offering that consisted of hummus, cucumbers, spinach, tomatoes and kalamata olives in a pita. The menu also lists Franklin's Kibbetz, made of Katzinger's fresh mozzarella, pesto and tomato grilled on sourdough bread, and The Good, The Bad and the Lawyer, a farm bread sandwich grilled with marinated portabella, oven roasted vegetables, and spinach, amongst other choices.

Side dishes include chips, salads, and one of my personal favorites, potato latke served with sour cream or apple sauce. You also shouldn't leave before checking out the fantastic cheese selection at Katzinger's. They have piles of imported and domestic dairy, including a limited selection of raw milk offerings.

Like most places with a long history, the word has gotten out about Katzinger's. The place is so famous, the fried Twinkie President Bill Clinton stopped by while campaigning to have a sandwich named after him (and devouring a few of them before he left, no doubt). You can tell from his gut that Clinton was no stranger to good eating.But as for yourself, you should definitely plan to spend a few minutes in line there, because it is well worth the wait.

Check out the pictures and check out the place.

Katzinger's