Kith Treats X Katz's Delicatessen Review: Pastrami Has No Business In Ice Cream

As a (mostly) native New Yorker, anytime someone is visiting my fine city, whether friend or stranger, I always ask if they've been to or plan on visiting Katz's Delicatessen. The feel good Jewish food institution has been serving heaping amounts of pastrami, salami, latkes, and some of the best fries in the world since 1888. For a short ride this September, the savory strong flavors of Katz's are being borrowed and imported into a set of Kith Treats honoring the deli.

These treats, with names like The Dilluxe and The Latke, sound like some sort of physical challenge, featuring toppings like the signature fried potato pancakes, pickles, mustard seeds, rye bread, and pastrami rub seasoning. As a diehard Katz's fan and unofficial member of its street team, I was more than happy to accept this challenge.

Will the result end with me exalting "Mazel Tov!" at this ultimate meat-up, or will I walk away scratching my head and tongue, asking, "pastrami on why???" After many spoonfuls and hearty sips, the truth can finally be told in this chew & review. Buckle your borscht belts and let's take in this tasting journey together.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Kith is a fashion and lifestyle brand that started in New York back in 2011. Four years later, it opened a cereal-friendly dessert offshoot called Kith Treats. In 2020, Kith Treats launched the Treats Heritage Program as a "vehicle for consumers to discover heritage brands that we admire through our own unique lens." Recent heritage brand collaborations have included Miami's Versailles Cuban restaurant, Los Angeles' Apple Pan, and Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffe. The next heritage brand honored in an ice cream form is the venerable New York eatery, Katz's Delicatessen.

This very first collaboration between the two brands has resulted in two limited-edition treats sold at Kith Treats. The first is The Dilluxe, which is vanilla ice cream infused with pastrami-seasoned rye bread croutons, ground mustard seeds, Katz's full brine pickles & French toast crunch, all topped with pastrami seasoning and decked out with an actual Katz's half brine pickle. The other option is The Latke, where vanilla ice cream acts as the base to hold a mixture of sour cream & onion chips, apple sauce & Corn Flakes, all topped with apple jam & Maldon salt and outfitted with a Katz's mini latke.

While there are several Kith Treats locations around the world, this collaboration with Katz's Delicatessen will only be available in the restaurant's hometown of New York City. This includes the Manhattan location in SoHo, and the two Brooklyn ones in Williamsburg and Dumbo. These treats are available for sale as of September 12 and will remain on the menu through September 21, while supplies last.

The Dilluxe treat is only available in one size, a cup of ice cream, and retails for $12. The Latke also comes in a cup form for $12, but can be made into a milkshake for $13. These items aren't listed on the standard print menu, but can be ordered directly at Kith Treats any time the store is open, which usually begins at 11 a.m. and may be as late as 9 p.m. Check with each store for exact hours and availability.

I decided to tackle The Dilluxe first, as it was both the most curious and challenging-looking of the two treats. On the surface, it looked like an overly-cooked artichoke, covered in some sort of ash. Yes, perhaps that's not the greatest of introductions to an eater, but my eyes were thankfully distracted by a signature item from each of the collaborators — a gorgeous green pickle spear and a small piece of chocolate, embossed with the familiar Kith logo. Leaning in for a smell, the sour dill of the pickle filled the air, followed by what smelled like the burnt ends of pastrami.

Tackling the ice cream itself with a black plastic spoon in hand, I was a bit nervous as to what it would actually taste like. My first scoop was confusing, as it was all just so out of the ordinary. The pastrami seasoning was naturally strong, salty, and peppery. And there was plenty of it, as it also heavily dressed the crunchy rye bread croutons that formed the bottom base. There was also a continuous shocking zing of spice that kept rearing its head. At first, I couldn't tell what was causing this jarring sensation. Re-reading the list of ingredients, it became super obvious that the ground mustard seeds were providing this peculiar zest to the treat.

The one-two punch of pastrami seasoning and mustard seeds utterly dominated this dessert. Whatever light and smooth attributes that once existed for Kith's vanilla ice cream succumbed to the tastes and sandy textures borrowed from the smoked meats from Katz's.

For The Latke treat, I had the choice to taste it as another ice cream sundae or as a milkshake. Looking to switch things up, I opted for the milkshake, which was also more portable and less likely to melt as quickly. It came in a clear plastic cup, with each company's iconic logo printed on opposing sides.

From its appearance, it was a far more subdued affair, basically looking like a stark white milkshake with a reddish-brown drizzle on top, that just so happened to have a mini latke hanging off its side. I stirred my straw in the mixture to figure out the consistency, and even though it had sat for a few minutes as I started dallying with The Dilluxe, The Latke shake held its thickness for quite a while.

I grabbed my spoon to try the salted apple jam on top first. It had a nice pie-like flavor that gave off some welcome fall vibes. I proceeded with my first sip, which confirmed the extreme thickness of this shake. When I read that it had sour cream & onion chips mixed in, for a second, my brain thought there was actual sour cream in there. The ice cream had a tinge of sweetness, perhaps due to the applesauce, but the contours and flavors of its creaminess tasted more like a labneh or Greek yogurt. Most sips also sucked up ground pieces of Corn Flakes, and what I'm guessing were those flavored potato chips. The combination was certainly left-of-center, but was perfectly aligned as an accoutrement for the latke on the side. Sadly, that latke was far below room temperature, and not nearly as crispy as I had hoped for.

I am all for crazy collaborations where brands bring what they're known for best to the table, fusing new flavors that challenge the mouth and the mind. The Kith Treats x Katz's Delicatessen union is ultimately an unholy one, but a unique venture I'm glad I tried, and probably won't soon forget. I definitely couldn't forget about The Dilluxe, as it gave me the feeling of indigestion and my eating partner heartburn, shortly after stepping away from it. What's amazing is that's what actually happens when you gobble down a pastrami sandwich at Katz's. However, that's not exactly the feeling I'm looking for in a dessert to cap off the evening.

Again, these treats are certainly inspired ones. The Latke is more approachable to the palate, and worthy of a try, especially if you're a Katz's completist. The Dilluxe is just too much of a weird thing. The pastrami rub grist leaves an aftertaste that not even The Latke or several gulps of water can dent. Also, the ground mustard seed spice is really off-putting. Even with all that in mind, I couldn't help myself from scooping up more of it, as if it was a double dare I had to see to the end.

I've had pickle ice cream before, and even French's mustard ice cream. I walked away from those experiences challenged, but ready for another scoop. The latter isn't the case here, but I applaud Kith for nailing Katz's flavoring in a cup. Just curious why Katz's famous Russian dressing wasn't utilized in any of these treats, as the relish would have not only added a fun texture, but a dash of sweetness the treats seemed to lack.