Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan — stars of When Harry Met Sally — recently reunited at New York’s Katz’s Deli. This time, however, instead of Ryan noisily faking an orgasm — which elicited the most famous line from the film, “I’ll have what she’s having,” delivered by a deadpan Estelle Reiner, late mother of the film’s Jewish director, Rob Reiner — the duo were there for a Hellman’s Mayonnaise advert which will air during the Super Bowl on 9 February.
The advert showed a long-suffering Katz’s waitress reading back a particularly pernickety order. “One turkey on rye, but only if it’s fresh, if it’s not fresh then on white bread, but then it’s toasted. Two whole lettuce leaves, paper-thin tomatoes, one sour pickle sliced lengthwise, so every bite has a bit of pickle, and some Hellmann’s Mayonnaise.” “On the side,” says an off-screen voice.
“On the side,” the waitress echoes, adding “You’d better be a good tipper.”
Hellman’s Mayonnaise was founded when German immigrant Richard Hellmann and his wife, Margaret, opened Hellmann’s Delicatessen on Columbus Avenue, NY, where they began to develop the creamy condiment. Last November, Katz’s unveiled its first-ever commercial, created by Italian-Jewish filmmaker Nicolas Heller, who’s better known to his 1.4 million Instagram followers as New York Nico.
Katz’s is repeatedly named among the most iconic spots in New York City; last year, its pastrami sandwich was named by the New York Times as one of the sandwiches that “define New York City”.
While mustard is typically the most common condiment to enjoy on a pastrami and rye sandwich, Katz’s online menu states that mayonnaise is also available, “if you must”.
