I'll blame Anthony Bourdain for encouraging me to seek out the local eatery landmarks like Katz's, Eisenberg's, Keen's and Carnegie Deli after watching an online edition of his No Reservations food show on the Travel network but some of the online reviews are really hit & miss so I thought it couldn't hurt to ask some real New Yorkers for their opinions.

I can appreciate that the times are a changing and that some of these local institutions may not be be around forever but are they worth experiencing or are they resting on their notoriety and would my dining dollars be better spent elsewhere? I know Katz's is super popular with tourists because of the movie connection but is it still worth a visit to experience it? Are there better times of the day & week to slide into these eateries when crowds might be thinner?

Having travelled a fair bit I like to think of myself as a traveller rather than a tourist and I am seeking out other notable dining experiences such as Gramercy Tavern but am curious about these handful of NYC establishments and thought I'd ask for opinions. Thanks for any and all input.