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Categories: Seafood Markets, Ethnic Food [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lower East Side2nd Ave-Houston St (F, V)
Delancey-Essex Sts (F, J, M, Z)
Uptown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6)
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
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This is, by far, the most expensive breakfast sandwich we've ever had. But totally worth it!
R&D is actually noted as a landmark by the Smithsonian Institute and it is also one of the last surviving appetizing shops in NY (what is "appetizing"? Read about it on their website. I'm not your school teacher). The shop has a very old-world feel where all the men behind the counter don white lab coats with a button-up shirt and tie. There are also a few ladies, including an actual 4th generation Russ! There is a definite sense of pride amongst all the workers and you can sense that your smoked fish is in good hands.
For us, every trip to this shop MUST include the wasabi-infused flying fish roe. We've tried the Heebster, the Super Heebster, the Mensch and the Mushugge all on a bialy. Although the Heebster is very tasty with the whitefish and baked salmon salad, I think R&D has better quality fish to offer. We've also had the Mensch (slices of sturgeon) with caviar cream cheese and wasabi roe. Also really yummy but the caviar cream cheese was not as flavorful as we had hoped. The Mushugge (smoked salmon, sturgeon AND sable) with horseradish cream cheese and wasabi roe is our favorite. The Mushugge was way more superior and flavorful than the Mensch but it also cost us $6 more. We tried each fish individually and decided that the sable definitely had way more flavor than the smoked salmon and sturgeon. So our order for the next visit has been decided: sable, horseradish cream cheese, wasabi roe on a bialy. I can't wait!
We must sound like a couple of food freaks but when each sandwich costs you almost $20, you want to make sure you have your perfect combination.
Our order today included one Mensch w/ wasabi roe and one Mushugge with wasabi roe. The total came out to $38. Definitely the most expensive sandwiches we've ever had but we still keep coming back for more!
I was in New York for only two days and my friend and I were on a mission. We were determined to find NYC's best lox and bagels. Nobody can deny that Lox and bagels is one of the things New Yorkers do better than anybody else in the world. And Russ and Daughters is where they do it. Besides, we would be crazy not to try this Lower East Side Institution after it landed a spot on Anthony Bourdain's list of 13 places to eat before you die!
Looking like tourists, we took the subway and with maps in hand, navigated our way to this lox and bagel haven. Upon entering Russ and Daughters, I knew I was in for something great. They had a great selection of quality fish, more varieties of cream cheese that I've ever laid eyes on, charismatic staff, and great service to boot. Per usual, I didn't know what to order and had no idea where to begin, so I defaulted to my normal question, "What do you recommend? What's the best thing here?"
He proceeded to pull out a few cuts of salmon and sliced a teaser off of the Scottish and Nova - boy, does he know his fish! It was love at first bite! We ordered two bagels with the works - scallion cream cheese, tomatoes, onions, capers and a generous portion of the Scottish and Nova. The cream cheese was flavorful and fluffy. The salmon practically speaks for itself - silky smooth and not too fishy (in all its smoky goodness, the Nova now holds a special place in my heart). All that on a bagel with the fixings was a symphony in my mouth. So simple, so satisfying and unequivocally the best lox and bagels I've ever eaten.
Don't just take my (and the other 118 yelp citizens) word for it though. Pay a visit to Russ and Daughters to remind yourself how this traditional Jewish-style treat is done right.
Hollandse Nieuwe... $ 4.49 (a little on the expensive side, but hey, they gotta fly it all the way in from the old country)
Feeling like a Dutchie in New York exactly 400 years after Henry Hudson founded the New Netherland Colony... priceless.
I can't tell you how many people stopped by this little store, with a map in hand and in one case, even a newspaper article. The power of Bourdain, I suppose. I have to admit, I was a little intimidated when I walked in. There are just SO many choices - from the lox to the salads to the meats.
When it was my turn to order, I chose the salmon belly, only because I'd never had anything but smoked lox. According to the website, the salmon belly is the 'mid-section of a juicy salmon cured in a special salt brine' - in other words, it was gonna be damn salty. I was even asked when I ordered it, if I knew it was salty. Yep, sure did..and I STILL want some capers on that too.
As my order was being made, I noticed how quiet it got around me. There were maybe 10 people in the store and you couldn't hear a peep. I'd read about this before, how the workers don't talk and it gets really quiet. So I busied myself by reading some of the articles around the store. I saw a picture of one of the guys and Martha Stewart..except..he looked really familiar. I looked again, turned around to see who was making my lox & bagel, and sure enough..it was him, one of the Russ's! Hm..so now I KNOW my bagel's going to be really good.
Some $12 later, I was sitting outside on the bench, unwrapping my bagel. He was definitely generous with the lox, and the capers and tomatoes too for that matter. I took one bite and .. crap, I need water! That was SUPER SALTY. Like throw my head back and pour a container of salt in my mouth, salty. But you know what? It was SO DAMN GOOD. The lox was so fresh, the tomatoes were ripe and juicy, the pumpernickel bagel was perfect to balance it out. I really liked it, enough to finish the whole thing and make my face bloated for the rest of the day.
We decided that nothing would be better for Thanksgiving breakfast in California than bagels and lox from NY for the 10 of us gathered for the holidays.
We ordered two "Smoked Salmon Medley's" which included Scottish Salmon, Scandinavian Grav Lox Salmon, Pastrami Cured Salmon, Cream Cheese, Bagels and Capers. We also got a fillet of Whitefish and two orders of herring, one with cream sauce, one without.
I wish I could tell you which was better, but from deli-starved California every bit of the food was a hit.
We put our order in on Tuesday morning and it was at our door Wed afternoon.
This is the start of a new tradition for our family.
Thanks Russ & Daughters!
There is nothing left to be said about R & D.
Just go.
Edit: no one seems to have said much about the babka...really good stuff.
When I read that recent article in the New York Times about ground beef,* I wrote a letter to my representatives asking them to replace the current U.S.D.A. leadership with competent people.
Then I vowed to lay off hamburger for awhile and walked over to Russ & Daughters to buy some smoked fish.
The range of smoked salmon options is encyclopedic (how many places sell pastrami-cured salmon?), AND they have amazing things like sable and smoked trout (beautiful, golden-colored, whole smoked fish), too. Not-to-mention chopped liver, horseradish cream cheese and orange-chocolate ruggelach.
They recently started staying open later on weeknights and it's the best time to stop by -- Never as crowded as on weekend mornings.
---------------------
*"E. Coli Path Shows Flaws in Beef Inspection"
http://www.nytimes.com...
I pass by this place numerous amounts of time but never want to go in since this place is always busy.
I am a bit claustrophobic and can't deal with too many people in tiny places.
Finally, a time where I didn't see more than 2 people inside this joint, I decided to check this place out.
I didn't read any of the reviews and not feeling adventurous that day - I decided to just get the vegetable cream cheese and smoked salmon.
Cream cheese was good but I prefer the veggies to be diced a bit more and the smoked salmon was the best tasting smoked salmon I ever had.
Now I can see what's the fuss about and I definitely will be back to try other things like their specialty whole fish.
If you can deal with all the old yentas in this fine store, then you are in for a treat. Very high quality smoked fish (several different kinds of lox, and sable, sturgeon, baked salmon, herring) and fresh cream cheeses. They even have a nice little chocolate area/display. This is jewish appetizing at its finest. And very friendly service. Pick a number, wait in line, and try not to let the old jewish yenta customers ruin your experience! Ha.
After hearing Jeffrey Steingarten's raves of this place, my hubby really wanted to check it out. We also saw it on Chef vs. City...I know we are pathetic food groupies...
I had my usual: bagel with cream cheese and sable.
It was good, and I had a sample of their chocolate babka, which was great.
I really wish they had a few tables, but I realize they aren't really a restaurant.
They've been around for a VERY long time, so they must be doing something right.
They have earned a reputation as a bit of an institution on the Lower East Side.
I'm glad I went, but I still prefer Zabar's!!
Best Lox in NYC, hand down. 'Nuff said.
The traditional bagel here is AMAZING. If you're in the LES and you're looking for a good bagel, don't pass this place up! Good coffee too!
And don't forget to grab a number when its slammed!
this place is truly a benchmark. during a recent 10-day nyc trip, i found myself here three days before 9am, fiending for a heebster, their own concoction.
for the unknowing, a heebster is a bagel with whitefish and kippered lox salad on it, and a healthy schmear of horseradish cream cheese. über jewish. you can get a super heebster that comes with wasabi flying fish roe, and is probably amazing, but kind of like putting ketchup on chow mein. why?
i'll be honest. i kind of snoozed on this place for a while, because my whitefish salad phase (three years and i'm still in it) hadn't quite been ignited by barney greengrass yet. what a waste of time.
i get a cup of coffee regular and some fresh squeezed OJ, sit out on the bench on houston and eat as i watch people hustling their morning hustle. if only life was always such a cinch.
they have all different amazing kinds of smoked fishes, cream cheese, breads, and other noshes. make your bubbie happy...stock your weekend with nom noms from r&d.
- honestly, i came here based on Anthony Bourdain's "13 places to eat before you die" list.. which i found by accident posted on their door.. ive walked by this place a million times.. im not into the lox or preserved fish thing.. but i made it a point to eat here..
- i didnt know what to order.. i dont eat this stuff.. i ask for a recommendation, sounding like an idiot.. i yelped this place looking for recommendations.. but everyone seems to love something different.. he let me sample the whitefish and salmon salad.. my mouth went into shock... i didnt know what to expect, but i didnt expect it to be that friggin delicious.. it raised my expectations.. i ended up getting.. a whole wheat bagel with horseradish cream cheese, and nova something... the bagel itself was kinda hard n dry.. whatever.. the cream cheese was creamy and not overflavored with the horseradish.. together with the fish... was amazing.. and it wasnt my hunger playing tricks on my palate.. i already had dinner... this was a last stop before heading home.. i ate half that nite..and the other half for breakfast.. i need to go back!!
If you're an avid Food Network groupie, you may have seen this place on Chefs vs. City, where Aaron Sanchez and Chris Cosentino and a couple of NYC chefs are challenged to slice lox so thin that they can lay it over a message and still read the words underneath.
But television shows aside, Russ & Daughters has THE best lox (and cream cheese combo) on a bagel. You can get it in a mini size too. The lox is so silky in texture, and the display case shows off salmon hailing from countries across the world.
This is one of those places that you discover that reinforces your faith in the uplifting power of food. It is also one of the few places in any city where friendly service, proud purveyance, exceptional selection, and unparalleled quality converge under the roof of one establishment. An overwhelmingly large variety of cured, pickled, and/or smoked fish, cream cheese creations, bagels, cheeses, dried fruits, and caviar fill the cold cases of this long standing appetizing store and are met with an equally as numerous amount of patrons and a friendly, knowledgeable, and responsive staff.
I walked in and was a bit intimidated by the sheer number of people who had a much better idea of the procedure than I. I saw a red ticket dispenser just to the left as I walked in and bypassed it for now, knowing that I wanted to survey the place for a bit before I committed to an order. I meandered, taking notes of how and what people were ordering and took a look at the plastic paper protector that held the menu. I was planning on a big day of eating in Manhattan so I decided on a plain mini bagel with caviar cream cheese and Norwegian smoked salmon. The famous herring in cream sauce would have to wait until next time.
The bagel was delicious. The crust had just the right blend of crunch and chew giving way to a soft and chewy center. The cream cheese was very creamy and had great interplay between the mineral sea brine flavors of the caviar and the tang of scallions that were also in the spread. The salmon was delicious, not too salty, as some can be, had a great texture that held its own and was more succulent than pasty. I had a great experience. Whether you are taking a gastro-tour of the city or are just passing by (on your way to Katz's as I was), do yourself a favor and appetize at Russ and Daughter's sometime along the way.
In M + E family speak, Russ & Daughters translates to "Tradition".
Every time family comes down from Massachusetts, and every time we go to visit them, it is a given that there will be a trip to Russ & Daughers for a cornucopeia of the things that keep my family going.
This cornucopeia is SURE to include the following:
- The best lox you've ever had
- Salty, tender, flaky whitefish. I could LIVE on this stuff. I could sit at home in a corner just picking the carcass apart and savoring every sodium filled nibble.
- the BEST cream cheese in the world. Seriously. get yourself a container of the scallion spread and you will die happy. slather an everything bagel or a bialy with it, top with some lox and grab yourself a hunk of whitefish on the side.
Orgasm.
I honestly don't know what we would do if this place didn't exist. Time and time again their service has amazed me. When they are just closing up, and they see my little hands trying to open the door....someone runs over to let me in and serve me up a little of that sumpin sumpin calorie party that i love so much.
this. is. the PLACE!
Wow where do I begin?! Let's just say that this is a must see & do for Any True Foodie!! The Smoked salmon is to Die for! The Caviar cream cheese was Delicious! The bagel was perfect! Truly the quintessential Bagel & Lox experience! It's No wonder they have been going strong since 1914! I can't wait to go back and taste more of what they have to offer! Anthony Bourdain lists Russ & Daughters in his 13 places to eat at before you die! I clearly see why! The Lox, The Cream cheese, The bagels, The History, Truly One of A Kind!
If it was mid-morning and I had not eaten and I was on my way to Russ & Daughters and was just getting there when Megan Fox appeared needing some help and offering healthy rewards, I would go inside and order The Super Heebster - Whitefish & Baked Salmon Salad and Horseradish Cream Cheese on a Bagel topped off with Wasabi Flying Fish Roe. I think it used to be called The Big Heeb and either way it is phenomenal. It makes my childhood escapades with lox and bagels embarrassing to say the least.
This place is a NY institution and has been featured on many food tv shows. They have every variety of salmon on Earth, as well as anything else you would expect to see in a place like this - caviar, herring, specialty fishes, cream cheese, bagels/bialys, dried fruit, chocolate and The Super Heebster among other fantastic sandwich creations (only runs you $10.45 and is worth twice as much).
You can't eat here, there are no tables. There are two benches outside which you can eat on, but if you get a full bagel you will have to balance the madness on your lap while trying to eat.
Go here once and you will go back every time you pass by. Note: if the scenario described in the first paragraph ever actually happens I would like the option to reconsider my decision.
The bagel and lox is "Woohoo! As good as it gets!"
This place is right across the street from me, and I've never really had a reason to go in before this morning, since I don't do a lot of entertaining, nor do I eat a lot of expensive appetizers. But, dear god, revisiting this morning, when that heavenly sandwich first touched my tongue... I am actually salivating. The lox was supple and salty, but not in that oversaturated way. It was balanced perfectly by the luscious cream cheese. It felt a little strange to be eating something as hard as the bagel it came on so early in the morning, but this is coming from a dedicated oatmeal eater (until now). This is quite possibly one of the worst, unhealthiest breakfasts you could have, but hell, it's so worth the cholesterol and blood pressure spike. The guy preparing my sandwich was also really patient, as I was being annoying taking forever to decide whether or not I wanted tomatoes and onions. Fresh-squeezed orange juice was delightful as well. I might be back tomorrow.
I will review Russ & Daughters by summarizing the many similar comments posted here.
Yes, R&D clearly has the best smoked fish in town. Particularly impressive is their sable, private stock sturgeon, any salmon and chopped herring.
2 misguided critiques consistently appear in others' comments:
1) Expense. Yes, R&D is expensive but not significantly more so than competitors murray's, zabar's, barney greengrass, etc. And the fish here is better. Listen folks, if you want high quality fish you better be prepared to pay for it. If you are price-sensitive, you can either enjoy it in small portions or make it a priority in your food budget.
2) Bagels: Stop compaining about the bagels. This is not a bagel store. The bagels are passable - not the best, but better than most NY bagel places.
The highest quality - and best variety - of smoked fishies in NY (everything else here - from caviar… Read more »
Made my way on a Sunday morning...loved the neighbourhood and loved the store even more. It was a stop that I had to make on my short trip to NYC and it was well worth it! It wasn't busy inside so it gave me time to look at everything in the store and snap pics. It would've been nice to try a bit of everything but I can't be greedy on my first visit so I opted for simplicity. One plain bagel, scallion cream cheese, and the nova lox. Yummy! Yes, it's a bit price at $10 but it's worth it. The lox tasted so fresh, rich, and smooth. Just melts in your mouth! I've never had cream cheese like this before, it really makes it tough to go back to Philidelphia cream cheese. The scallion cream cheese was so light and fluffy - just heavenly!
Also, bought a very thick slice of their chocolate babka. It was good but a little too rich and sweet for me.
I will definitely see you again R&D. What a great New York institution!
This place is amazing.
I had the "super heebster" - whitefish, baked salmon salad and horseradish cream cheese on a bagel topped with wasabi infused tobiko. What a tasty sandwich. The fish is so fresh tasting (I usually don't even like whitefish.) I opted for an everything bagel and it was excellent.
Based on a friend's recommendation, I also picked up some chocolate covered pretzels and dried strawberries. Both were on point - the strawberries are so addicting, hard to stop eating them!
I'm a repeat customer!
I also like the name of the joint, Jimmy A. thinks it sounds like like a porn title - "Russ and His Dirty Little Daughters"
For an upcoming trip to NYC I scoured chowhound and found many a glowing review for this place...it goes without saying this is a true 5-Star establishment. Previous posters have given exellent detail about the history, atmosphere, etc, so I won't repeat too much..I'll simply say that I was bowled over when I had my first bite of an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese and Nova lox on the bench outside. One of the most savory memories I have of NYC. You owe it to yourself to pay this venerable institiution a visit. The taste will linger with you for months after.
The fishes here are sooooooooooo fresh!!
Had the smoked Norway salmon here and MMMMMM!! sooo good!!!!
On one recent visit, I was only able to try a small sample of the deiicacies available here, but as someone who was raised on this stuff, I could see that the "appetizing" food here is top quality.
The flavored cream cheeses are heavenly. If you want to taste an item, just ask the counterman for a sample. I bought half a pound each of the horseradish cream cheese, which had just the right amount of bite, and half a pound of lox cream cheese, which was subtle, not salty or overly fishy.
Instead of one of a dozen varieties of beautiful smoked salmon displayed in the glass cases, I opted for a pound of the whitefish/kippered salmon salad (90% smoked whitefish/10% baked white King salmon). How to eat: shmear a lightly-toasted bagel with your choice of flavored cream cheese, load it up with this whitefish salad, top it with a bit of thinly-sliced red onion and a thick slice of fresh, juicy, red ripe tomato, a grind of fresh cracked black pepper, then dive in.
I also bought some pickled herring fillets in cream sauce with onions. I was tempted by the just-flown-in, "Hollandse Nieuw" (seasonal baby Dutch herring), but chose a nostalgic favorite instead. The cream sauce was thick and rich, and the fish was fantastic, flavorful without being vinegary or overly fishy-tasting.
A honey cake loaf topped with sliced almonds beckoned me, but as I am already suffering from ice cream overload this summer, I passed on the desserts and candies.
The counterman was very friendly and patient. It was a hot day, so he hooked me up with an insulated plastic shopping bag and a frozen gel ice pack to keep all my goodies cold for the trip through the Holland Tunnel and home.
Russ & Daughters opens at 8:00 AM on Sunday, and 9:00 AM on Saturday. I can't wait to go back.
If you like smoked fish - RUN here.
They have tons of kinds of smoked fish - many kinds of salmon as well as other favorites like sable and chubs. They also have pickles, salads and spreads, bagels, and absolutely everything you need to put out a lavish spread or grab a quick lunch. Our sweet friends sent my wife a big box of their goodies for her birthday.
I am not a New Yorker. Sorry, that's my only excuse and I'm stuck with it. Otherwise, how could a woman who brags about her talent for recognizing quality, possibly have missed Russ and Daughters?
A few weeks ago, a gift package from my sons arrived with a wonderful collection of three kinds of handcut salmon, a collection of fresh bagels, whitefish spread, fresh cream cheese and capers. Delicacies of this quality (unavailable in Northern Virginia) arrived meticulously wrapped for overnight preservation. Paint me one happy-faced Mom!!
What a fabulous Mother's Day treat! More than enough food for two shared meals or a week's worth of pastrami lox, regular lox and gravlox was double sealed in waxed paper and foil wrap. Everything was perfection except the too soft bagels which I partially remedied by toasting them before using. (That said, they could be upgraded).
Introducing me to this fabulous food source that ships with such care was a huge gift. Great job guys, this is decidedly proof of exceptionally good taste.
I wish I had visited Russ & Daughters before wasting my money down the street at Katz's. Bagels, homemade cream cheeses, herring and lox would have been much more satisfying.
My boyfriend and I each got a piece of herring anyway and ate them on the bench out front. We definitely got some interesting looks but I didn't care. That was some of the best herring ever. Mmmm...
2 well done everything bagels
Grav Lox + Norwegian Lox
scallion cream cheese
20 minute walk to Washington Square Park
girls in bikinis
eating bagels and lox while watching girls in bikinis
WIN
This place is a trip. Literally. You walk in and you feel like you are in the real Lower East East of yesteryear. It doesn't look like too much has changed since they opened their doors many many years ago, and that is a good thing.
The place is usually pretty busy on the weekends, so it's best to grab a number and maybe take a stroll around the block, grab a coffee and come back, as it is packed and somewhat claustrophobic inside. The people line up to get the best variety of lox in the city. I'm knocking a star off cause their bagels honestly kind of blow. After having a few bagel sandwiches from there, I now go and just get the lox, cream cheeses (love the horseradish and also the olive variety) , or my favorite thing there is actually the whitefish/lox hybrid salad. I bring it home and get bagels from a better place and put the sandwiches together myself. They should really work at improving their bagels, but I guess they have no shortage of custy's coming through their doors on a daily basis so they don't have to sweat it.
Awesome bagel and lox...
I highly recommend the dill-cured lox on pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese, onion and tomatoes (thinly sliced just like the lox). They also serve coffee there too.
I'm staring out my window and I'm pretty close to getting on the next bus to NYC and coming back to get another one of their bagel sandwiches. Some of the freshest and most delicious smoked salmon ever, I could probably spend hours trying to figure out what I want to take home with me. However, the fact that a million other people are trying to do the exact same thing makes it difficult. Take a number, and be prepared for what you want to order. Don't worry, the guys behind the counter are professional and courteous, and will help you out when you are trying to decide from the different salmon varieties they have to offer.
First order of business - Dozen bagels. I was determined to get some quality NYC bagels before I returned to Boston, and bless Russ & Daughters little hearts, they were magnificent. I wish I had bought 2 dozen. I wish I had also bought a container of their cream cheese, because it's god damn delicious!
For the long ride home Joe and I decided to get one of their bagel sandwiches with Norwegian salmon and cream cheese. Oh.My.God. I didn't want that sandwich to end. Perfect amount of salt and pure water freshness. Makes me sad to think of the Trader Joe's store bought stuff I get all the time. If I had a cooler with me, I would have bought some fish to take home.
The place is cramped, the lines can be out the door, but it's SO WORTH IT! And the name is nice since it's my Dad's name :)
I'm a sucker for variety. Add 1 star
I'm a sucker for good service. Add 1 star
I'm a sucker for good quality fish. Add 1 star
I'm a sucker for Mom & Pop type shops. Add 1 star
I'm not a sucker for un toasted bagels. No stars.
It was the first location in NY where people were actually nice to us. It does have a neighborhood/local shop type feel to the place which is awesome. Finally, their lox belly sandwich is pure goodness. It is a bit pricier than what I'm used to paying ($12.00), but definitely worth checking out.
Last weekend my lovely boyfriend brought home:
1 bialy with cream cheese, nova lox and red onion
1 bagel with cream cheese, traditional belly lox (or was it smoked salmon?) and red onion
1 small container chopped liver
I can't comment on the liver, because its not my thing all the time, but BF thought it was great. He keeps smearing it on bread and eating it with cornichons...
My favorite of the bialy and bagel halves that I had, was the bialy. It was delicious. The bagel itself was "eh, I've had better", the cream cheese was really tasty, and the traditional salmon was way too salty for my taste. So the nova/bialy combo was definitely a winner for me. Next time I'm there (or he's there) that's what I'm going to get - and I won't be sharing it!!!
My husband was craving herrings after our visit to Aquavit so I stopped by here today and grabbed four different kinds of herrings and some lox to bring home -- after reading the reviews I wish I'd gotten some cream cheese from them too! Anyway he LOVED the herrings (especially the dill and mustard one) and the one piece of lox I had was very good. It wasn't busy when I went today (rainy, windy Friday afternoon) and the guy behind the counter was very nice and helpful! Definitely a NYC institution with a neighborhood-y feel, I hope this place lasts forever.
for full posting and photos, visit
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Russ and Daughters
Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City
Friday July 18th 2009
1:26pm
I had first heard of Russ and Daughters from a recent episode on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations "Disappearing Manhattan" on the Travel Channel. I knew I had to check it out when I hit New York City this last weekend after seeing and reading about their bagel, cream cheese, and lox. Little did I know the epiphanies and delights that were really in store at this "appetizing store", one of the best things I have eaten in my life.
Russ and Daughters is a New York City institution (it's even featured as a part of New York's cultural heritage by the Smithsonian Institution and in the national registry of historic places). It has been on the block in the Lower East Side for almost a hundred years (1914) beginning from its humble beginnings out of a push cart and has since then began to faithfully and dutifully serve and specialize in excellent caviar, smoked and cured fish, dried fruit, and other items. Their storefront is situated just a few doors away from Katz' Delicatessen on the south side of Houston Street. The feeling of pure peace and tranquility when we entered the store offered a stark contrast to the loud carnival atmosphere of Katz Deli later on.
Stepping into the Russ and Daughters store is like stepping back decades into an old-world class establishment. The walls feature their caviar in tin cans, dried fruits in glass jars, and their glass deli cases display vast varieties of smoked and cured salmon, fish, and cream cheeses.
The men working behind the counter are dressed in white lab coats, like surgeons meticulously and skillfully slicing and examining the highest quality of smoked fish cuts.
We picked up a number (it can get busy at times here in the small storefront) and luckily didn't have to wait too long for our turn. My brother Andrew and I were relatively new at this ordering lox and bagel thing and so we asked the gentleman at the counter what he recommend: the scallion cream cheese, everything bagel, and the nova lox. The total came to about $9.45.
When we stepped outside to enjoy our bagel on the bench overlooking the park, we noticed that the door had a recently laminated Anthony Bourdain article on the "13 Places to Eat at in the world before you die" from Men's Health magazine. Russ and Daughters was featured at number 8 and I was glad to have enjoyed this place at least once in my life before I died.
The everything bagel is a soft bagel with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion, etc and is good, maybe not the best but still a good bagel. The scallion cream cheese was rich and creamy, tasty. The traditional gaspe nova lox is a rich, oily, slightly salted yet smooth tasting, smoked salmon that just melted in our mouths. Together the bagel, cream cheese, and nova lox were completely divine and absolutely delicious.
The rich yet mild taste lingered on my tongue, tantalizing my senses and enlightening my tastebuds to the point of a taste-nirvana. Mind-blowing.
The face of Manhattan may have changed over the last hundred years or so but the traditions and commitment of Russ and Daughters remains strong still today. We sit on the bench outside a little longer, savoring the flavors that we had just experienced in our mouths and watching the New York City streetscape pass by and just enjoying life.
Next time, I will also try their herring fillets in cream sauce as I have heard that those are a specialty here at Russ and Daughters as well.
Next up: Katz' Delicatessan (just a few doors down!).
Had a whole wheat bagle with horseradish cream cheese and pastrami locks. Pretty good - nothing crazy.
For decades Russ and Daughters has provided "as good as it gets" lox, herring, caviar, salads and anything else needed for a traditional Jewish feast. The food is what it is all about for me, but the friendly service with familiar faces is a nice touch.
Last time I was in the store, I saw one of Russ's daughters... I overheard her talking about the Russ and Daughters blog. The cool thing about Russ and Daughters is the way they effectively took all that was great about the place from history and effectively modernized it. They now have a cool logo, bright lighting, they get PR, etc. Unlike many places in the neighborhood that have seen better days, Russ and Daughters is well positioned for the next generation (maybe it will become Russ and Daughters and Granddaughters).
This place has all the heart and soul of New York. When you walk in you can't but help to notice the long row of fish smoked, pickled, fresh etc... No better place to buy a bagel with cream cheese and fresh lox. Some people say its expensive but I think the prices are great and worth every penny. A true gem in a giant city.
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Cobble Hill
Category: Seafood Markets
Neighborhood: Harlem
Category: Seafood Markets
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Cheese Shops
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Category: Seafood Markets
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