Appetizing Tales of Russ and Daughters

A Nosh is Nice. Maybe Some Lox, Herring, and a Story

Jul 29, 2008 Jacqueline Church

Now in its fourth generation of family owner-operators, Russ & Daughters serves up lox, herring, smoked fish, bagels and more. They serve, and preserve, history.

Whether you're a nosher or a fresser, Russ & Daughters will make you happy.

“From Pushcart to Posh”

Russ & Daughters is in many ways the tale of many immigrants to this country. See their website for great food (now available online), and also for great video clips and interviews. Included are clips from the PBS documentary “The Jews of New York,” NPR’s on the Tam Tam crisis of Passover , and interviews with the youngest generation family-owners Niki Russ Federman and Joshua Russ Tupper.

Manhattan’s Lower East Side has been the starting point for generations of European immigrants to the US. Since 1914, Russ & Daughters has been a purveyor of smoked and cured fish to tenement residents and stars alike. Today, modern buildings burst on the scene, while a handful of traditional stores and shops like Russ & Daughters keep tradition alive in the old tenement neighborhoods. Interestingly, their long time employee Herman Vargas, now their Store Manager, was an immigrant himself. He joined the business as a youngster after his arrival from the Dominican Republic. He fell right into the mix, and says the sense of community at the shop and in the community was very similar to his home.

Moving in/Moving out.

It is a cycle of immigrant history familiar to many of us.

The old tenements now house Über-chic and wealthy residents who seek the cachet of a now-fancy address. Only a generation or two ago, the area was a place to move out of at the first opportunity. You come here, work hard, move out, move up. But, move back? What are you, meshugener? Try to explain buying “distressed” jeans or furniture to your grandmother. Good luck.

There’s even Twilight Thursdays at the Tenement Museum. Local merchants are marketing the neighborhood with discounts for museum guests and stay open late for them to wander and shop.

Straight from the Shtetl and on the Menu at Astor

When someone moves to New York City, what better introduction could there be than a visit to Russ & Daughters, Katz’s Deli, a walk through the Lower East Side? This old world Appetizing store is both a touchstone for those who remember, and a catalyst for those re-discovering the joys of lox, herring, maybe a bagel and a schmear.

How about “A Taste of Appetizing” class at the Astor Center? Mark Russ Federman, 3rd generation slicer and another over-educated lawyer, (Oy they’re everywhere!) gave a wonderful chat over samples of herring, salmon and more. The stories were as delicious as the food, well nearly.

Samples included:

Wild Pacific Nova also known as “Western,” made with Alaskan Chinook.
Gaspe “Traditional Eastern Nova”
Scottish - Wet cured, salt-rubbed.
Irish “Organic” - less smoky than the Scottish
Gravlox “Dill cured” - the “impress your friends” lox . "Gravad" is Scandanavian dry-cured.
Wild white King KS - “Kippered Salmon” Hot-smoked versus Cold-smoked
Pastrami Cured Salmon - “If you want to eat Pastrami but live a long time.”
Belly Lox “Salt Cured” - “Jewish Sushi”

Other Appetizing Choices

Appetizing versus Delicatessen? Under Kashruth - laws of keeping Kosher - Meats must be kept separately from dairy. This is why observant Jews have two sets of dinnerware, and foods one would eat with dairy such as lox (eaten with cream cheese ) would be separated from foods like pastrami, corned beef, tongue. No cheeseburgers at the Kosher table.

Herring - several types of herring are available and most people would be surprised at the range of flavors and textures. There are seasonal specialities, too; such as the Holland Herring which is early summer. Sweet, sour, curry, cream - the flavors of Eastern Europe as well as Nordic countries are all represented in this delicious section of the Appetizing menu.

Cream Cheese - Imagine cream cheese that’s light and fresh. It’s an amazing thing to instantly realize you are not tasting supermarket cream cheese. No gummy preservatives or thickeners.

Hand-rolled New York bagels - Can you tell the difference? Yes, you can.

Smoked fish - Sturgeon, Sable, Whitefish, Chubs.

Just as if they’d rolled in from central casting two customers were observed nearly word for word ordering their smoked fish. “A nice one. You know, you’re the expert. I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, but...”

The copyright of the article Appetizing Tales of Russ and Daughters in Gourmet Food is owned by Jacqueline Church. Permission to republish Appetizing Tales of Russ and Daughters in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Russ & Daughters