Russ and Daughters is a New York institution – a smoked fish and gourmet specialty food shop on the Lower East Side. I’d say they have the best smoked fish in town. (Although Sables on the Upper East Side and Barney Greengrass on the Upper West are extremely close contenders, and I suspect if I were doing a post about either of them I would be calling them the best in town…)
There’s alway a line at Russ and Daughter, but it’s well worth the time spent in the queue. Or shop early, which is what we did, to avoid the crowds.
Plates of marinated artichoke hearts, smoked salmon tartare, sable, whitefish salad and herring in sour cream, served with warm bagel quarters and coffee made a delicious lunch on a recent Saturday. It’s salty fare, which made it the perfect prelude to a long afternoon spent wandering the stalls at the Union Square Green Market and St Mark’s Place in the East Village. There was no need for anyone to make a bathroom stop!
I keep hearing about the whitefish in New York (part of me thinks the seed was planted by something I read from Calvin Trillin), so I’m thinking I really must try it. I just wrote about a staple of Montreal Jewish cuisine, Schwartz’s smoked meat. I must say, a picnic of New York smoked fish and bialys and Montreal smoked meat and bagels sounds like a pretty damn good meal right about now. Can it be shipped to Canada?
Rob –
Actually, Barney Greengrass ships, and you can even order online!
http://www.barneygreengrass.com/online_shopping.php
I’m heading over to your place now for a little smoked meat…
can’t get enough of whitefish salad!! love the stuff. luckily, i live in deli central in montreal! 😀