Before I headed to New York, I was binging through my DVR while packing. I came across Andrew Zimmern’s Delicious Destinations New York. So naturally, I had to check it out. One of the locations Andrew covered was Russ & Daughters The Shop. I visited The Shop, NOT The Cafe! Two different places! I begged my local New York friend to come with me to check one tourist destination I had on my list during my visit.
Brief History
Russ & Daughters has been family owned and operated since 1914 by four generations of the Russ family. Russ & Daughters was the first business in the United States that added “& Daughters” to their name in 1935. Joel Russ changed the name when he formally made his three daughters his partners. Four generations later, the family business is still in full swing and growing. In 2014, the fourth generation opened a Russ & Daughters Cafe at 127 Orchard Street (which I can’t wait to try on my next trip to New York)
The Visit
As soon as you walk in, grab a number because the place is packed wall to wall & you don’t want to wait longer than you have to. Then, grab a menu and start the long decision process of what delicious ingredients you’re going to choose for your lock and bagel sandwich. Options from the type of salmon, and cream cheese, all the way down to the type of bagel.
What We Ordered
There are a few sandwiches to choose from but we went ahead and built our own...
- Scottish smoked salmon, horseradish-dill cream cheese, capers, on a poppy seed bagel
- Norwegian smoked salmon, plain cream cheese, onions, and tomatoes, on a poppy seed bagel
I preferred the Norwegian salmon for its thick slices and buttery texture but both sandwiches were delicious!
Here's a short clip of our sandwiches being made!
Russ & Daughters occupies that rare and tiny place on the mountaintop reserved for those who are not just the oldest and the last – but also the best.
-Anthony Bourdain
Since there wasn’t anywhere inside to sit and eat, my friend and I walked across the street to some picnic tables and enjoyed our well-deserved sandwiches. The long wait on that sunny but frigid Saturday morning was worth it, but I think I’ll try to go on a weekday with the hope it will be less busy. All in all, well worth the trip!
NYC Address
Russ & Daughters Shop
179 E Houston St. NYC, NY 10002
❤️❤️❤️😘😘😘
Yum! Can’t wait to try this place 🙂