What is appetizing — Russ & Daughters

Whitefish

&

herring

&

bialys

&

bagels

&

lox

&

cream cheese

&

caviar

&

Whitefish & herring & bialys & bagels & lox & cream cheese & caviar &

what is appetizing?

(Besides delicious)

Used as a noun, “appetizing” is most easily understood as "the foods one eats with bagels.” The appetizing tradition is particularly local to New York Jews, and Russ & Daughters is one of the last remaining appetizing shops in the world. In New York City, until the 1960’s, there were appetizing stores in every borough and in almost every neighborhood. On the Lower East Side alone there were, at one point, 30 appetizing shops. Though one of the last of its kind, Russ & Daughters is committed to preserving and promoting this important food culture. So, now that you know, please don’t call us a deli!

 the fish

  • Also known as kippered or baked, this kind of fish is succulent, flaky, opaque, and sliced thicker than cold-smoked fish. Includes kippered salmon, sturgeon, sable, whitefish, ciscos, mackerel and brook trout.

  • This is the kind of fish our expert counterpeople masterfully slice so thin you could read the times through it. Buttery, silky, like umami stained glass. Try our Gaspe Nova or NY Steelhead Trout.

  • A bit of salt does a lot for fish. Schmaltz herring is the perfect example of how salt preserves fish—and was the first thing Joel Russ peddled on the Lower East Side. Includes belly lox and gravlax.

  • Brine and time pickle our fish. Try pickled lox or pickled herring: two appetizing mainstays that we have sold for over a century.

baked goods

  • Our bagels, bialys, pumpernickel, challah—the foundations for appetizing—are baked on-site at Russ & Daughters Brooklyn. Our standards hearken from Old World-style Jewish bakeries. Baking everything ourselves safeguards the quality.

  • Legend.

schmear

  • Our plain cream cheese is a spread above the rest: it’s all-natural with no gums or preservatives. You might taste a bit more tang, the perfect complement to the richness of smoked fish.

  • The word “salad” is always open to interpretation, and here it means anything that’s not cream cheese that can be enjoyed as a spread or a dip. Go for our classic Whitefish & Baked Salmon salad, or try our signature Hot Smoke/Cold Smoke. Egg, tuna, chopped liver, chopped herring—these are old-school appetizers that are never going out of style.

caviar & Roe

  • Our tins are packed with only the finest malosol (low salt) caviar. We offer both domestic and imported varieties, and our knowledgeable staff can help you select the right one for your special occasion.

  • Enjoy a briny pop without the caviar splurge. From bestselling wasabi flying fish roe to glistening wild Alaskan salmon, our roes are the jewels of your appetizing. A quarter-pound will top around four bagels.

  • We offer everything to complete your caviar service: mother of pearl spoons, mini blini, creme fraiche, and caviar servers.

 
 
 
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