The fourth generation owners of New York City’s Russ & Daughters have released a new cookbook celebrating 100 years of their iconic appetizing shop, NPR reports on 2025-09-06 15:00:00. The store, on the Lower East Side, has been family-run for over a century, known for its smoked fish, bagels, and Jewish delicacies.
- Russ & Daughters has operated for over 114 years.
- Family history deeply influences the business and recipes.
- The store specializes in appetizing, not traditional deli.
- Expert salmon slicing is a skilled, lengthy process.
- The shop emphasizes food as a connection to memory.
- Their new cookbook shares family recipes and lore.
Founded by Joel Russ, the shop has deep roots in New York’s immigrant history. Today, Niki Russ Federman and her cousin Josh Tupper, the fourth generation, honor that legacy with recipes and stories. The cookbook highlights family lore, including dishes like matzo ball soup and smoked trout mousse, and emphasizes the store’s focus on fresh fish and dairy, not cured meats. The shop remains a local and tourist favorite, especially for its thinly sliced salmon, a New York taste icon. Despite modern expansions, the family maintains its traditional approach, including handmade bagels and a commitment to preserving their roots.
- The shop was originally called “Russ’s Cut Rate Appetizing” and sold herring from a street barrel.
- Today, the shop is famous for its salmon, sliced by trained “slicers” who practice for months to perfect their craft.
- The family emphasizes “haimish,” a feeling of closeness and staying true to roots, reflected in their food and service.
- While traditional dishes like matzo brei are now only served around Passover, the family offers to make it for customers with a personal touch.
This release underscores the shop’s cultural significance and its ongoing effort to preserve Jewish culinary heritage in New York.
Next steps include exploring the new cookbook for recipes and stories, and visiting Russ & Daughters to experience its historic and culinary legacy firsthand.
