Russ & Daughters Houston Street shop

The Houston Street Russ & Daughters is the appetizing-shop stop in this collection: smoked fish and a bagel chosen at a takeaway counter. It brings a different food tradition to the same Lower East Side area as Katz’s, making the choice between them about appetite and the kind of meal you want.

Start with the fish and the bagel order rather than regard the shop as a generic breakfast café. Bagels and lox are a natural introduction, while bialys, babka and other traditional baked goods give you another side of the appetizing-shop offer. A fish-filled bagel can be the point of the visit in its own right, with a baked item to share if appetite allows. The pleasure is in choosing at this particular shop counter.

This guide points to 179 East Houston Street. Take a number for counter service, or use the shop’s advance-order arrangements if collection suits your day. The takeaway format matters: plan somewhere appropriate to eat, and do not assume that visiting the shop provides the seated restaurant experience of a different Russ & Daughters venue.

Choose it for a distinctive breakfast or lunch in a Lower East Side day. If you also want Katz’s, put enough time between the two for each to be enjoyable; they work better as separate meals than as a checklist of large orders.