Andrew Zimmern's Favorite Place To Get A Lox & Cream Cheese Bagel In New York City
In New York City, where there is a bagel deli on just about every corner, every bonafide New Yorker is going to have their favorite place for a lox and cream cheese bagel. For celebrity chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern, it's Russ & Daughters. "I order from there almost monthly. I'm addicted," Zimmern said on TikTok.
Zimmern recalled his first experience visiting Russ & Daughters when he was five-years-old and his life "never was the same again." Zimmern said that his family has been going to the deli for five generations.
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, technically lox is not smoked salmon. It refers to salmon belly that has been cured in a salty brine. Similarly, gravlax is a traditional Nordic recipe of salmon cured with salt, sugar, and dill.
The long, venerable history of the bagel began in Eastern Europe, and the tradition was brought over to America via immigration, particularly in the Jewish community. Russ & Daughters' roots in New York date back to 1901 when founder Joel Russ immigrated from modern-day Poland and began selling schmaltz herring out of a barrel on the Lower East Side. In 1935, he made all three of his daughters partners and changed the business' name to Russ & Daughters. To this day, the deli is known for its variety of cured and smoked fish and bagels.
This Upper West Side bagel shop is Andrew Zimmern's second favorite
When it comes to his second favorite lox and bagel spot in New York City, Zimmern said that Barney Greengrass ranks close to Russ & Daughters. The chef also has been going to this deli since he was a kid, as his grandmother lived about three blocks down the street.
Zimmern noted that he goes to Barney Greengrass for a slightly different atmosphere. There is some limited seating and breakfast service with eggs, coffee, and fresh-squeezed orange juice, rather than just a walkup deli counter. According to him, celebrity sightings are also frequent — such as Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David "huddling and giggling" in a corner of the store.
Like Russ & Daughters, Barney Greengrass also has over 100 years of history to speak of in New York City. The eponymous owner opened his first shop in Harlem in 1908, then moved to the present location on Amsterdam Avenue in 1929. Ever since, the deli has been dishing much-beloved smoked fish, liver, and bagels. They are especially known for their sturgeon, a firm and succulent type of fish known for being the source of caviar, particularly their smoked sturgeon, which pairs wonderfully with housemade bagels.