Russ & Daughters, one of my favorites!

One of my most favorite stores in New York City is Russ & Daughters, located on Houston Street in the wonderfully ethnic Lower East Side.  Known as an appetizing shop, Russ & Daughters first opened its doors way back in 1914.  Prior to that, Joel Russ, an Eastern European immigrant, found a customer base by selling dried Polish mushrooms from a little pushcart.  He soon realized that if he had a store, he could sell many more products that his buyers were longing for.  Because Joel had no sons, he put his daughters to work in the shop and thus, the name.  Russ & Daughters became well known as purveyors of the highest quality smoked fish, pickled herring, caviar, dried and candied fruits, and many other specialty foods.  I have fond memories of shopping there when I was just a little girl along with my father.  He loved their smoked white fish and my mother adored the creamed herring.

Today, Russ & Daughters is run by Niki Russ Federman and her cousin, Josh Russ Tupper – both 4th generation – that, in itself, is amazing!  Over the years, very little has changed in the shop.  It’s still bright, impeccably neat, and filled with beautiful and delicious products.  And knowing that it’s also filled with plenty of history, makes this store a real gem.

Niki Russ Federman - 4th generation – now runs the store with her cousin Josh Russ Tupper.

The long, narrow store is filled from top to bottom with wonderful products.

shelves of great imported food items

caviar tins decorate the store

wonderful old scales used long ago

This glass case contains delicious salads and pickled herring and salmon.

more herring

Jose is the master smoked salmon slicer.  Say that 10 times fast! 

There were 9 different types of smoked and cured salmon.  Tasting each one was a real treat – each is so different from the other -– kind of like wine tasting.

up close and beautiful

The staff is very courteous and well-trained.

Jose helping a customer – tallying up the bill the old-fashioned way.

The smoked sable is out of this world!

I love the smoked brook trout.

more smoked fish

and of course, heavenly cream cheeses and sour cream

This is good to know!

Precious runs the other side of the shop selling chocolates, dried and candied fruits, nuts, candies, cheeses, and coffee.

piles of delicious dried fruits

gift baskets on display along with lots of family history

I love this photo

more family history

This is a portrait of Joel Russ –- the founder –- watching over his business.

And there’s even a photo of me!

Edible flowers in my garden
Sharkey had a little accident
A fun trip to the DMV
Haircut time for the donkeys!
Guests at my farm yesterday

Comments

[busymama]

Hi Martha,
What a neat store! My husband would love all the fish...not me though BLECK! Hope you have a nice week.

blessings,
Mary

[Anna]

I tagged you on my blog. It's under the Six Wonderful Things Post. I've admired you for a long time and now you have a beautiful blog. Thank you for making my home and holidays special.

You've done Russ and Daughters proud with such a fine write-up. If I had a business, I'd want it to be on the Martha Stewart list.

[Isle Dance]

How sweet is that! I grew up tallying up similar customer bills the old-fashioned way. It's the best way yet.

[Jon]

Hi Martha,
Places like Russ & Daughters is what is so wonderful about NYC, along with all the other specialty shops that can thrive there. You're right, it is amazing that any store nowadays can boast that it is being run by the 4th generation family members . . .truly the American Dream story.
Everything looks so delicious it would be hard for me not to over-do-it in a place like that. You have such great willpower!

[Nan Ashby]

Hi Martha, love all your blogs. Keep making my day with all of them. It's funny to me, that I too remember stores I went to with my mother and father when I was little. Precious memories, of the utmost respect, business places showed my parents;and the best made products we got for so little money. Thanks again for your blogs. I really enjoy your quality of life.

[A Farmer's Wife]

I love hearing the history behind Russ & Daughters! My husband and his brother are the third generation to run their family's corporate farm & mineral operation. What a special family legacy! There is a popular saying in agriculture that I think probably applies to many industries: The first generation makes it, the second preserves it, the third loses it. Thankfully my husband's family as well as the Russ family have de-bunked this saying!

[Rhea]

When I was a kid growing up in Central Jersey, I, too, was taken by my parents to the Lower East Side. I always loved that Russ included his daughters in the name of the store. I love these kinds of shops. The Lower East Side is changing a lot and many of the Jewish delis are gone. Do you remember the old French Roumanian restaurant, too? I was young, but it made an impression on me each time we went there.

[Susie]

Hi Martha,

The first thing I go to every morning is still your blog. I just so look forward to all the different information on all sorts of things.

Keep it up! Thanks again.

Susie

[Trish]

Hi Martha,
I also like the photo that is your favorite but for different reasons I'm sure. Being the frugal person that I am, I enjoyed seeing the lower prices of days gone by! I even noticed something for 89 cents a pound in that meat case. Imagine!

Russ and Daughters is a great looking store and one I would love to visit if I ever get to New York. I lived in a small town for 9 years so I know a little bit about family run businesses. I also favored them in Detroit when I moved there later on. Thanks for an excellent blog. Trish

[Margie]

Thanks. I always enjoy reading and knowing about family businesses.

[sandra l dunn]

Russ & Daughters made me homesick
for the big city. I love my life here in the small town, but I do miss the specialty shops. Thanks for the fond memories.

[O]

Maybe SOME day I'll be able to take a trip to NYC. I'd love to see little places like this with so much history & stories. Thanks for sharing these things that I never knew about and that I'll probably never see if it weren't for your blog. Btw, I'm still loving your magazine. I'd watch your show but it's on at 2am here where I live and I forget to set the recording timer. Oh well. Good thing for your website & blog! Have a wonderful day!

[Jan Erickson]

Hi Martha, WOW!! What a fabulous blog! It certainly brings back memories of the visits your Mom made to your "old" show to make mushroom soup and cook recipes with Polish sausages. These beautiful photos of the Russ and Daughters store, also remind me of my visits to butcher shops when I was a kid. Those were the days! Thanks for letting us tour this fantastic store in NYC. It is almost like being there. Jan

[Paula M. :)]

Martha,
Been following you giving us tours of Russ & Daughters for a long time. Remember it on your earlier shows in the 90's. I think I've gotten fond of caviar because of you!!
As always, class and taste Martha!
Thanks for the culinary tour!
Paula

[MMC in San Diego]

. . .looks like a great place to check out----next trip to NYC.

[Maureen]

Thanks for taking all of us on a "Field Trip" via your blog. Very interesting today.

[Lori Stewart]

Oh wow! Did those pictures bring back childhood memories of the meat market. Only Russ & Daughters is nicer by far. Thanks for featuring the store. I enjoyed it so much!

[Sonia F]

Hi Martha,

I have never been to NYC. But you make me feel like a native.

Thank you for giving me such good ideas and new things to try. I too love the way you improve the quality of life of us.

Cordially,
Sonia

[Norbie K. of Las Vegas, NV]

Your blog is my new "Perez Hilton". I set it as my browser's default page.
I love it!

[Amy]

Martha, this sounds like my kinda place--and I'm not even Polish! I love going into interesting stores just to prowl. NOw, I've never been to NYC nor to Russ & Daughters, but I can see why you love it. Here in Houston we have a *somewhat* similar place called Phoenicia Foods on the west side, on Westheimer out past Beltway 8. It's been around probably 20 or 25 years, and I got introduced to it about 8 years ago. It's moved into a new fantastic, bright, large store, where you can walk around and not walk on anyone. They sort of cater to the Eastern European and Middle Eastern market, but of course anyone is welcome. The owner came from Lebanon in the 80's and started importing for restaurants but also sold to the public. It's a fantastic place--i got to hug the owner one day, too. He probably thought I was nuts, but that's OK--I keep going back! I love going to Phoenicia, just like a few folks at work do, but I bet Russ & Daughters would be even better!

Amy

[Kathy]

Hi, Martha,
Thanks for the tour of Russ and Daughters. I can see why it is one of your favorites. I wish I lived closer! Filled top to bottom with such wonders as caviar, herring, salmon, sable, brook trout, cream cheeses as well as fruits, nuts, and other tasty tidbits, this store would be heavenly. It reminds me, too, of going along with my Mom and Dad to shop when I was young. Thanks for the memories! I also enjoyed seeing the family history displays.
Kathy

[Steve]

Thanks Martha,
I'm a tour guide on the double decker buses and I appreciate the little pearls you
unearth that I use to enhance the experience of visitors !!
Steve

[JoAnn]

Daniel Boulud has a recipe for the most amazing smoked trout salad with grapefruit. Here is the URL for the recipe:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/salad-of-smoked-trout-pink-grapefruit-and-radicchio-with-walnuts

I cannot get the trout locally, only at Neopol Smokery in Baltimore, so I am glad to know that RUSS ships their products.

JoAnn

http://everydaymatters.typepad.com/

[Jon Beattie]

Hi Martha

What a great store! I've not been to New York in a while but must remember to try to shop there when it happens.

Family Stores are a rarity. Here in Richmond Virginia we have a store called Nick Produce. The stores are very similar however Nicks is smaller with a counter to sit and enjoy your lunch.

Luv the blog!

Jon

[lori]

Hi Martha,
I was on your site today looking up some recipes for a friend and she would enjoy your favorite stores in NYC she grew up in Buffalo and she just told me your mother was from Buffalo and she admires you so much. So cudos to you Martha from Sherri Joseph she watches you every day and has your cook books. She would love to see the pictures of your gardens also.
Lori