Step 1: Get up somewhat early and walk two blocks down to street to Russ and Daughters.
Step 2: Stare longingly at all the tasty offerings. Maybe ask to taste a few samples of smoked fish.
Step 3: Place order for smoked sable and cream cheese and smoked salmon and tofu scallion (I can eat this by the spoonful) with all the fixin’s.
Step 4: Get order and walk another block down to Il Laboratorio for blue bottle coffee (told you it was having its moment on the East Coast).
Step 5: Walk back to hotel and take the elevator right up to the rooftop deck
Step 6: Eat the best breakfast ever with an amazing view
Step 7: Get kind of cold and finish sandwich while huddled inside the screened porch area of the rooftop deck.
You may be wondering how a bagel with cream cheese can be worthy of an entire post, but it is not just any smoked salmon on bagel, it is a Russ and Daughters smoked salmon on bagel. Eaten with my hubs on a private rooftop deck with a million dollar view of the city and washed down with two cups of delicious hot coffee. Out of all the fancy places we have ever eaten all around the world and I would choose this sandwich, this view, this moment, any day of the week. I don’t think it gets better than that.
Seriously, the best smoked fish and cream cheese you are ever going to find. it’s really more than just a bagel place, it’s the experience of walking into this old mainstay, sampling the fish, ogling at all the yummy things behind the glass, changing your mind a hundred times because everything looks so good, and having your sandwich made by legit New Yorkers dressed in white coats. Another place on our “have to visit every time we come to NYC” list.
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Russ and Daughters // $10-$15 / On one of our trips to NYC a long time ago we found ourselves walking around the LES on a Sunday with time to kill. We just happened to walk by Russ and Daughters, peered into its windows, saw tons of smoked fish and became really curious. Of course we had ourselves a few sandwiches in addition to more than one tastings, and wow. Amazing. Hands down the best bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese ever. Like all the other stuff we had eaten prior to Russ and Daughters was just training for the real thing. Since we aren’t really guidebook type people we had no idea that this was actually a very well-known place to eat. I’m glad we didn’t know that because if we had we probably would never have tried it. Totally worth the hype — but only if you can get it in NYC, not the day old bagels they were selling out in SF. Embarrassing. Truly embarrassing, SF. *PS: You can order Russ and Daughters online and have it shipped outside of NYC*
Il Laboratorio // $5-$10 // the gelato here is good. Really good. But we always come for the coffee, especially the iced coffee made with ice cubes made of frozen coffee. Plus, we just love the stark lab-like interior. Plus, it’s across the street from another fave: Katz’s Deli.
more nyc //
Previously documented trips to NYC can be found here.
