History

The lox bagel emerged on the Lower East Side in the early 20th century as Jewish-immigrant appetizing stores refined a way to use the briny cold-smoked salmon shipped down from the Pacific Northwest packing trade. Russ & Daughters opened in 1914 on Orchard Street and pioneered the hand-sliced, paper-thin Gaspe Nova-style cut that defines the platter. Zabar's brought the same template uptown to the Upper West Side in 1934. The appetizing tradition (dairy and smoked-fish under kosher law) made the lox-bagel-and-shmear a Saturday-morning institution that survived as a New York identity marker long after most appetizing stores closed.

Common allergens: Gluten, Fish, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh New York-style bagels (water bagels, hand-rolled and boiled if you can source them)
  • 8 oz (225g) plain cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 8 oz (225g) cold-smoked salmon (Gaspe Nova style; sliced paper-thin)
  • 1 small red onion, sliced as thinly as possible (a mandoline helps)
  • 2 tbsp non-pareil capers, drained
  • 2 vine tomatoes, sliced 5mm thick
  • Dill fronds, to garnish
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

  1. Slice each bagel horizontally with a sharp serrated knife. Toast lightly if you must (purists do not; a fresh New York bagel needs no help).
  2. Spread a thick layer of room-temperature cream cheese on the cut side of each half. The cream cheese should be soft enough to spread without tearing the bagel.
  3. Lay 2 to 3 ribbons of lox over the cream cheese in overlapping folds; the lox should drape, not flatten.
  4. Top with sliced tomato (1 slice per half), shaved red onion and a teaspoon of capers.
  5. Scatter dill fronds on top and crack fresh black pepper over.
  6. Serve open-faced, with a wedge of lemon on the side. Each diner squeezes lemon to taste.
  7. Eat by hand; a knife and fork is not the form.

Tip from the editors. Hand-slice lox paper-thin against the grain with a long, thin blade; supermarket pre-sliced is rubbery. Cream cheese must be at room temperature or it tears.

Where to eat lox and bagel platter

Lox and bagel platter in New York City

Russ & Daughters ★ 4.9

American Diner$$lower-east-sideDaily 08:00-16:00

Russ & Daughters has slung appetising on East Houston in New York City since 1914: hand-sliced smoked salmon, sturgeon, schmaltz herring and bagels to take.

Signature: New York bagel, Smoked salmon platter

Order: The Classic: Gaspe Nova lox, cream cheese, tomato, onion, capers on a poppy bagel.

Tip: The shop is for take-away. Sit down at Russ & Daughters Cafe around the corner on Orchard for table service.

179 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002 Book →

Russ & Daughters Cafe ★ 4.5

Café$lower-east-sideMon-Thu 08:30-14:30, Fri-Sun 08:30-15:30Wifi

Russ & Daughters Cafe on Orchard Street is the sit-down sister of the Houston Street counter in New York City. Located in Lower East Side. At 127 Orchard St..

Signature drink: Egg cream

Tip: Brunch books two weeks out on weekends. Tuesday and Wednesday lunch is the easy walk-in for the same plates.

127 Orchard St., New York, NY, 10002 Book →

Zabar's ★ 4.6

Bakery$upper-west-sideMon-Fri 08:00-19:30, Sat 08:00-20:00, Sun 09:00-18:00Walk-in onlyAppetising, deli, bakery

Zabar's on Broadway has anchored Upper West Side appetising in New York City since 1934. At 2245 Broadway. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.

Tip: Take a number at the appetising counter the moment you walk in; the bakery side has no number system.

Worth the queue: Black-and-white cookies, babka

2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024 Book →

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