The appetizing platter is a New York Jewish-deli ritual: a hand-sliced bagel topped with cream cheese, ribboned cold-smoked salmon (lox), shaved red onion, capers and tomato. Saturday brunch in a single bite.
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.
3 editor picks for Lox and bagel platter in New York City, ranked by editorial score. All New York City signature dishes · Lox and bagel platter across every city.
Russ & Daughters ★ 4.9
lower-east-side · 179 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002
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.
Zabar's ★ 4.6
upper-west-side · 2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024
Zabar's on Broadway has anchored Upper West Side appetising in New York City since 1934. At 2245 Broadway. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
Russ & Daughters Cafe ★ 4.5
lower-east-side · 127 Orchard St., New York, NY, 10002
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..