I spent four years living in New York City during college, and there are still places I look forward to discovering.

On a recent weekend visit, we stopped at Lower East Side landmark Russ and Daughters. Since 1914, this deli has been owned and operated by four generations of the Russ family. With a line winding throughout the store, it should come as no surprise why the Smithsonian hailed Russ and Daughters as “a part of New York’s cultural heritage.”

I love breakfast food. For me, a bagel sandwich is as close to perfect as it gets. I opted for a sesame bagel with scallion cream cheese and Norwegian smoked salmon. Watching the staff cut the fish to order was a treat, as I’m accustomed to pre-sliced packaged lox. To accompany our sandwiches we sampled the half sour pickles and pickled tomatoes — both were delicious.

My one complaint, if you could call it that, is the small store doesn’t have space for tables, although the lack of tables adds to the charm of Russ and Daughters. Since it was too cold to eat our bagels on the bench outside of the store, we walked to a nearby Whole Foods for coffee and to enjoy our meal.

With an overwhelming amount of choices, Russ and Daughters is one New York deli I plan to visit again!

— Katie Skrzek, digital media manager