Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes from the House That Herring Built

by Mark Russ Federman, Calvin Trillin (Foreword)

The former owner/proprietor of the beloved appetizing store on Manhattan’s Lower East Side tells the delightful, mouthwatering story of an immigrant family’s journey from a pushcart in 1907 to “New York’s most hallowed shrine to the miracle of caviar, smoked salmon, ethereal herring, and silken chopped liver” (The New York Times Magazine).
 
When Joel Russ started peddling herring from a barrel shortly after his arrival in America from Poland, he could not have imagined that he was giving birth to a gastronomic legend. Here is the story of this “Louvre of lox” (The Sunday Times, London): its humble beginnings, the struggle to keep it going during the Great Depression, the food rationing of World War II, the passing of the torch to the next generation as the flight from the Lower East Side was beginning, the heartbreaking years of neighborhood blight, and the almost miraculous renaissance of an area from which hundreds of other family-owned stores had fled.
 
Filled with delightful anecdotes about how a ferociously hardworking family turned a passion for selling perfectly smoked and pickled fish into an institution with a devoted national clientele, Mark Russ Federman’s reminiscences combine a heartwarming and triumphant immigrant saga with a panoramic history of twentieth-century New York, a meditation on the creation and selling of gourmet food by a family that has mastered this art, and an enchanting behind-the-scenes look at four generations of people who are just a little bit crazy on the subject of fish.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Memoir, Cookbooks, History, Cooking, New York

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of schmaltz in this tail. I'm speaking metaphorically here about the fat at the end part of a fish. Then again, this memoir is also a fish tale. In Russ and Daughters, the third generation owner of an iconic New York herring and lox store waxes nostalgic about the store's history. The tone is very conversational. Mr. Federman is quite the schmoozer and the story is as Jewish as a piece of challah dipped in herring sauce (try it, you'll like it, and don't forget to include some onion). Federman starts with his grandfather and ends with his own kid and nephew running the store. Along the way he includes a few recipes, although I wouldn't at all call this a cook book.

Smoked sable, lox, and herring are my kind of food. One of my earliest memories is of me eating a piece of herring while my father holds me in his arms. According to my father, I was fourteen months old. If you're not enamored of Jewish "appetizing food" like this, you're not likely going to find this book interesting. But if smoked fish is your favorite dish and your parents or grandparents spoke Yiddish (or you speak Yiddish), this book will be a lot of fun. I do note that some of the Yiddish in this book isn't at all correct. But you don't read this book for the scholarship. Some of the stories sound like pure baloney (sorry to mix dairy and meat in this review). You don't read it for the truth, either. You read it for the mood and the corny jokes. The biggest problem with this book is that it makes me desperate to find some decent smoked fish or herring. Alas, neither can be had within 300 miles of my home, at least. Words can only take you so far. Where oh where is my smoked sable?!?

[Sara Aoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re Jewish, do yourself a favor and read this. If you’re a New Yorker, read it. If you need something warmhearted and written in an honest voice, read this. And if you like smoked herring, don’t miss it.

A sweet memoir of a shop on the Lower East Side. It reads well and Federman’s life choices are telling and relevant to today’s world. Disclosure: I’m Jewish, but I don’t really like Jewish cooking, but I loved this book!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I laughed out loud more than once and had to interrupt my husband's work to read passages to him. That is always a good sign!

Russ and Daughters is an "appetizing shop" which means they sell smoked fish, candy and other assorted goodies. It is not kosher and they are not religious but it is definitely a tale of Jewish life in New York City over four generations.

Grandpa Russ opened the shop after he immigrated from Poland. His daughters and then their spouses joined him at work. The author is a grandson and is now retired except to "schmooze" at the shop while helping out his own daughter and nephew who are the new owners.

[Jim Willse · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a goy with a deep love of Jewish culture and New York history, as I am, this is a delight. Mark Russ Federman, grandson of the founder, is an accomplished writer and story teller. It's a thin read and gets repetitious in places, but who needs too much herring?

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Russ & Daughters the book gives a pretty great sense of what it's like to be inside Russ & Daughters the family; you might hear the same stories more than once, but the punch lines are always good. Just don't try to read the book without a fridge full of lox.

[Ellyn Oaksmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a really fun read and comes with recipes, which is always a bonus. Not only is it about food, it's very much about the growth of immigrant New York and contains a lot of interesting history. The narrator is a little careful not to step on any toes, which is smart but makes the story a little arid sometimes. You get the sense that he detours around gossip, which makes for good family politics but leaves one with the feeling that perhaps the whole picture isn't here. That being said, this is lively, well written book that weaves around the family and their stories, intertwining it with the development of New York Jewish culture. If you like to read about food, this is a great book that will leave you craving lox and bagel. After reading this, you'll also know what to look for when you buy your lox.

[Luciana Botter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've just finished to read this book and I really enjoy it. The language and the reading are both easy to understand (I'am from Brazil, so English is not my mother tongue), and it is an interesting way to know more about how the jews immigrants from Europe arrived and established life in New York City. I was also very entertained by all facts and informations about the jewish culture that Mark Russ shares with us. The way he tells the history about his family and the development of the business are quite amazing. I guess it's a huge challenge to keep a family business for so long (four generations!!) and with such a great success and the Russes seemed to manage a way to do it, despite big economic crisis and other difficulties they've faced it.

[Hillary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally got around to reading this and let me say, once I started, I couldn't stop. I had a lot of fun reading about the history of the Russ family, the history of the Lower East Side, the history of the NYC Jews, and the history of herring! Plus, RECIPES! Perhaps because my husband similarly works as a third-generation family member for his family's business, the story of this hard-working family and how their business not only survived but thrived, changing with the times as needed, even when the older generation thought the younger generation was screwing up, really resonated with me. I highly recommend this book!

[Chana Billet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun, enjoyable read features New York's most famous, family-owned "Jewish" appetizing shop. From page one, Mark Federman takes the readers on an engagingly-written and tantalizing historical walk through time. As the readers go behind-the-scenes of the "House that Herring Built," the Lower East Side comes to life. From its push-cart laden glory to the hipster cafes and yuppie boutiques that define it today, Russ & Daughters has survived due to the Russ family's dedication, hard work and ability to, ever-so-slightly, reinvent itself with the times. This memoire is a delight for foodies and non-foodies alike!

[Phillip Frey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It covers more than the last 100 years of Manhattan's Lower East Side, centering mostly on the appetizer store called "Russ & Daughters." Mark Russ Federman, the grandson of the original Russ, impressed me with his writing. Included in this history of his store are recipes, along with Yiddish expressions with their meanings. You don't have to be of the Jewish faith to enjoy this book. Anyone who has enjoyed a bagel and lox sandwich should have a good time reading "Russ & Daughters."

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m reading this for a book group and I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would. I enjoyed the author’s anecdotes about growing up, working in the store, as well as his family’s history, as well as the 20th century of the lower east side of Manhattan. The recipes throughout the book are a nice bonus. One warning: reading Russ & Daughters will make you hungry, and it wasn’t long before I started craving some bagels, lox and cream cheese.

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The promise of this book's premise was not fulfilled. The writing was somewhat scattered, the anecdotes few (and sometimes repetitive). The recipes were randomly placed, and not necessarily related to the text. I really wished that there was more coherence to the story and more depth to the perspective of customers and relatives....

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most brilliantly written book, but a wonderful window into a world that I love: Russ & Daughters! Russ Federman gives a nice overview of not only his family business, but the Lower East Side of the 1920s and onward. Definitely a better read if you, like me, are an aficionada of their lox & sable, but recommended to any food mavens.

[Zvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was definitely interesting to learn about business in the Lower East Side, especially at the beginning of the 20th Century, but the book was too long for my tastes. I feel like it veered into stories and explanations that were just fillers. On another note, it truly makes you crave bagels and smoked fish!

[Guthrie Andres · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the fact that I really love smoked fish, this book came off as a bit pompous. I understand that it's a multigenerational family business, but I guess it's just not really that interesting. I enjoyed the parts about the store itself, but the book frequently digressed into a somewhat dull family history.

[Lcitera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable, entertaining read. A bit of history, a look at NYC's Lower East Side's evolution from an immigrant ghetto to upscale, gentrified neighborhood, a smattering of recipes (bagel bread pudding!) and more information on smoked fish than one could ever imagine. A small "appetizers shop" that through hard work and family loyalty, grew into a Manhattan landmark. Much fun to read.

[Barbara Pearlman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about a well-known appetizer store in New York that got its start in the early 1900's. It goes into the history of the family who came her to avoid the pogroms and started out with a pushcart selling herring on New York's lower East Side. Lots of good recipes and interesting facts.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deserves a 3.5 rating. Very well written an entertaining book about the Russ & Daughters "appetizing" store on Houston Street and the family that still runs it. There is quite a bit of history as well due to its more than 100 years in business of selling smoked fish, herring, bagels, bialys, rugelach, babka and many other delicacies.

[Rachel Coyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just perfect. I loved it. I don't have a bucket list of fancy restaurants I want to eat at - but I could be tempted to make a list of delis and appetizing stores. Russ & Daughters would be at the top of my list.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was so reminiscent of my NY life, and reminded me so much of visiting similar (though certainly not so storied) old-time establishments with my dad, who always made sure I had the best chub.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

a great nostalgic memoir for any jewish new yorker. i spent most of the time reading this book either craving a bagel and lox or calling my own family to recount memorable moments at russ & daughters.

[Kory Kogon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nostalgic walk through both a heritage of Jewish culture and geography. My dad did business on the lower east side of manhattan and knows most of the characters, streets and customs that went on here. You don't need to love herring to love this book!

[Manintheboat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't been to Russ & Daughters. I'm not fond of fish. I do like bagels though.
This book rambles on like Mark is actually talking to you. The story goes all over the place, repeats itself, and includes things that don't really pertain to the story. Kinda like listening to my Grammy.

[Steve Peifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a Calvin Trillin fan, you have heard of Russ & Daughters. Although I have never eaten there, I loved the history of the store and the picture of New York Jewish culture. Don't read if you are hungry.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun exploration about the creation and day to day operations of one of New York's most beloved institutions. The story about the Australian cellist playing Kol Nidre in the middle of the store is particularly poignant.

[Paul Jellinek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laced with plentiful helpings of old-school charm and self-deprecating wit, this lively memoir by the recent owner of the justly renowned purveyor of piscine delicacies on New York City's Lower East Side is as good as the rollmops. I know of no higher praise than that!

[Ken Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun, if you know and like New York, particularly the LES, or pickled fish and stuff

[Ken Freed · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I very much enjoyed the family history and the anecdotes about the Lower East Side, i would have liked to know more about the food.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet memoir of a Jewish family's four generations running an appetizer shop in New York, including recipes and photos. I'd love to visit some time!

[Steven Lazen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight into the Russ and Daughters NYC legacy. I'm very hungry now!