Deli and “appetizing” are not the same thing
New York Jewish food makes more sense once you know this distinction. A traditional Jewish delicatessen is associated with cured and cooked meats such as pastrami and corned beef, plus rye, pickles, knishes and soups. An appetizing shop is the fish-and-dairy side of the tradition: smoked fish, herring, cream cheese, bagels, bialys and related foods.
Russ & Daughters describes appetizing as essentially “the foods one eats with bagels” and very explicitly asks visitors not to call it a deli. I reckon that is a useful lesson before you order anything.
Why the Lower East Side matters
These foods are tied to the Lower East Side’s history as an arrival neighbourhood for Eastern European Jewish immigrants. Katz’s traces its business to an 1888 deli on Ludlow Street; Russ & Daughters traces Joel Russ’s herring trade to 1907 and its brick-and-mortar appetizing shop to 1914. The point is not to turn lunch into a museum lecture, but the history explains why this compact part of Manhattan is still the best place to understand the tradition.
Pastrami and corned beef: start here at a deli
Pastrami and corned beef are related but not identical. Pastrami is cured, seasoned, smoked and steamed; corned beef is cured and cooked without the same smoked-peppery profile. On rye with mustard is the classic comparison. A huge sandwich is normal at the famous institutions, so I would rather split one and add a side than order by ego.
Smoked fish, lox and the appetizing counter
At an appetizing shop, the centre of gravity moves to smoked and cured fish. Russ & Daughters lists lox, salmon, whitefish, sable, herring and caviar alongside cream cheese, bagels and bialys. If deli meat is not your thing, this is not a consolation prize — it is a separate New York food tradition with its own vocabulary and ordering rituals.
Bagel, bialy, rye, knish and matzo ball soup
- Bagel: the obvious base for smoked fish and cream cheese.
- Bialy: a related baked bread with a depressed centre rather than a boiled bagel’s hole/chew.
- Rye: the classic partner for pastrami or corned beef.
- Knish: a filled dough snack, often potato-based, useful when you want something smaller.
- Matzo ball soup: a comfort-food staple and an excellent counterweight to an enormous sandwich.
Katz’s Delicatessen: understand the institution
Katz’s official history starts with Iceland Brothers in 1888, the arrival of Willy Katz in 1903 and the later formation of Katz’s Delicatessen. It became a neighbourhood gathering place in a densely immigrant Lower East Side. Today it is famous enough to attract queues, so I treat it like any major attraction: decide whether the institution itself matters to you, and do not arrive starving with a rigid schedule immediately afterward.
Check the official Katz’s history/site for current visitor details rather than trusting old queue or opening-hour advice.
Russ & Daughters: the appetizing lesson
Joel Russ opened a brick-and-mortar shop in 1914 and moved to East Houston Street in 1920; the business later became Russ & Daughters when his daughters joined as partners. The current company still describes itself as an appetizing shop, with smoked fish, caviar, baked goods and specialist Jewish foods at the core.
The original shop and the sit-down cafe are different experiences. Check the official locations page before choosing which one fits your day.
Kosher, kosher-style and Jewish food: do not blur them
“Jewish food” describes a culinary and cultural tradition; kosher refers to religious dietary rules and certification/practice. A famous Jewish deli is not automatically kosher. If strict kosher compliance matters, verify the current certification of the exact venue rather than inferring it from pastrami, Hebrew lettering or history.
How I would order on a first visit
For two people, I would build a comparison rather than a feast: one meat item (pastrami or corned beef), one fish/appetizing item on a separate stop, and one side such as a knish or soup. That gives you the two traditions without spending the rest of the afternoon recovering from lunch.
A simple Lower East Side food route
Keep the geography tight. The Lower East Side lets you combine deli/appetizing food with tenement history, Essex Market, Chinatown and neighbourhood walking. I would not cross the city for four famous food stops in one day; two meaningful ones, with a walk between, is a much better New York experience.
Ordering etiquette that actually helps
Read the menu before you reach the counter, know whether you want a whole or shared sandwich, and keep moving when it is busy. Ask questions when you genuinely do not know a cut or fish — specialist counters are part of the fun — but do not expect a quiet tasting seminar at peak lunch.
Cheers, Carpe Diem & learn your pastrami from your appetizing before you queue! 🍻⏳🥯
TATS Man
Your rye-bread-and-smoked-fish NYC food mate