'Russ & Daughters' cookbook documents a century-old New York City establishment

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: NPR’s Book of the Day
Episode: Russ & Daughters’ Cookbook Documents a Century-Old New York City Establishment
Host: Scott Simon (with intro by Andrew Limbong)
Date: January 5, 2026

In this episode, NPR’s Scott Simon visits the storied Russ & Daughters “appetizing store” on New York’s Lower East Side to discuss their legacy, the newly published cookbook, and what makes this fourth-generation, century-old establishment such a vital touchstone for the city—and for families across America. Cousins and co-owners Josh Russ Tupper and Nikki Russ Fetterman share stories about the history, traditions, unforgettable food, and sense of community that define Russ & Daughters.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Enduring Legacy of Russ & Daughters

• Russ & Daughters has been serving New Yorkers for over 114 years (01:50).
• The shop is "the size of a subway car" yet remains bustling and full of life.

  “You're giving us a tour of a place that is maybe 20ft long, right?” —Scott Simon (02:11)

2. What Makes an ‘Appetizing Store’?

• Unlike a traditional deli, which specializes in cured meats like pastrami and corned beef, an appetizing store focuses on fish and dairy, in accordance with Jewish dietary laws (03:43).
• Nikki Russ Fetterman clarifies:

  “We’re not a deli… Delicatessen is where you go for smoked and cured meats… An appetizing store is for fish and dairy.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (03:43)

3. History & Family Traditions

• The original store was opened by Joel Russ, whose entrepreneurial journey began as a street vendor after immigrating to the US, selling schmaltz herring (04:05).

  “Our great grandfather sold schmaltz herring… just cured in salt from the buschkart.” —Josh Russ Tupper (04:11)

• The business’s name reflects Joel Russ’ reliance on his three daughters for help, as there was no son to inherit the business (08:51).

  “If there had been a son, it probably would have been Russ and sons. But then he had three daughters.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (09:13)

4. The Artistry of Fish Slicing & Customer Ritual

• Slicing salmon is a distinctive craft requiring a three-month apprenticeship (06:01).

  “So the thinness of the slice with the proper angle gives you that subtlety of flavor…” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (06:10)

• The slicing is done so thin “you might be able to read the fine print on a cell phone contract through it” (Scott Simon, 04:47).
• The act of waiting and watching the slicing fosters connection and conversation between customers and staff (06:30–07:15).

  “Our food, especially, is the food of memory. And so it’s through the food that you connect with others, and you connect with who you are and where you come from… It can transport you immediately to your past into a memory.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (07:15)

5. The Lower East Side: A Tapestry of Immigrant History

• The surrounding neighborhood is described as “one of the most historically significant places in the United States” (08:06), as a landing spot for waves of immigrants, including Joel Russ and countless others.

  “So many immigrants got their start here after arriving at Ellis Island, this was their landing spot.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (08:06)

6. Evolving the Business: From Shop to Café

• A decade ago, Russ & Daughters Café opened, allowing customers to sit and enjoy expanded menu options (08:33).
• The establishment is perhaps the first in the US to use “& Daughters” in its name, providing inspiration (and visibility) for female entrepreneurs (08:51).

  “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lifelong customer of ours… she learned that women could matter in an enterprise the same as men can.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (10:07)

7. Food, Memory, and the Challenge of Tradition

• The menu includes foods steeped in nostalgia, like matzo brei. Preparing these dishes for countless families is fraught with challenges since everyone’s memory—and recipe—is unique (11:45–12:13).

  “We could never match their taste memory. Now, you have to know to ask for matzo brei, so we’ll make it for you. But you got to work a little hard.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (12:13)

• The cookbook details family recipes, but also reflects on the communal, intergenerational role of their food.

8. Russ & Daughters as a Community Touchstone

• For many, Russ & Daughters is a pilgrimage site, a living anchor to both neighborhood and personal history (12:44).

  “We have fewer and fewer small businesses, these… touchstones in our communities that… connect us to our past… And Russ and Daughters is that place for so many people.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (12:44)

• The hope for a fifth generation endures, with the current owners serving as stewards for the future (13:24).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Taste and Ritual of the Shop:

“A bagel and lox is one of the literal tastes of New York.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (04:33)

On Slicing Technique:

“My technique was more Freddy Krueger than Itzhak Perlman. Oh, this is no good at all.” —Scott Simon, attempting to slice salmon (05:52)

On Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Inspiration:

"[She] said that growing up, seeing the name Russ and Daughters taught her... that women could matter in an enterprise the same as men can." —Nikki Russ Fetterman (10:07)

On the Food of Memory:

“Our food, especially, is the food of memory… it can transport you immediately to your past into a memory.” —Nikki Russ Fetterman (07:15)

On the Challenge of Nostalgic Dishes:

“Basically, everyone who ordered [matzo brei] was unhappy because… we could never match their taste memory.” —Josh Russ Tupper (12:09), Nikki Russ Fetterman (12:13)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:50 — Introduction to Russ & Daughters and history
• 03:43 — The difference between a deli and an appetizing store
• 04:11–04:26 — Family immigration history and the origins of Russ & Daughters
• 06:01 — The art and apprenticeship of fish slicing
• 07:15 — Food as memory and community connection
• 08:06 — Discussion of the Lower East Side’s immigrant legacy
• 08:51–09:31 — The origin of the "& Daughters" in the store’s name
• 10:07 — Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s connection to Russ & Daughters
• 11:38 — The story behind the matzo brei menu dilemma
• 12:44 — Russ & Daughters as a pilgrimage site and community anchor
• 13:24 — Passing the torch to the fifth generation

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Summary Tone

The episode is warm, nostalgic, and conversational, with a palpable sense of history and community pride. The family’s wit and openness—alongside Scott Simon’s eager curiosity—make for an engaging portrait of how food, history, and belonging intertwine in a New York institution.

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For more on Russ & Daughters or to browse their cookbook, visit NPR.org.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Growing up in a place like New York City, there are all these historic or iconic or renowned or internationally known spots, right? Be it restaurants or bars or libraries that you kind of take for granted because they're there in your hometown and you can get to them whenever you want. But you know how that goes sometimes. You just never end up getting to them. Russ and Daughters is one of those spots for me. I'd heard about it, but smoked fish wasn't really my thing back then. So I've never been. Thankfully, the people behind the world famous deli, sorry, I mean appetizing store are out now with the Cookbook. NPR's Scott Simon did some shoe leather reporting and went to the store to find out more after the break.

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[Scott Simon]

It's Saturday morning. Would you like a little nosh bagel with lox and schmear latkes Popka don't fetch? There's no better place than Russ and Daughters, which has been on New York's Lower east side for 114 years.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

So the tour is not that involved, but we can.

[Scott Simon]

You're giving us a tour of a place that is maybe 20ft long, right?

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Exactly.

[Scott Simon]

But bustling with activity.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Exactly.

[Scott Simon]

Josh. Russ Tupper is a fourth generation.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Russ we have a bunch of appetizing in these showcases.

[Scott Simon]

One of two cousins who now own and run the shop that's about the size of a subway car.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

On the fish side, as we call it, we have white fish Chubs, brook trout, sable, sturgeon and our famous whitefish salad.

[Scott Simon]

Oh, white fish salad. The sides of glistening fish rest behind a glass that gives them a sultry jewel like glow next to tubs of pearly cream cheese.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Russ and Daughters for me was a literal mom and pop because it was my mom and my pop, Nicky.

[Scott Simon]

Russ Fetterman is the cousin who practically grew up at the shop.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

As a kid I would wait at the doors for the produce delivery guys to come and they would wheel in with their handcarts. They had sacks, 50 pound sacks of onions, carrots, potatoes, and I would climb on top as if it were my chariot.

[Scott Simon]

Nikki and Josh took over Russ and Daughters from Nikki's parents and they put together a new book, the reason for our visit today. It is rich with history, musings and recipes drawn from a family's life in locks and more. Matzo ball soup, noodle kugel, smoked trout, moose. It's called Russ and daughters 100 years of appetizing and why don't we call. Why shouldn't we call Russ and Daughters a deli?

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Because we're not a deli. We're one of the last remaining appetizing stores. Both come from Jewish dietary laws. So delicatessen in its traditional form is place you go for smoked and cured meats. So think pastrami, corned bee for example. And then the appetizing store is for fish and dairy.

[Scott Simon]

Over a century ago, when Joel Russ founded his business, that fish was herring.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

My great grandfather's older sister was a herring maven and she sponsored him emigrating to the us so our great grandfather sold schmaltz herring which is just cured in salt from the buschkart.

[Scott Simon]

These days the real draw at Russ.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

And daughters is 12, 13 different types of cold smoked salmon.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

I think that a bagel and lox is one of the literal tastes of New York.

[Scott Simon]

Oh boy. Yeah.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

This is a beautiful side of Gaspe Nova. The classic Russ and Daughters New York.

[Scott Simon]

Style smoked salmon team of slicers. An official job title. Work behind the counter slicing salmon so thin you might be able to read the fine print on a cell phone contract through it. Is there somebody who can show me how to do it?

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

I mean, do you want to try your hand at this stuff?

[Scott Simon]

She moved a sharp, slender knife across an opulently orange side of salmon as surely as a New York Philharmonic violinist wields a bow.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

I mean, even if you're not good at slicing. Scott, that's a pretty poetic assessment. As you move back and forth, you're continuing to Feel the contact between the back of the knife on the flesh as you move it down. You want to continue to see the blade going through the fish. I'm doing it slowly right now so you can see it.

[Scott Simon]

Wow, that is so thin. That's amazing. And then. Sorry, I took a turn.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

We'll see how you do.

[Scott Simon]

Oh, geez. Okay. All right.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

So just be very loose if you can. Don't grip too hard. The handle of the knife.

[Scott Simon]

My technique was more Freddy Krueger than Itzhak Brome. Oh, this is no good at all.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

But this is. It takes a long time.

[Scott Simon]

Three months apprenticeship, says Nikki Russ Fetterman, to learn how to properly sliced salmon. The artistry is amazing. What's it do for the taste?

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

So the thinness of the slice with the proper angle gives you that subtlety of flavor that you just don't get with a thick slice or a machine cut slice. It's definitely not the most practical or fast way to do it, but it's the best way.

[Scott Simon]

Can I try it one more time?

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Yes, absolutely. Once you do, when you get the hang of it, this is actually quite meditative. It also gives you a moment to connect with the person you're helping over the counter. So there's conversation that happens.

[Scott Simon]

It's beautiful because they'll say, oh, you know, we have family coming over tonight.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Or they tell us their story about coming to Russ and daughters, you know, when they were a kid and now they're bringing their kids. There's always this interaction over the counter that is facilitated by the fact that you have to stand and wait and watch your salmon being sliced, your herring being cut, your cream cheese being spread. Our food, especially, is the food of memory. And so it's through the food that you connect with others, and you connect with who you are and where you come from. You know, it's a time portal. It can transport you immediately to your past into a memory.

[Scott Simon]

The dress and daughters. The past is right outside the front door and around the corner on Orchard Street.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Actually, right here was where our great grandfather first opened his shop.

[Scott Simon]

Right here. Karaoke bar.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

First, he was probably on these streets before he could open a store. He worked for seven years as a street vendor.

[Scott Simon]

Today, it's home to boutique hotels, galleries, and trendy bars. But when Joel Russ arrived at the turn of the 20th century, this slice of New York teemed with newcomers.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

People just packed into these tenement buildings. Really, this neighborhood, the Lower east side, is probably one of the most historically significant places in the United States because we are an immigrant country, and so many immigrants got their start here after arriving at Ellis island, this was their landing spot.

[Scott Simon]

A few more blocks down orchard street, and we arrive at a fairly new addition to the family biz.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

We found the latkes.

[Scott Simon]

You're about to make latkes. Decade ago, Nikki, Russ Fetterman, and Josh Russ Tupper opened Russ and daughters cafe, A place to sit, to nosh. And that's where we sat down over a plate of crispy latkes to talk about that history.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

It's our understanding that Russ and daughters is the first business in this country to have Ann daughters in its name. It wasn't the original name. One of the first names was Russ's cut rate appetizing. Because our great grandfather had to, I guess, compete with the many other appetizing stores on the lower east side. You know, if there had been a son, it probably would have been Russ and sons.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

But then he had three daughters, and as we've been told, he wasn't the most pleasant of shopkeepers. What did he like to say? Lose the address.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

So he would say, lady, do me a favor. Forget the address.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Forget the address.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

If he didn't like you, at some point, he needed help. So he looked to his family, and his daughters came to work at a very young age.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Your father would tell the story of our great aunt Hattie was so good at, like, cutting the fish and be like, oh, this fish is so beautiful. It's wonderful. And she was, like, very charismatic and really good. And customers would get into it. And then your father one day tried to do that to a customer. He's like, oh, look at the slices on this fish. And the customer's like, do me a favor. Don't fall in love with the merchandise. Didn't work at all.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lifelong customer of ours. As a child, she would come and visit her grandparents, and she gave an interview where she said that growing up, seeing the name Russ and daughters taught her that before she knew the word feminist, she learned that women could matter in an enterprise the same as men can.

[Scott Simon]

Forgive me. Before I ask my next question, I just have to have a little.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Yeah, come get a latke. So there's sour cream and applesauce is one classic combination. And then salmon roll come fresh.

[Scott Simon]

Are you having it? That's that voice we know. I mean, warm and potatoey on the inside, and then the hint of onion. God, this is. Sorry. Oh, forgive me. I've never done an interview quite so delicious. Somebody comes up to you and says, what should I have here? What do you say?

[Josh Russ Tupper]

We created this restaurant to have the sit down, appetizing experience. So really, the way you should eat this is four plus people. Get your platter of smoked fish. Order from the whole menu.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

It was a little meshuggana, the Yiddish word to say. Crazy of us to think that we could open a restaurant because neither Josh nor I had any restaurant experience. But we did know our store, and we knew our food. And sometimes it, you know, we would argue over things. Does matzo bry go on the menu? Does it not go on the menu?

[Scott Simon]

Is it on the menu? No, it was. Oh. What happened?

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Turns out that the simplest dish.

[Scott Simon]

Yeah.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

Is the hardest, the most challenging. Matzah bry was the bane of our existence.

[Andrew Limbong]

Yeah.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Every person that ordered matzo braai.

[Scott Simon]

Yeah.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Had a memory.

[Scott Simon]

Oh. Of a matcha braai at home.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Grandmother's matzo bra, their mother's matzo braai. And they're all different. Sweet, savory, wet, dry, soggy, matzo pepperoni.

[Scott Simon]

Right.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Basically, everyone who ordered was unhappy because.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

We could never match their taste memory. Now, you have to know to ask for matzo braai, so we'll make it for you. But you got to work a little hard.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Don't tell anyone, okay?

[Scott Simon]

No, it'll stay between us. Don't you worry. I mean, you must be aware of the fact that, well, there are people, undoubtedly, who will wander in casually. But to a lot of people who come here and whose families have come here, I mean, let me put it this way. Russian Daughters is not just another place to eat.

[Nikki Russ Fetterman]

No. It's almost a pilgrimage site. A lot of people can trace their family histories and beginnings back to this neighborhood. Every day, we're reminded of why this place and this food matters. And I realized also that we have fewer and fewer small businesses, these sort of touchstones in our communities that in a real way connect us to our past and anchor us in the neighborhoods we live in. And Russ and Daughters is that place for so many people. And so it's hard work, but it's a real joy to be able to be a steward of keeping this going.

[Josh Russ Tupper]

Not to put too much pressure on our kids. We both hope that the fifth generation is. That's why we're doing this. We're holding the torch to pass on to the next generation.

[Scott Simon]

Josh Russ Tupper and Nikki, Russ Fetterman. Their new cookbook is Russ and 100 years of appetizing. And to sample their matzo braai recipe. That's matzo soaked in water, mixed with eggs and fried. You can go to npr.org foreign.

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