Lower East Side

The Lower East Side is where Jewish, Italian, and Eastern European immigrants built New York's food culture. Katz's Delicatessen has been on Houston Street since 1888. Russ & Daughters has been selling smoked fish since 1914. Yonah Schimmel has been baking knishes since 1910. These are not tourist attractions — they are institutions that have outlasted every food trend in the city.

#1Jewish Deli

Katz's Delicatessen

205 E Houston St

OrderPastrami on rye, hand-carved, mustard only~$25

Open since 1888. The pastrami is cured for weeks, smoked, and steamed to order. Get a ticket at the door, tip your carver, and ask for a taste before they build the sandwich. Do not ask for mayo.

#2Appetizing Shop

Russ & Daughters

179 E Houston St

OrderEverything bagel, cream cheese, Nova lox, capers, red onion~$22

Open since 1914. The Nova lox is silky, barely salty, and nothing like packaged smoked salmon. Go on a weekday before 10am to avoid the 45-minute weekend line.

#3Knish Bakery

Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery

137 E Houston St

OrderPotato knish, chocolate egg cream$5–8

Open since 1910. The baked potato knish is dense, savory, and filling. The egg cream — chocolate syrup, whole milk, seltzer — is a New York original that does not exist anywhere else in the same form.

#4New York Slice

Scarr's Pizza

35 Orchard St

OrderPlain slice or pepperoni slice~$5/slice

Scarr Pimentel mills his own flour and sources organic ingredients for what is still a classic New York slice. The result tastes cleaner and more complex than the standard version. Always packed.