Someone once said the best things in life are worth waiting for. Love, success, your dream job, and the classic breakfast board of smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomato, onion, capers, and a bagel from Russ & Daughters Cafe on a Sunday morning are a few examples that come to mind.

And you will wait for your breakfast board – possibly as much as two hours – but for good reason: because Russ & Daughters is a New York institution and everyone is still really excited that they opened a cafe where you can actually sit down and enjoy the delicacies they’ve been serving up since their beginning. And remember, that beginning was over 100 years ago, so for those who have been eating their bagels on that single green bench outside the Russ & Daughters shop for years, 2 hours on a Sunday morning is nothing.

A classic like Russ & Daughters is beloved by everyone, so the patrons range from brunch connoisseurs to that longstanding LES resident who has been sitting at the bar refilling his coffee since 8am. The staff too – your waiter might’ve just won the international latte art competition or might be 4th generation Russ family member, it really just depends.

But its ways of transcending generations, thriving in a changing neighborhood, and bringing people the same quality comfort foods they’ve been craving for 100 years are why it’s in a class of its own, and they’re why everyone just sucks it up, stands outside, and waits 2 hours to eat their appetizing board from the comfort of a booth. And you should wait too, because it really is worth it.

http://www.russanddaughterscafe.com/

Russ & Daughters Café NYC
127 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
(212) 475-4881

Dana is originally from Washington, DC, is now based in NYC, but is most excited when she’s traveling. She’s a street-food obsessed food and travel writer who spends her free time watching Anthony Bourdain reruns and exploring the nooks and crannies of her NYC neighborhood, Chinatown. Her heart is torn between Paris, the Greek Islands, Japan, and Penang, so her dream last supper would look something like a four course meal of sashimi, laksa, fresh grilled octopus, and a heaping plate of gooey French cheese.

(All photos of Russ & Daughters Café NYC ”“ by Nicole Franzen)

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