The Lower East Side's Culinary Neighborhoods
December 13, 2003

Listen to this feature (How to listen)

From street pickles and lox to bialys and gelato, Manhattan's Lower East Side is culinary Nirvana for food lovers. It's all about small businesses making exceptional food in old-fashioned traditional ways. The Slow Food Guide to New York City by Patrick Martins and Ben Watson (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2003) is the book to have in hand when you visit the Big Apple. Here are some highlights of what not to miss on the Lower East Side.

The Doughnut Plant
379 Grand Street, between Essex and Norfolk Streets
212-505-3700
Wonderful glazes made with high-quality ingredients highlight Mark Israel's fried cakes. Cash only

Kossar's Bialy's
367 Grand Street, between Essex and Norfolk Streets
212-473-4810, 877-424-2597
The oldest bialy bakery in the country.
Closed Saturday until 11:00 p.m.

Russ & Daughters
179 East Houston Street, between Allen and Orchard Streets
212-475-4880
Customers line up early on weekends for sublime lox, sable and smoked salmon of every kind.

Guss' Pickles
85-87 Orchard Street, between Broome and Delancey Streets
516-642-2634
Expect long lines Sunday through Friday at "The Principality of Pickledom." Cash only

Il Laboratorio del Gelato
95 Orchard Street, between Delancey and Broome Streets
Intensely flavored ice creams (dark chocolate, hazelnut and coffee are particularly notable), sorbet and gelato are made in small batches right in the store.

Back to Where We Eat

Weeknight Kitchen® is a free weekly e-mail newsletter full of new recipes and tips from Lynne and our guests.
Sign up »
This week's newsletter »

The Splendid Table®, is now available for free in podcast form. Follow the Sterns as they travel the country, hear all our unique and wonderful guests and, as always, Lynne takes your calls, downloaded direct to your computer every week.
Get the podcast

Get our recipes delivered straight to your iGoogle account with our new Google Gadget. It's free. It's easy. Find out how you can install this new feature on your Google Homepage.
Learn More