Appetizing Stores: The Forgotten Sibling of the Jewish Deli Makes a Comeback

In the landscape of Jewish American food, the delicatessen has long hogged the spotlight, famous for heaping pastrami and corned beef sandwiches. But a parallel institution, the appetizing store, once occupied an equally important place in the immigrant neighborhoods of New York City. These shops sold the foods that delis did not: smoked and cured fish, cream cheese, pickled vegetables, herring in cream sauce, butter and eggs.

The split was not a matter of taste but of religious law. Kosher rules forbid mixing meat with dairy, extending beyond the plate to the kitchen, utensils and the store itself. Delis handled the meat side, offering corned beef, brisket, tongue and chopped liver. Appetizing stores handled everything else. Fish, considered neither meat nor dairy under Jewish dietary law, could sit comfortably alongside dairy products.

The now-iconic combination of bagels, lox and cream cheese was an American invention, born from this culinary divide. At their height, from the 1930s through the 1950s, hundreds of appetizing stores operated in New York City. As the food went mainstream and fewer customers kept kosher, many delis began selling both types of food, and the number of dedicated appetizing shops fell sharply.

In the past decade, however, a new wave of outlets has appeared around the country, often run by younger entrepreneurs looking to reclaim a Jewish food tradition. Biederman's Specialty Foods opened in Philadelphia in 2021, modeled on classic New York appetizing shops with a focus on high-quality fish. Mish Delicatessen, which opened in Los Angeles this year, and Steingold's Deli, with three Chicago locations, blend appetizing foods with deli meats.

For observant Jewish families, the appetizing spread takes on special significance during the High Holidays. Since cooking is not permitted on Yom Kippur, a fast day, a meal that can be prepared in advance and eaten at room temperature is ideal for breaking the fast. Gary Greengrass, the third generation to lead Barney Greengrass on Manhattan's Upper West Side, rents a refrigerated truck during the fall holidays to handle the surge in inventory. He says business on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur has grown 12 to 15 times over the past four decades, with the store shipping food nationwide.

Smoked salmon remains the centerpiece of most spreads today. Emily Caslow, co-owner of Brooklyn-based Acme Smoked Fish, notes that while Nova, a thinly sliced cold-smoked salmon, is what most people picture, a traditional appetizing counter has always offered far more variety, including sable, whitefish, baked or kippered salmon, smoked trout and herring.

The terminology can be confusing. Lox is salmon cured in a salt brine without smoke, giving it a dense, silky texture. Nova is cured and then cold-smoked at a low temperature, making it milder and less salty. Hot-smoked salmon is cooked at a higher temperature, resulting in a flaky, firm texture closer to a cooked fillet. At Barney Greengrass, staff are trained to ask customers whether they truly want lox or actually mean Nova. Most choose the smoked salmon, though some longtime customers still prefer the traditional lox.

Even the cream cheese has its nuances. Schmear, from a Yiddish word meaning to spread, became a noun for cream cheese, but with a twist. Food writer Cathy Barrow, author of "Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish," says home cooks and appetizing stores often whip the cream cheese to lighten it, sometimes adding sour cream, lemon juice or seltzer.

As for the bagel of choice at Barney Greengrass, plain tops the list, followed by everything, sesame and poppy.