Barney Greengrass??

Barney Greengrass in NYC

On the Upper West Side of Manhattan resides a Jewish Deli that has literally stood the test of time.  Open since 1908, stepping into Barney Greengrass is like opening the pages of a history book.  The interior looks like it may not have been updated since at least the 70s, but that's okay.  The "Sturgeon King" still gets plenty of love from New Yorkers and people all over the world.  Their specialty is Atlantic fish, so I thought it to be a little odd that I got invited to eat there for breakfast, though it soon make sense.  I met Sharon from The Daily Meal at Barney Greengrass and she gave me a quick overview of the menu.  The salmon and sturgeon specialties were served fresh, smoked, and cured with eggs or to top on bagels.  Sharon ordered the fresh Nova Scotia Salmon and advised me to go with an order of scrambled eggs with lox.

Scrambled Eggs with Lox at Barney Greengrass

Lox is salty cured salmon that in this case has been chopped up and added to a batch of scrambled eggs.  While the Scandinavians introduced the dish to North America, the Jewish immigrants of NYC made it famous.  The salmon is brined in salt, sugar, and other spices in the same fashion that the famous Jewish corned beef and pastrami are.  It definitely added a delicious twist to a scrambled eggs dish.  The salty fish flaked apart and flavored the well seasoned eggs.  I could have eaten a second plate.  Fortunately for me, Sharon decided to share some of here salmon for me to eat on my bagel!

Nova Scotia Salmon with Cream Cheese on a Bagel

I guess it makes sense that I would eat a bagel in New York.  And I'll admit, I definitely enjoyed it.  The bagel with cream cheese and delicious salmon hit the spot along with the lox-packed eggs.  I can see why Barney Greengrass came so highly recommended.  It certainly isn't for the atmosphere or ambiance.  It is for the traditional, quality food that brings you back to the way things used to be.  Before modernist cuisine and molecular gastronomy hit NYC, this food belonged to people from centuries ago.  And I'm glad I've eaten some!