Ajay Suresh via Wikimedia Commons
Lox at the Jewish Museum opened last week, giving visitors a place to grab a bite after the loss of Russ and Daughters. Located at 1109 Fifth Avenue (at East 92nd Street), the lower level of the museum was previously occupied by the popular appetizing spot until it closed amidst the pandemic in 2020. In April 2022, Russ and Daughters announced it would not reopen that location, instead focusing on its standalone restaurants.
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Russ and Daughters was a draw in itself, so the vacancy was felt by both the museum and the neighborhood. Lox promises a similar menu of bagels and lox—their most basic version goes for $25, just FYI—as well as a sense of familiarity as a museum dining option (Lox has an existing location at the Museum of Jewish Heritage downtown).
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The creator of Lox is Chef David Teyf, who’s also the executive chef at 2nd Avenue Deli’s 2nd Floor Bar & Essen. Teyf is a native of Minsk, Belarus, where his relatives were matzoh makers, but has lived in the U.S. since the age of five. Teyf’s hospitality group also runs a Glatt Kosher catering company.
Lox is a kosher café and an homage to both Jewish and Russian foods from the creator’s background. True to the name, the house specialty is “Lox Five Ways,” a selection of five types of lox served with whipped and scallion cream cheese, cucumber, tomato, onion, capers and a basket of bread and bagels. The platter runs between $89-$120 serving 2-4 people.
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They also serve several alcohol-infused types of lox like “Grapefruit and Gin” and “Sake Ginger.” In addition to bagels, lox and other traditional sandwiches and salads, they also serve cold or hot borscht with sour cream ($18), cheese blintzes ($25) and blinis or challah with caviar ($36). Anne Scher of the Jewish museum says that the matzoh ball soup made with vegetable broth is “something almost anyone could enjoy whether they are a vegetarian or not.”
The Jewish Museum was founded in 1904, the first institution of its kind in the United States. Its mission is “illuminating the complexity and vibrancy of Jewish culture for a global audience,” which it does through works of art, ceremonial objects and media “reflecting the global Jewish experience.”
The restaurant is open on Sundays and Mondays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant is OU Kosher certified, and museum admission is not required to dine there. You can find out more about Lox on their website or Instagram page.
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