We know we’ve already spent oodles of newsprint, well, internetprint, talking about our love for Russ & Daughters, but last night we hit their seven-course herring pairing dinner at Astor Center (John Zorn and Wylie Dufresne both in attendance in professional capacity) and were once again reminded that herring may be the most under-sung taste experience in America. Especially taken with aquavit, natch.
If you treat yourself to anything this week, make it a $4.50 New Catch Holland filet (shown after the jump) which you could slice up into demure bites and take with onions and pickles but is just as transcendent lowered right into your mouth at their Lower East Side counter on Houston Street. In Amsterdam they lower them into soft hot dog buns and top them with those pickles and onions, but IOHO we don’t want any bread in between our herring and our tongue!
These babies — which are two massive filets held together at their tail — are barely salted, and as a result they really taste like the finest sushi you’ve ever had: They’re the essence of fatty fish. Buttery, almost. And packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which means you’ll be even smarter after you’ve eaten them. A win-win!
