RUSS AND DAUGHTERS
179 e houston st # 1
new york, ny
finally, after an entire year of meaning-to’s and almost’s, i had made the short trek to russ and daughters. i entered the store wide-eyed, trying to absorb everything, until i naturally fell into the line and saw the face of a kind older man behind the counter, asking me what i’d like. i asked for the popular gravlox + scallion cream cheese bagel and watched him prepare it. seeing my camera in hand, he pushed back the window just so, granting me a perfect frame. after wrapping it in r&d’s beautiful white wax paper, he urged, “hope you enjoy it, kiddo.” that made me smile.
i stepped outside into the afternoon sun and sat down on the bench next to a man who seemed entranced in his own world. after some time, he smiled at me, and seeing me wolf down the thickly-layered bagel with its rich, silky salmon, sympathized: “isn’t it something ?”
it certainly was.
