Gaspe Nova, Whatever That Is

Gaspe Nova – Russ and Daughters
Russ and Daughters

Russ and Daughters is roughly one block from Katz’s Deli, yet it takes us approximately 10 minutes to skate there.  Dammit Bloomberg!

Windows of the World

Having been featured in many a New York magazine and Time Out New York article, we have both been curious about this infamous Russ and Daughters for months.  Walking in, we are greeted by deli-like counters of delicacies on either side, with shelves of gourmet goodies stacked on the back shelves.  It is bright, white, and looks like a scene out of Main Street, U.S.A.  It is downright charming.

It is foodie heaven.

Vodka & Ginger = Imported Nuts

Vodka, armed with the itinerary, does not have a single solitary clue what gaspe nova is.  A hanger steak or jellybean could have been placed in front of her and called “gaspe nova,” and she would have believed it.  The pronunciation of this mystery food also remains unclear, so she shoves Ginger, armed with our deli number, up to the counter to order (which she does with more skill than you would expect from someone who doesn’t know how one orders gaspe nova).

Eureka

After some consultation with the fish slicer (apparently, gaspe nova is a salmon), Ginger orders a quarter of a pound of sliced gaspe nova, as it is the best thing that Michael Psilakis has ever had SLICED on The Best Thing I Ever Ate (clearly, Michael Psilakis, of knoblewurst fame, hangs out in a two-block radius of Manhattan).

In a running theme of our tour, we then wait.  And wait.  We wait an obscene amount of time for what seems like a small request for salmon.  This is not a Filet-O-Fish, after all.

However, when our quarter pounder of gaspe nova finally arrives, it is presented in the most perfectly sliced fashion known to man.

Perfection Among the Snowbanks

We sit on the bench outside of Russ and Daughters, thankfully cleared of snow, and gingerly open the package.  The gaspe nova is divided into astoundingly thin, delicate slices.  It is pretty as a picture.

Where's the Bagel?

Now, a full half hour into the day’s tour, Vodka is feeling ill from a vacuum-like consumption of knoblewurst, so slices of smoked fish aren’t exactly sounding appealing.  Taking a small bite, the gaspe nova is good and smoky, albeit a bit odd as a standalone dish.  We wish for a bagel and cream cheese to lay it on (and also for a beverage, as we are now dying from thirst).  We finish one slice, and Ginger repackages the fish in a manner much less skillful than it had been presented to us.  She sticks it in her handbag (poor choice) with plans to return to it later from the confines of her own kitchen, hopefully this time with some sort of bread product in tow.

Russ and Daughters’s Gaspe Nova: 3 stars