Personally I prefer lox, actually belly lox. Saltier, yes, but so silky.
100% agree.
When I was a kid, when we went to the deli, a lox platter was $4.99. A nova platter was $9.99.
Where do you get lox? Or do you cure your own?
I don’t. I suffer like the masses. There used to be a few places here that carried it. Out of business now 
If I cured my own, I’m afraid id screw it up. Also, to me, if you can’t slice it right, what’s the point?
I remember as a kid going to the lox place and watching them hand slice to order. It was amazing how perfect and thin they could get it. Btw, they had lox, belly lox, and nova.
You are in the Bay Area? Do you know of any place there? I assume not since you mention “if you can find the real thing.” I know some transplants desperate for lox.
4 Likes
Only source I know at the moment:
2 Likes
Ty. Yeah, I figured. Sad times. And this is out of my budget. I’m a pauper for now.
Acme seafood told me they were looking to expand out here with belly lox. But that was over a year ago.
Hey, just went back to ACME website…
1 Like
Back in the day it allowed shipping salmon long distances without refrigeration.
I presume today Acme uses an extra-salty brine. They probably make the lox for R&D.
They do. I confirmed this a couple of years ago.
BTW, they also make that whitefish spread at COSTCO and I think the whole whitefish is theirs too.
3 Likes
Correct. Blue Hill Bay is an Acme brand. To date I’ve seen only the whitefish salad, whole whitefish, and herring in wine sauce at Costco.
2 Likes
Utopia Bagels or Bagel Oasis in Queens is the best. Not sure if they still carry nova. You can get a warm/hot bagel almost at many times throughout the day due to turnover. Bagel Oasis used to be opened basically 24/7. If the everything bagel does not have salt then are you really an everything bagel?
2 Likes
Ive been in LA for 11 years, but am originally from Rochester NY where we still have good bagels thought Ess-a-Bagel is a favorite when in NYC. While I acknowledge there are a few new bagel places I need to try out, my favorite in LA is NY Bagel and Deli–one on Wilshire and 23rd in Santa Monica and one on National in West LA.
10 Likes
Back to bagels on the Westside - current favorite = Jyan Isaac Bread. Available at the bakery on Ocean Park in Santa Monica and the Venice farmers market among others. Expensive but worth it imo.
4 Likes
Between Jyan Isaac and Ghisallo, that building is the Mecca of westside carbo-loading
3 Likes
How do you like the sturgeon at Barney’s Greengrass? What should I get there?
So, I’ve never been. But my peeps tell me the sturgeon is great.
Me, I’d always get lox when I can. So hard to find nowadays. I do hear good things about the nova.
Maybe try a mixed fish platter assuming they do it.
Just want to tell you that all my older Jewish friends seem to love Jewish deli “bbq” cod. Maybe that would be your thing.
Have you ever had Kippers? My mom used to love getting that out. They broil them and serve with eggs at delis. Pretty salty (surprise) but pretty tasty.
1 Like
It was phenomenal, if memory serves. Get the salty lox scramble with eggs & onions.
3 Likes
Sorry if this has been brought up before but when ordering today they asked if I wanted “nova” or gravlax.
I clarified with them that their nova was cold smoked/cured so I guess not what you were looking for.
3 Likes
so which did you choose?
gravlax. not salty at all, which went really well with the usual complements of salty bagel/capers/etc. I got a feeling I would hate real nova.
1 Like