Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed’s favourite New York date spot
“We’re not only American, but New York-American,” Lou Reed once said of his beloved NYC. Born and raised in the state, the musician is definitely in the running for the ultimate, quintessential New York artist.
The Velvet Underground essentially served as the house band for Max’s Kansas City, a vital map pin for the 1960s countercultural scene. As a mainstay in Andy Warhol’s circle and a regular scribe putting the sounds and sights of the place into his work, Reed and the town are inextricably linked. In life as in art, the city was not only his muse but was his home in the simplest, sweetest way.
Even the biggest artists and the most enigmatic stars have a normal life behind the scenes. When they were making history, they liked a good meal and a nice night out just as much as the rest of us. For Reed and his partner, the equally iconic Laurie Anderson, New York was the setting for their domestic bliss. They had an apartment in the West Village, hosted Seders together for their friendship circle, walked their dog around the parks, and went out every week for a date.
“Lou and I went to Russ & Daughters every week,” Anderson said, letting the world into her and her late husband’s favourite spot. It’s nothing fancy, just a simple deli doing cosy food, but doing it well. But for the couple, that was enough.
Reed was born into a Russian Jewish family that fled their homeland due to antisemitism. As they moved to the US, his grandfather changed the family name from Rabinowitz to Reed. His thoughts towards his religion remained conflicting throughout his life. He once stated, “My God is rock ’n’ roll,” declaring that “The most important part of my religion is to play guitar.” However, the tastes of home always stuck around, and later in his life, the couple would host traditional ceremonial meals.
“It’s my favourite restaurant in New York. It’s Jewish comfort food with sophisticated twists,” Anderson explained of the spot. “For a while, I’d take people’s pictures while they took their first bite, because they had his look, like, ‘Where am I? This is the best food I ever had in my life!’”
The place now has three locations in New York. Initially, it was pick-up only, with the couple stopping by for platters and bagels to take home or eat on their walks. But they also now have a sit-in cafe. Sadly, the dine-in location opened just after Reed died, so he didn’t get to try it, but Anderson still frequents the spot to remember him and introduce his tastes to friends.
As for what to order, the couple had a must-try; “the horseradish cream cheese is insanely good!”
