Sable's Smoked Fish

Do not go into Sable's if you have dinner plans. The jovial countermen at this legendary food shop will ply you with morsel after tasty morsel of smoked salmon. "Try this one. Do you like your salmon saltier or fattier?" And then, when you have exhausted the salmon possibilities (Scottish, Irish, Norwegian, Eastern Gaspe, etc.), they will tempt you with smoked trout, eel, sturgeon and whitefish. By now you will be quite stuffed, but you will not be able to say no to crostini topped with the "World's Best Lobster Salad" and the "World's Best Crabmeat Salad."

This is exactly what happened to me today. I went into Sable's with the sole intention of buying a chocolate babka for my grandmother, when I was suddenly bombarded with complimentary bites of Irish smoked salmon, Sable's "sushi" (smoked salmon wraps filled with salmon salad), and lobster and crabmeat salads. My evident appreciation of the snacks compelled the countermen to keep offering me more of them. I could barely concentrate on my purchase.

Of course I bought more goodies than I'd intended to. But just as I was about to make my exit, a voice called after me, "Wait, have you tried our chopped liver?"

Sable's Smoked Fish: 1489 2nd Ave., (212) 249-6177.