Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
34
Impressions
If only there was vodka,
and with it
selyodka
(herring),
Then everything would be all right.
-Traditional Russian saying
most restaurants in Moscow and St. Peters-
burg serve continuously.
Russia's lively restaurant scene is all the
more impressive when you realize that the
country had no casual restaurant culture
before the 1990s. Dining out was reserved
for special occasions, and always involved
formalwear, endless courses, and some
kind of entertainment.
It almost never included children, who
were not considered mature enough for
such an event. The food and service, espe-
cially in the Soviet era, were generally
bleak. Even now, most Russians prefer to
eat at home. If you're invited to someone's
home, be prepared for an endless stream of
food, most of it rich and well-salted. Alco-
hol will invariably be served, and to avoid
offense it's a good idea to at least sip or
sample everything, though you don't have
to drain your glass. As a foreigner you will
be the star of the show, doted upon and
offered the best cuts of meat and the juici-
est berries. And you will not be allowed to
lift a finger to help; that would be an insult
to your hosts, a suggestion that they are
somehow inadequate at satisfying you.
Pelmeni,
dumplings filled with ground
beef, pork, or lamb and spices and boiled
in broth (a bit like overstuffed ravioli), are
a Siberian specialty.
Vareniki
are a larger,
flatter version of these dumplings, filled
with potatoes or berries. The Georgian
version,
khinkali,
are larger and spicier; the
central Asian version,
manty,
are steamed
instead of boiled.
Piroshki
are small baked
pies filled with ground meat, cabbage, or
fruit, and are eaten with your hands;
pirogi
are large dessert pies. Buttery
bliny,
thin
crepelike pancakes, are spread with jam or
savory fillings such as ham and cheese and
rolled up. Tiny round
olady
are the pan-
cakes eaten with caviar. Russian soups
done right are delightfully flavorful, such
as the refreshing summer sorrel soup
zely-
oniye shchi
or the hearty winter meat stew
solyanka.
Vodka—whose name means “little
water” in Russian—is ubiquitous and
demands a complex ritual of imbibing if
Russians are at your table. (See the
“Vodka” sidebar, above.) Local beers are
improving rapidly; Baltika and Nevskoye
are cheap and tasty choices. Russian-made
versions of Belgium's Stella Artois and
Czech pilsner are also available. French
and Californian wines are quite expensive.
Simpler wines from the former Soviet
republic of Georgia were once a staple, but
were banned amid a diplomatic dispute.
At business meals, wine or even vodka is
common at lunch or dinner. If you're feel-
ing adventurous, try
kvas,
a thirst-quench-
ing beverage made from fermented bread.
Available only in summer, it's very mildly
alcoholic, and Russians consider it some-
thing between a Coke and a beer.
Russians' drink of choice, however, is
tea
(chai),
ideally served from a samovar: a
small pot of strong tea base
(zavarka)
sits
brewing on top and is diluted to taste with
the hot water from the belly of the samo-
var
(kipitok).
Coffee
(kofye)
is often instant
or resembles thick Turkish coffee, unless
the menu specifically says espresso or cap-
puccino.
A service charge is usually included in
the restaurant bill, but a nominal tip is
welcome.
2
