Kind Buds

This Mari Vanna is not your ordinary outdoor variety. The new restaurant on 20th street between Park and Broadway is adorned with relics of old Russia, from rustic hanging chandeliers, to porcelain statuettes and weathered wooden fixtures. The service and Russian accents immediately embrace you, as the setting nearly stamps your passport. Its hugs and double-kisses all around, in a brand new "old world" establishment that we hope lasts long enough to match its antiquity. The TV screen plays old Russian footage while the low electronic music sets a festive but slightly Brighton Beach aura. My old friend Dmitry joined us, guiding us the way with his Russian fluency while our new Russian friend, Elle, soon arrived. The restaurant feels like a hidden Moscow hangout, complete with the underworld cache.

Yet, we started out with a cliche: of course, vodka. We ordered the horseradish and watermelon shots, but the flavors were overpowered by the pungent vodka. The dishes were a real treat. The classic Russian herring, served on crisp toast with dill and potatoes, was a nice kickoff. The potato and meat pierogies were flufffy buttery buns with a hearty middle, our favorite of the night...

We nibbled on some beet salad and steamed dumplings to complete the full flavor. The meal ended with a delicious strawberry smetannik (thanks Dave, for pronouncing that one...), and of course, a few more vodka shots. It was a nice tasting of flavors, perhaps not a complete meal, but the dishes were authentic and the atmosphere was charming. And with that, we finished the full rotation and passed Mari Vanna to the left hand side...