My Russian friend introduced us to the world of Russian food with this restaurant. We were a group of 5 and started off in a true (well, almost) Russian way with rounds of infused vodka shots. We tried 3 flavors - cranberry, blackberry and buckhorn. I liked cranberry best. We also had a pitcher of Russian tradition drink called Mors - a must have.
Appetizers: Russian salad was very fresh. Not too much dressing but tasted great. Stolichniy salad was good too. Must have apps are Blinchiki - these are melting in your mouth crepes. I loved ones with mushrooms. Ones with Cheese were great, were slightly sweeter. I was happy with my veg choices: Golubtsy, which was baked mushroom and cheese dish. Vareniki potatoes, dumplings filled with potatoes and sauté onions on top. Side of sauté vegetables and potatoes made a good pairing.
My friends had meat entrees like stroganoff, chicken Kiev, katleti chicken and they were happy with their choices.
Our server was pleasant and attentive. The owner also visited our table 2-3 times to make recommendations.
Ambiance was casual. There was a group on a side playing chess. There was a small stage on the side, suggesting the place would be much more lively with live music on the weekends.
Overall, a great evening with great food and great service!