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| - Things have changed from my previous visit- and not in a good way. The décor and atmosphere are (still) offputting, service (remains) dismal, and management was unprofessional, but we remembered the food was good... Well, not any more.
Came in late at night, again to blasting music and flashing lights. It's telling that every single one of their customers opted to sit outside on the patio. I noticed that the regulars weren't ordering any food. Menu has added American and Mexican food options like burgers, nachos, and burritos. I understand that they're trying to pull in more business, but it brings to mind the "jack of all trades, master of none" phrase.
We ordered four dishes: cabbage pirozky, vinaigrette, julien, and the Olivier we fondly remembered from last time. The pirozky were the only item that were okay, and they were not made in house. The vinaigrette tasted like a basic salad of pickled vegetables. There was minimal beet in a dish that is supposed to be beet-based. The julien looked like a soup in the menu photo but what we received was like a personal pizza, topped with mozzarella and mushrooms. It's hard to find those flavors unappealing, but that is NOT julien. They apparently cannot make the dishes on their menu.
As for the Olivier? It was flat-out disgusting. It looked congealed, as if it had been sitting out, exposed to air, for hours. Flavor was completely off and just bad. We took one bite, and immediately asked for the bill.
As for the service? Our server was a very sweet lady. But she knows nothing about Russian food. We voiced our concerns and she reported back to the kitchen and owner, but no one ever came out to speak with us. Our basic order took 40 minutes, and we were the only table ordering and most of the dishes were premade. To top it off, a group of regulars brought in a blow up doll in with them. Classy vibe here, clearly.
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