When my parents come here we go to Primorski. It’s a Georgian restaurant. It’s cheesy. If you’re lucky, there will be a synth band and people startlingly overdressed dancing around. The food and wine are really good. And they tend to add a dollar to everything you order because, as they say, “The prices on the menu are old.” It drives my mother crazy.
What do you order there?
I like khachapuri. It’s mostly dough and cheese. It’s a traditional Georgian meal, but it’s not for anyone watching their weight in any way.
Do you have any other go-to places for Russian food?
The Russian supermarket in Brighton Beach called M&I International Food has great stuff. There’s a dessert my parents really like called the chocolate potato. It looks like pooh. You take chocolate and nuts and form it into a gooey round ball. If you go the deli counter at M&I, it’s full of Russians, not tourists. That’s where people go for Russian food—the smoked fish, the stuffed cabbage. It’s more authentic than going to Russian-themed restaurant in Manhattan. And it’s cheaper, too.
How about for a Russian drinking experience?
My favorite bar is Eugene Mirman’s rooftop in Park Slope. He sort of runs his own little speakeasy there. If I’m drinking with a Russian I’m probably there. There are bars with Russian names like Pravda or Siberia or KGB Bar, but they’re not trying to offer an authentic Russian or Slavic experience. They’re themed. There probably is some scary Russian gangster bar in New York, but I don’t think I’d want to go there. I’ve wound up at some of those in Russia and it’s not so much fun.
Where should someone go for great Russian music?
The 92nd Street Y has a good Russian music series. The violist playing with me at Joe’s Pub has a band called Romashka that’s playing there. There’s also a Web site called ycrop.com. It stands for Young Creative Russians Online Portfolio. The whole front page is a listings section. They have art, music and everything else that’s going on that the Russian Diaspora would be interested in.
