The homey Russo-Ukrainian restaurant specializes in pelmeni and vareniki, which are basically Slavic takes on ravioli—and what kid doesn't like stuffed pasta? The small, wontonlike vareniki can be ordered as a savory entrée (a potato-filled version, for instance, comes with mushrooms and onions on top) or as a dessert (we preferred the one stuffed with cherries). Even better, perhaps, is pelmeni Moscow, a very white dish in which ample potato dumplings are doused in a cheese-and-butter sauce, then baked in a crock, creating a thin, yummy crust. Many dishes here come in a crock, like the Odessa stew (beef and potatoes in a rich gravy). Make sure to wash it all down with “compote,” a refreshing drink made of cherries, apples and pears—fishing out the chunks of fruit is part of the fun. In a nice touch for grown-ups, the cappuccinos come in a tall glass that reveals elegant, painstakingly poured layers of coffee, milk and froth.
