http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/travel/03weekend.html?em&ex=1181016000&
en=e72c6fccaf4862b1&ei=5087%0A

June 3, 2007
Weekend In New York | Russia Once Removed
Partying Like a Czar: Vodka but No Diet Coke
By SETH KUGEL

THROUGH whatever mechanism Russian immigrants managed to make the Brighton
Beach section of Brooklyn their own — be it demographic evolution or
intelligent real estate design — things sure worked out well. They landed a
prime section of beachfront, right near the subway but far enough away not
to be overrun by gentrifying artistes, as happened in Puerto Rican
Williamsburg.

You can do Russia in Manhattan, but the heart of any true Russian weekend
here must be a trip on the B or Q train out to Brighton Beach. Or,
preferably, two trips: one on a sunny day, the better to sit on the
boardwalk and snack on your purchases from the markets, and one at night to
visit the campy, cavernous and vodka-infused dinner clubs.

There are several such clubs in Brighton Beach, and they follow a general
formula: huge parties of Russians (and Poles and Ukrainians and other
Eastern Europeans) celebrate weddings, birthdays and other milestones by
feasting on Russian food, drinking wine and vodka and watching a flashy
stage show that some outsiders have compared to those in Las Vegas and
others to cruise ship entertainment. Most are simply left speechless.

A Saturday night at Imperator, for example, is sort of like attending “Tony
'n' Tina's Wedding” (except everyone's speaking some Slavic language and no
one's acting), followed by a show that at times seems inspired by “Blades of
Glory.”

Imperator, like the others, has banquet pricing for larger groups, but a
smaller group — especially with finicky eaters — might want to stick with
the à la carte menu, which has a minimum charge of $50 on Friday nights and
$65 on Saturdays. Either price is enough for a shared bottle of vodka,
appetizers, main courses and desserts. But be ready for surprises: Coke does
not come with a diet option (“Russians don't drink Diet Coke,” a waiter
said). And there is no decaf. (The waiter's wry look said, “See previous
answer.”)

Rasputin, which is off the main Brighton Beach Avenue shopping strip, should
be the choice of those with deeper pockets seeking a younger, more
fashionable Russian crowd. But that's why you go to Moscow.

The Imperator crowd is heavy on elegantly dressed grandmas, and the dance
floor fills with couples of all ages. The music is in English, Russian and
sometimes Spanish, though when a cover of the Ricky Martin pop tune “She
Bangs” comes on and the singer urges “Everybody salsa!” you know this isn't
the Copa.

Shopping the main avenue can fill the better part of a day, and much more
than a day's recommended calorie intake. The food shops have seemingly
endless varieties of sausages, breads and salads — and absolutely no signs
in English. There are also often no signs in Russian. It's lucky that just
about everyone speaks at least a smattering of English.

M & I International is the most bustling of the shops, huge and thronged
with customers, sort of like a Russian Zabar's. Upstairs it has a
serviceable cafeteria (O.K., it's the Russian Fairway) serving classic
Russian salads, fish and compote — a plum-tasting fruit punch. More intimate
shops like Taste of Russia and Food Heaven, along the same strip, are less
intimidating.

Other stores worth a visit include the St. Petersburg Trade House, a book,
video and music emporium with just about nothing in English. But you can
pick up a CCCP shirt, a selection from the impressive opera-on-DVD racks, or
a Russian-speaking plush toy sure to confuse any toddler you know. Another
store, RBC Video, has cool $5 posters from 1940s-era Soviet Union.

Those looking to get away from pure Russian cuisine can try the Georgian
restaurant Primorski, which has an astonishing $5.49 lunch special on
weekends, or even better, Cafe Adolat, a tiny side street spot that serves
Uighur cuisine, where the lagman — or homemade noodle soup with a lamb
broth, chunks of meat and a pungent mix of vegetables and spices — is as far
from a cabbage knish as possible. (For an alternative Russian atmosphere,
there's Varenichnaya, which serves its namesake Russian raviolis.)

You should also spend a day exploring Russian Manhattan. For eating, Russian
Samovar is popular (and expensive), but Uncle Vanya, hidden on a side street
in Clinton, has traditional and inexpensive chicken Kiev, borscht and
pelmeni.

The Russian Tea Room has reopened, of course, and Frank Bruni of The Times
gave it one star in December, writing that the arrival of Greg Robins as its
chef has “produced an engrossing tug-of-war: his culinary internationalism
and contemporary sophistication versus the institution's stodgy traditions
and geographically constrained name.”

And Russian art is everywhere: The Guggenheim has works by Naum Gabo and
Wassily Kandinsky; an exhibit at the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue
and 42nd Street examines “The Art and Impact of Fedor Solntsev” through June
16; and Tchaikovsky's “Swan Lake” is at the Metropolitan Opera the last week
of June.

It's all much more sophisticated than the late-night shows at Brighton
Beach, and much more convenient, but not nearly as much fun.

VISITOR INFORMATION

BRIGHTON BEACH

By subway, take the B or Q trains to Brighton Beach, or the Q to Ocean
Parkway unless noted.

Imperator, 207 Brighton Beach Avenue, (718) 934-7070;
www.imperatorrestaurant.com.

Rasputin, 2670 Coney Island Avenue at Avenue X, (718) 332-8111; (Q to Neck
Road).

M & I International, 249 Brighton Beach Avenue, (718) 615-1011.

Taste of Russia, 219 Brighton Beach Avenue, (718) 934-6167.

Food Heaven, 239 Brighton Beach Avenue, (718) 743-4700.

St. Petersburg Trade House, 230 Brighton Beach Avenue, (718) 891-6778.

RBC Video, 269 Brighton Beach Avenue, (718) 769-8605.

Primorski, 282 Brighton Beach Avenue, (718) 891-3111; www.primorski.net.

Cafe Adolat, 3087 Brighton Fourth Street, (718) 743-2077.

Varenichnaya, 3086 Brighton Second Street, (718) 332-9797.

MANHATTAN

Uncle Vanya, 315 West 54th Street, (212) 262-0542.

Russian Samovar, 256 West 52nd Street, (212) 757-0168;
www.russiansamovar.com.

Russian Tea Room, 150 West 57th Street, (212) 581-7100;
www.russiantearoomnyc.com.

Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue (89th Street), (212) 423-3500;
www.guggenheim.org.

“Russia Imagined, 1825-1925: The Art and Impact of Fedor Solntsev,” runs
through June 16 at the New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street;
www.nypl.org.

The Metropolitan Opera performs Tchaikovsky's “Swan Lake” at Lincoln Center
June 25 to 30, (212) 362-6000; www.metoperafamily.org.