blue artichoke: Wandering Gullet: Russia II

We didn't actually have Russian food today for Wandering Gullet. I'm by myself for dinner as GC is off skiing in St. Louis. Yes, there are actually places to ski in St. Louis.

However, we did have a great Russian meal in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, at Red Square in Mandalay Bay. The website describes the atmosphere as capturing the romance and intrigue of Imperialist Russia, but the giant hammer and sickle carved into the floor in the entrance and the giant painting of Lenin glorify Communism and the atrocities committed under Lenin's Red Terror. A weird thing to emphasize in a restaurant. But, the food was good.

After the very disappointing Russian Red Lentil soup I made, I felt I owed Russia another chance (culinarily, that is). I hoped to try vareniki, a favorite of Red Meat and Crawfish Etoufee, but it wasn't on the menu. So, I had chicken Kiev. Deeeelicious, although all the herb/butter mixture was concentrated in one spot, so I didn't find it until I was almost done, then BAM! - suddenly my chicken had mad flava. Someone else at the table got beef stroganoff. That was the best choice, by far. We all helped ourselves to each other's food and unanimously declared the BS to be the tastiest. GC got a duck dish, which probably earned second-best dish on the table even though it wasn't distinctly Russian.

Red Square also carried my favorite Polish vodka, Zubrowka, but at $16 a shot, it was too spendy for me. Plus, Polish vodka is a troublemaker. Polish beer is better. I have no experience with Russian beer. Or with real Russian vodka.

Getting to Know All About You: What's your favorite foreign beverage?

Comments

Favorite (tastiest) foreign beverage gotta be Laotian/Vietnamese coffee, which is magically delicious. Close runner-up is kava -- South Pacific/Hawaiian root mashed with water and stirred constantly (to prevent inevitable settling). Drunk for its mild intoxicatory/lip-numbing properties, definitely not for taste, which is like licking the side of a city bus. Or so I'd imagine. Also, by the by, B.A., regarding your last post, I wouldn't worry about not thinking as much or too hard any more. In my (extensive) experience with mental decline and brain-cell suicide over the years, I've discovered life becomes more enjoyable the less one is forced to think. This theory is currently under review (and passing muster) as I've recently been forced into an intellectual bootcamp of sorts to study for a standardized test. Studying sucks, and I'd forgotten just how much it always sucked. I'd really rather just ponder foreign beverages, wouldn't you?

Posted by: red meat | January 14, 2008 10:23 PM