The city of Boston in the state of Massachusetts has a substantial amount of immigrants, as a total of about 26 percent of its residents migrated from a foreign country. In all, about 100,000 Russians live in the greater Boston area because of the universities and the city’s resemblance to European cities. There are several restaurants in the vicinity of Boston that serve astonishingly, delicious Russian cuisine, but these are of the very best.
Stoli Bar & Restaurant
Located in the Historic Center of Brookline Village, Stoli Stoli Bar & Restaurant presents Russian hospitality and genuine cosmopolitan gastronomy. The neighborhood has a prevalent amount of Russian residents and businesses. As well as being popular for its tasty old-style Russian food, the Stoli is known for its signature house infused vodkas in flavors such as cranberry, pepper and black currant. They serve both lunch and dinner, plus, they offer a banquet menu for special events.
The restaurant is small with a cozy atmosphere and is famous with the locals and returning tourists for their homemade pickles. The lunch entrees consist of dishes such as cabbage stuffed with ground beef and rice, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and fresh mozzarella with a white wine garlic sauce, and meat ravioli filled with beef and turkey and topped with sour cream.
For a traditional Russian dinner experience, try their Taste of Russia, which consists of scrumptious blintzes, latkes, gravlax and sturgeon black caviar. Other popular dishes on their dinner menu include a baked mushroom, onion and cheese crepe and puff pastries stuffed with turkey, ground beef and onions. There is no doubt that the Stoli has some of the most amazing Russian cuisine available in the Boston area.
Cafe St. Petersburg
Tucked away in an alley between Beacon Street and Union Street in Newton Center is a restaurant called Cafe St. Petersburg that offers both Russian hospitality and quality culinary. The atmosphere and classic cuisine of handed-down family recipes will make you feel as if you are visiting Old Russia. The restaurant is often visited by writers, musicians and actors from around the world, and the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Slezinger, are from Russia and are well-respected by the Boston community. Cafe St. Petersburg is considered to be one of the very best Russian restaurants in Boston.
Mr. Slezinger was a highly regarded theatre producer in Russia and his friends frequently stop by to put on a performance for the customers. The establishment serves both lunch and dinner and presents their customers with excellent homemade cranberry vodka. One of their specialties is the boneless duck breast with traditional spices and a sweet black currant brandy sauce. You can’t go wrong with anything you order here, and don’t forget to top off your meal with one of their yummy desserts.
Crystal Russian Restaurant
The Crystal Russian Restaurant is located in the Allston area of Boston and boasts a fun family lunch and dinner dining experience with live entertainment of Russian and American bands every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. The establishment can accommodate large events with their banquet facilities for up to 300 people.
In addition to terrific American food, the restaurant serves delectable dishes created from traditional Russian recipes that have been updated with an added flair of their own personal touch. In fact, the Crystal Russian Restaurant is known as one of Boston’s top upscale family restaurants for Russian cuisine and American food, such as basa, smoked eel, kabobs, quails in berry sauce, Israeli style schnitzel, seafood and prime rib.
Mirage Restaurant
Located in Revere, and a bit out of the ordinary, the Mirage Restaurant has been around for years and is popular with the locals. The food is comprised of Russian, Middle Eastern, Armenian and Mediterranean cuisine, and it’s quite good. In fact, much of their menu items consist of easy to eat finger foods. They have a good sized area for dancing and a live band that plays a large selection of music, including popular Russian, American, Armenian and Spanish songs. It’s laidback and definitely a fun place to spend an evening with friends.
Vernissage
This Russian restaurant, bar and banquet hall is known as Vernissage and is positioned on Beacon Street in Brookline. There are jazz performances on Thursday nights and live music every weekend, and they serve classic eastern European recipes with an added modern twist. The place presents a welcoming yet formal ambience with crisp linens, fine wines and elegant decor.
Vernissage is open for dining every day from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and serves mouthwatering main courses, such as almond crusted trout poached in champagne, shrimp and asparagus casserole, pan fried frog legs in Chablis sauce, and pork or Chicken kebabs with season vegetables and roasted potatoes. The bar is celebrated for its large variety of Russian beer, premium dinner wines and a special chocolate martini made with vodka and creme de cacao.
