NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

F 8.3 A 7.4 S 7.3

A suburban hideaway where corporate execs hold court at lunch and families and friends congregate each evening, the Russia House provides fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere.

The spacious main dining room appears to span the length of the building and boasts aesthetic touches like historic murals on the walls, classical music in the background and a roomy wood bar adorned with authentic Russian matryoshka (nesting dolls). A word of warning: the expansive dining area can muddle service at off-peak times, particularly when lone servers get stuck shuttling between distant tables.

Top tier starters include an array of American and Russian caviars, whereas the more cost-conscious may prefer standards like homemade borscht. An order of pirozhki brings a trio of puff pastries covered with a smear of cheese and filled with seasoned ground beef, diced cheese and sour cabbage (all quite warming). A Cornish game hen is flattened on the grill so the skin crackles while the meat remains moist; the rustic dish is finished off with a brown butter wine sauce and scalloped potatoes. Other notable standards include steak tartare, an aromatic lamb/feta/pasta casserole, salmon in a champagne-caviar sauce and beef-stuffed cabbage leaves.