Brasserie Pushkin

Truth be told, I was ready to hate this Moscow import. It’s a big, flashy restaurant and a spinoff at that. But there’s quite a lot to like about this 7,200 square foot restaurant with glittery chandeliers, chocolate brown velvet banquettes and hand-carved wood paneling.  There’s plenty of private dining and an upfront patisserie for breakfast pastries and takeaway sweets.  It was the horseradish-infused vodka that got us thinking we should rethink Pushkin. Then came the pelmeni — delicate dumplings filled with a sweet, juicy mix of pork, beef and lamb — and a great rendition of borscht.  While I’m not sure what salmon in a citrus vinaigrette has to do with Russia it was delicious. There’s Cornish hen, veal blintzes, and beef stroganoff.  Dessert is one of the best cards they’re holding here, so save plenty of room. The pastry chef’s won several accolades and we can see why after savoring the hazelnut meringue dome with a terrific cinnamon ice cream. While we’re not big fans of profiteroles, we’ll make an exception for this one made with a unique combination of praline-coriander ganache and chocolate-lime sauce.
Don’t Miss Dish: Borscht, Pelmeni in consomme, Cornish hen, potato & mushroom perogi.
End With: Profiteroles & hazelnut meringe dome.
Drink This: Housemade horseradish vodka
Price:$$$
Occasion: Power lunch; Business dinner, Russian fanatics
Bonus: Great for private parties & the ground floor houses a retail pastry counter that’s all day.