Russian Festival this weekend

Kicking off the year's ethnic food festivals, the Russian Food and Culture Festival is this weekend. This is one of the few such festivals which takes the "and Culture" seriously; there's a stage with a dozen popular Russian acts, like opera singers, ballet, folk tales and traditional dance.

But of course, the important reason to go is the food. Blini (with salmon eggs, salmon, cream and/or jam) is available on the 2nd floor, and the basement has a buffet line of Russian foods: pelmeni, piroshki, kasha, cabbage, samovar tea and black beer. There's also a very impressive dessert booth, where you can easily send yourself to the ER with sugar-shock for less than $20.

The financial mainstay of the event are the three flavored vodka bars. Enjoy yourself, and especially try the Zubrowka (vodka flavored with buffalo grass).

Next week I should have a schedule of food festivals to post here.