Ukrainian Food in NYC - Authentic Borscht, Perogies & Other Delights!

For years, whenever friends would come over to my place, we would always end up in the kitchen - talking over a bowl of hot chicken soup, mashed potatoes and kotleti, or at the very least a cup of tea and pastries. Inviting guests to the tables is an ingrained tradition amongst everyone from my part of the world - Odessa, Ukraine to be precise. And even to this day, some of my long-time American friends warmly joke, in their attempt at Russian, "Ira, dai pelmeni" or "Ira, dai chai". That's Ira - short for my name - Irina, dai meaning "give me", pelmeni - a perogie-like food, and chai  is simply  "tea".   These were some phrases they learned in my house many years ago, and to this day they still remember.

I can't say I don't miss those days. It seemed the world moved slower back then and we always had infinite time for conversations. But let's not fall prey to nostalgia.  

Fast forward to a decade and a half later.  Everyone  is buzzing about on a super tight schedule. And when there is no option to meet friends and family at home, I often times resort to the next best thing - meeting at the Ukrainian National Home (no pun intended). Located at 140 Second Avenue between St. Marks Place and Ninth Street, the restaurant  found inside is officially known as the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant. This name can confuse things a bit, being that it's located only a few steps from the far better known Ukrainian restaurant Veselka - but take it from a native and keep Veselka on the back-burner. That is, of course,  unless you're out for a late night snack and the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant is closed.

I've celebrated many important moments in my life at the restaurant inside the Ukrainian National Home.  And the precise reason for why I keep coming back  is quite simple - it reminds me of my own warm and welcoming kitchen. The restaurant has a cozy and intimate atmosphere.  You'll never have to scream over stupendously loud music to be heard, or push through hoards of people to get to your seat. This place feels almost like a private club.  I've rarely seen more than a few tables full and it seems like the few people who know about this place  are characters in their own right and have heard about it solely via word of mouth.

A patron we found here on a random Wednesday
afternoon, clad in traditional garb.

I suspect the thing that keeps most people from wandering into this place off the street is that you can't quite peak in on the restaurant to scope it out.  Instead, you have to go through a long hallway before getting to a door that leads into the restaurant.  Only then do you find that  its earthly wood decor makes it feel like a cozy haven, far different from anything else you're likely to find in the neighborhood. 

But, of course, the atmosphere here would mean little if the food wasn't any good - but the food here is good, and maybe even more importantly, it is consistently good. From the borscht and the mushroom barley soup, to the perogies, kotleti (cutlets), and seafood dishes  - it's a great taste of Ukrainian home cooking. And don't forget to get the compote!  This is a delicious, refreshing Ukrainian fruit punch, made from fresh strawberries, apples, and other fruits, that in my opinion, is impossible not to like!

The price of a main course here will run you about $8 - $13 and the portions are quite generous - I usually find myself taking half my entree to-go for a hearty lunch the next day.

The service is, well... let's say it's authentically Eastern European.  The one lady who has been my waitress on almost every visit over the years, I think she actually manages the restaurant now, she could easily be misunderstood for being a bit of a grouch, but let me explain, it's simply the Eastern European way.  We are often sad, serious people. And to be quite honest, that's another thing I like about this place.  From the Slavic ladies cooking in the kitchen, to the waitresses who don't put on a show only to  garner your tips. This place has a real, authentic feel about it.  And when you're munching on some delicious soul food - the kind your grandma used to make - who could ask for anything more?  

Stuffed Blinchiki (Blintzes), just like Grandma's.

[And here's an odd fact for all of you hardcore Post-Punk and New Wave fans...  New Order played their first major New York show at the Ukrainian National Home back in 1981.  The ballroom where they performed can still be found down the stairs from the main dining room.]