Kalinka Euro Deli

This Russian and European deli and grocery store draws customers from several counties away, who come to buy the herring, halvah, kasha, caviar, candies, kefir, Georgian wines, bottles of bouncy Baltika beer, and all manner of marinated and pickled vegetables in glass jars -- including full garlic bulbs as well as whole tomatoes with the stems still attached. Folks also flock here for the home-cooked specialties, served at a smattering of tables in the front portion of the market (with some more seating outside). For a gratifying lunch (or, for that matter, dinner), try the chicken stroganoff with some steamed buckwheat groats (kasha) and one of the salads, perhaps the tart pink toss of diced beets, pickles, cabbage, potatoes, and lentils. Delightful dumplings known as pelmeni and vareniki, filled with sweet cheese, potato, or beef, are boiled to order, which means you'll have to wait awhile for them to cook. We recommend doing so, because the resultant dish is blissfully fresh and delicious. Pass the sour cream!