Borscht, one of the favorite dishes of both athletes and spectators at the Olympic Games, is not actually Russian in origin. The soup, made bright red by its base of beets, is Ukrainian (and the country’s national dish). It’s a gastronomic staple that both unites Eastern Europe—every Slavic country has its own, slightly altered recipe—and divides it: an estimated seventy thousand gallons are being served in Sochi while, in neighboring Ukraine, anti-Russian protestors rely on it to sustain their movement. “We make it and are proud that it is ours,” says Olesia Lew, the head chef at Veselka, the Ukrainian restaurant on the corner of Ninth Street and Second Avenue, in the East Village. The restaurant turns fifty this year. For three of those five decades, there’s been just one woman behind Veselka’s renowned borscht: Malgorcata Sibilski. Five thousand gallons are served to customers annually, and Sibilski makes her borscht in enormous batches, twice a week. We visited this guru of borscht to witness the process.
Goings On
What we’re watching, listening to, and doing this week, online, in N.Y.C., and beyond. Paid subscribers also receive book picks.
The Weekend Essay
Has Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Improved His Standing in Russia?
As Russians go to the polls, the economy is booming and the public feels hopeful about the future. But the politics of Putinism still depend on the absence of any means to challenge it.
By Joshua Yaffa
The Food Scene
Café Carmellini Is Fine Dining That Knows a Good Time
Andrew Carmellini’s latest venture is a serious, sophisticated restaurant, with white linens on the tables and bow-tied service captains, but it never sacrifices a sense of fun.
By Helen Rosner
On and Off the Menu
Why New York Restaurants Are Going Members-Only
Ultra-exclusive places, like Rao’s and the Polo Bar, once seemed like rarities in the city’s dining scene. Now clubbiness is becoming a norm.
By Hannah Goldfield
Tables for Two
Exquisite Beach Vibes at Quique Crudo
A seafood-focussed counter from the owners of Casa Enrique—the first Mexican restaurant in the city to earn a Michelin star—opens in the West Village.
By Shauna Lyon