TASTE OF EUROPE
1901 W. Pioneer Parkway (between S. Fielder and S. Bowen)
(817) 275-5530
Tues-Thurs, 11-7; Fri & Sat, 11-9; Sun 11-5 (closed Mondays)
Taste of Europe is a Russian restaurant, deli, grocery and gift shop on W. Pioneer Parkway. Ever had a Russian meat blintz or cheese blintz? Here’s your chance…along with traditional foods like borscht soup, beef stroganoff, potato pancakes and cabbage rolls.
They also serve French crepes for dessert ($6.45) with toppings like honey, apple sauce, or Russian preserves as well as European cakes ($3.95 slice).
Crepes are an appetizer, too, with either caviar ($9.95). Eggs with caviar cost $5.95 and homemade sauerkraut is $2.99. Herring with onion ($4.99), pickled veggies ($5.95) and meat/cheese platters ($5.95) round-out the appetizers.
As for entrees, I love beef stroganoff and meatloaf, but wanted something new. So we ordered Siberian Pelmeni (dumplings stuffed with ground beef and chicken — 12 for $8.95 or 16 for $11.95). They’re the size of a big Won Ton (for you Chinese food fans out there).
The Ukrainian Pirogues are like the Pelmeni, except they’re vegetarian. The Pirogues are dumplings stuffed with onions and mashed potatoes.
The meat blintzes ($10.95) are two long, thin crepes stuffed with chicken, boiled eggs and onion. The cheese blintzes ($10.95) are stuffed with Russian-style cottage cheese.
You can also order Moscow salad which includes potatoes, eggs, carrots, peas and chicken ($4.45 for one scoop) or the Grandma’s Salad which has cabbage, carrots and apples ($4.95).
I have traveled to Russia (St Petersburg and Moscow) and surprisingly learned to really enjoy Borscht soup (but I only eat it hot, not cold). Normally you can’t get me to eat beets, but combine them with veggies and make it a soup and it tastes good. If you’ve never tried borscht, just order a cup ($3.45) instead of the big bowl ($4.45). Also, put a small dollop of sour cream in your borscht.
If you’ve never eaten Russian food, I suggest starting with a cup of borscht and then going with the Cabbage Rolls ($10.95) as the entrée. Also, I prefer the meat blintzes, but others suggest starting with the cheese. And you can’t go wrong with beef stroganoff.
Mikhail, owner of the restaurant and shop, is from Minsk, the capital of Belarus. On the menu he’s included Belarussian Kolduny which is potato pancakes stuffed with meat. I haven’t tried those yet, but will do so on the next visit. Mikhail came to the United States 29 years ago and now is sharing his food with Texans. You can also take food home from the deli or shop in the little grocery section which is popular with the Russian/Eastern European expatriates who now live in-and-near Arlington.
The restaurant is B.Y.O.B., so you can bring you own beer or wine. It’s a very casual setting and shares the building with the grocery/deli/store.
I know economic times are tight and if you’re like me, you can’t afford to travel internationally right now. The best we can do sometimes is pretend. So here’s a chance to try something out-of-the-ordinary by visiting Taste of Europe. It may not be our regular comfort food of enchiladas or spaghetti or burgers, but it can be fun to experiment.
