Stoli Bar & Restraunt


		Stoli featured in Stuff@Night Magazine March 2006 issue World feast Finding pride and history in ethnic eateries' national drinks By Nina Maclaughlin ... "From Greece we head to Russia, where vodka reigns as the official drink. Stoli (213 Washington Street, Brookline Village, 617.731.5070), a small, red-cushioned, crystal-chandeliered room, makes its own vodka ($5) from a secret recipe that takes three days to distill. Stoli’s cranberry vodka, a rosy pink color, is smooth and sweet. It warms on the way down — that vodka blush at the back of your throat — but doesn’t burn. The lemon variety is summery, light, and less syrupy than the cranberry. The most popular of their handmade vodkas is the horseradish, a fresh and peppery blend that makes for an outstanding Bloody Mary, a drink Stoli calls the Bloody Shame ($8). With a Euro-loungey backdrop soundtrack of Groove Armada and Morcheeba, the hushed Slavic syllables from the couples at neighboring tables, and, say, a serving of the Stoli apple pie ($7) — more pastry than pie, warm and gooey with nuts, raisins, dried apricots, and plums — Stoli has a sleek Russian feel that matches its drink." Stoli featured on Boston Magazine News November 11,2005: "Russian Revolution" Raise a glass to great food at Stoli. By Julie Suratt. Aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway-a six-day journey spanning seven time zones and nearly 6,000miles-I had my first taste of Eastern European cuisine: a hearty plate of goulash. For breakfast, lunch ,and dinner. Ten years later, i still shudder at the thought of that Russian beef stew. Or at least I did until I discovered Stoli Bar & Restaurant in Brookline Village, which high-lights the region's cuisine at its best. The light-as-air blintzes are layered with tender smoked salmon and served with caviar, red onions, capers, and sour cream. A starter of vareniki delivers oversize but delicate potato dumplings topped with fried onions and mushrooms. We skipped the main entrees and warmed ourselves with savory soups: a classic borscht and a combination of wild mushrooms,potato, and barley. Both were delectable. Of course, no Russian meal would be complete without a shot of vodka. Here, you have a choice of almost a dozen. Stoli featured on Zagat.com news August 2005: "Russian food with love at Stoli Restaurant & Bar" http://www.zagat.com/news/ (the full story is only available to subscribers of Zagat.com) “Our Town Brookline” - A Monthly Magazine By Matt Robinson. July 2005, page 40 “Dining Destinations”. Stoli With the dismantling of the Soviet Union, many of our Russian neighbors were able to taste the flavors of the rest of the world for the first time. Now, a few of them are returning the favor. Tucked in at the base of Brookline Village, just a few steps from the train tracks, is a new rendition on an old theme. In fact, the restaurant now known as Stoli used to be Cafe Europa, another Russian-based dining establishment. Despite the fact that the restaurant's name no longer refers to its source nation's immediate neighbors, the flavors come from farbeyond the borders of the former Iron Curtain. "We chose the name from over 500," explains co-owner Boris Lainer. "We wanted to appeal to American customers and avoid becoming too much of a 'Russian' restaurant. We wanted to have broader appeal" And the food fits deliciously with that philosophy! From Asian-influenced Miso salmon to a mozzarella and pesto-based Napoleon and the inimitable Caesar salad, Stoli offers a taste of Russia and the rest of the world. "Our chef is from Russia, but he trained at the French Institute," explains manager Svetlana Stavtseva. "So we are not traditional Russian. We are more cosmopolitan." That is not to say, however, that Ruskie rookies and experienced eaters can not find their fair shares of traditional Russian food. Far from it! Offering a hot and hearty crock pot of meatless Ukrainsky borsch, artfully presented vareniki with potatoes, a Moscow-style sturgeon casserole, potently frosted shot glasses of homemade straight and flavored vodkas, and even Russia's own Baltica beer, Stoli has you covered whether you are a Muskovite mouse or a Russian bear. "About 85 percentof our customers are non-Russian speakers, " Svetlana says. "And that is great, because it means that people are trying something different and that we are reaching the entire community, which is what we want to do." In addition to samples of the extensive dinner menu, lunch at Stoli offers entree crepes (a further tip to chef and co-owner Fred Chaichutdinov's French training) and Stoli's selection of "grand" salads. "I love the brunch and lunch specials," says Svetlana, making special note of the "gorgeous" grilled veal chop and the farm-raised sturgeon. "Everything is fresh, just like all the food we serve." Though every item on the menu is indeed prepared fresh to your specifications, each has its own pre-determined descriptive. The smoked eel is fashionable and the tuna tartar is trendy. And, as for the Siberian pelmeni (a meat ravioli served with sour cream), it is not only feted but further described as an ample first course. There is even a selection of vital salads! While such suggestions may be seen as unnecessary by some, they do come in handy for those who may rightfully find themselves speechless upon tasting almost anything on the menu. And, from the lavish caviar service to the scrumptious blintzes, the descriptives are usually right on target! Yes, all the work is done for you at Stoli, allowing you to relax and enjoy the warm mahogany, leather, and velvet chairs and banquettes, the elegant crystal and blown glass fixtures, the detailed ceiling panels and gleaming wood floor, the well-stocked, mirrored bar, or even the plasma TV hung high above it. So whether you want some vegetarian victuals or a meaty meal, a taste of the Old Country or a new flavor sensation, Stoli is the place to go!

Stoli featured in Stuff@Night Magazine
March 2006 issue

World feast
Finding pride and history in ethnic eateries' national drinks
By Nina Maclaughlin

... "From Greece we head to Russia, where vodka reigns as the official drink. Stoli (213 Washington Street, Brookline Village, 617.731.5070), a small, red-cushioned, crystal-chandeliered room, makes its own vodka ($5) from a secret recipe that takes three days to distill. Stoli’s cranberry vodka, a rosy pink color, is smooth and sweet. It warms on the way down — that vodka blush at the back of your throat — but doesn’t burn. The lemon variety is summery, light, and less syrupy than the cranberry. The most popular of their handmade vodkas is the horseradish, a fresh and peppery blend that makes for an outstanding Bloody Mary, a drink Stoli calls the Bloody Shame ($8). With a Euro-loungey backdrop soundtrack of Groove Armada and Morcheeba, the hushed Slavic syllables from the couples at neighboring tables, and, say, a serving of the Stoli apple pie ($7) — more pastry than pie, warm and gooey with nuts, raisins, dried apricots, and plums — Stoli has a sleek Russian feel that matches its drink."

Stoli featured on Boston Magazine News

November 11,2005:
"Russian Revolution"

Raise a glass to great food at Stoli.
By Julie Suratt.

Aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway-a six-day journey spanning seven time zones and nearly 6,000miles-I had my first taste of Eastern European cuisine: a hearty plate of goulash. For breakfast, lunch ,and dinner. Ten years later, i still shudder at the thought of that Russian beef stew. Or at least I did until I discovered Stoli Bar & Restaurant in Brookline Village, which high-lights the region's cuisine at its best. The light-as-air blintzes are layered with tender smoked salmon and served with caviar, red onions, capers, and sour cream. A starter of vareniki delivers oversize but delicate potato dumplings topped with fried onions and mushrooms. We skipped the main entrees and warmed ourselves with savory soups: a classic borscht and a combination of wild mushrooms,potato, and barley. Both were delectable. Of course, no Russian meal would be complete without a shot of vodka. Here, you have a choice of almost a dozen.

Stoli featured on Zagat.com news

August 2005:
"Russian food with love at Stoli Restaurant & Bar"

http://www.zagat.com/news/
(the full story is only available to subscribers of Zagat.com)

“Our Town Brookline” - A Monthly Magazine

By Matt Robinson. July 2005, page 40 “Dining Destinations”.

Stoli

With the dismantling of the Soviet Union, many of our Russian neighbors were able to taste the flavors of the rest of the world for the first time. Now, a few of them are returning the favor. Tucked in at the base of Brookline Village, just a few steps from the train tracks, is a new rendition on an old theme. In fact, the restaurant now known as Stoli used to be Cafe Europa, another Russian-based dining establishment. Despite the fact that the restaurant's name no longer refers to its source nation's immediate neighbors, the flavors come from farbeyond the borders of the former Iron Curtain. "We chose the name from over 500," explains co-owner Boris Lainer. "We wanted to appeal to American customers and avoid becoming too much of a 'Russian' restaurant. We wanted to have broader appeal"

And the food fits deliciously with that philosophy! From Asian-influenced Miso salmon to a mozzarella and pesto-based Napoleon and the inimitable Caesar salad, Stoli offers a taste of Russia and the rest of the world. "Our chef is from Russia, but he trained at the French Institute," explains manager Svetlana Stavtseva. "So we are not traditional Russian. We are more cosmopolitan."

That is not to say, however, that Ruskie rookies and experienced eaters can not find their fair shares of traditional Russian food. Far from it! Offering a hot and hearty crock pot of meatless Ukrainsky borsch, artfully presented vareniki with potatoes, a Moscow-style sturgeon casserole, potently frosted shot glasses of homemade straight and flavored vodkas, and even Russia's own Baltica beer, Stoli has you covered whether you are a Muskovite mouse or a Russian bear. "About 85 percentof our customers are non-Russian speakers, " Svetlana says. "And that is great, because it means that people are trying something different and that we are reaching the entire community, which is what we want to do."

In addition to samples of the extensive dinner menu, lunch at Stoli offers entree crepes (a further tip to chef and co-owner Fred Chaichutdinov's French training) and Stoli's selection of "grand" salads. "I love the brunch and lunch specials," says Svetlana, making special note of the "gorgeous" grilled veal chop and the farm-raised sturgeon. "Everything is fresh, just like all the food we serve."

Though every item on the menu is indeed prepared fresh to your specifications, each has its own pre-determined descriptive. The smoked eel is fashionable and the tuna tartar is trendy. And, as for the Siberian pelmeni (a meat ravioli served with sour cream), it is not only feted but further described as an ample first course. There is even a selection of vital salads! While such suggestions may be seen as unnecessary by some, they do come in handy for those who may rightfully find themselves speechless upon tasting almost anything on the menu. And, from the lavish caviar service to the scrumptious blintzes, the descriptives are usually right on target!

Yes, all the work is done for you at Stoli, allowing you to relax and enjoy the warm mahogany, leather, and velvet chairs and banquettes, the elegant crystal and blown glass fixtures, the detailed ceiling panels and gleaming wood floor, the well-stocked, mirrored bar, or even the plasma TV hung high above it. So whether you want some vegetarian victuals or a meaty meal, a taste of the Old Country or a new flavor sensation, Stoli is the place to go!