WHERE TO EAT WHEN STROLLING SOHO
By George Wayne
So, you’ve decided to venture for a bit of Soho adventure. That perfect August summer stroll Downtown for a bit of shopping and fine dining. But, where does one go to dine in Soho this post-pandemic era? Is it the tired and overrated Cipriani Soho with the long-familiar sticker shock prices and basic tourist trap platings? Or is it Balthazar? That other iconic Soho eatery has been packed, packed, packed with the bon chic and the bon genre all this double vaccinated season. Gee, great, but the astute arbiter will insist– Balthazar for dessert circa 11:30 pm is totally on point but that would be after dinner at Mishka Soho. Give us a new culinary adventure darlinka!
As such let’s go to Mishka Soho for the wonderful update to the traditional and savory flavors from Russia…Georgia…Ukraine and all those other Slavic states. And, yes, we more than ever despise Putin and his ransomware hackers but that ought not to impede the need to relish being the Russophile. And the warm and inviting setting at Mishka Soho where Thompson Street meets Broome Street in Soho is where you need to next discover.
Every time the arbiter dines at Mishka Soho there is always the thought: “Is Irina Shayk going to swan through here at any minute?” It is that kind of vibe and ephemera– it must be the caviar that has prime of place on the menu. One could easily see Irina and her Brad Cooper baby daughter picking over the house signature Kale and Avocado salad (drizzled with the unctuous wild mustard dressing) on an early evening rendezvous with her Baby Daddy.
Marina Genel is the force majeure behind Mishka Soho. And in tandem with her young, talented chef Anton Churchin- they want you all to know that the Mishka mantra is all about elevating the East European staples. ”The whole idea at Mishka Soho is to elevate and tweak and re-invent our authentic classical Eastern European favorites with an obvious nod to healthy eating,” says the utterly funny and charming restaurateur. If Pilminis (Russian dumplings) Stroganoff and the must-order Chicken Kyiv intrigues– well this is the Soho nexus to scarf it all down and top it all off with the expected blinis and osetra caviar. Other classics here include the House Cured Herring or the Mushroom Vareniki or the Russian Dips Trio of eggplant caviar, squash caviar and black bean hummus for the true vegan lurking.
Mishka Soho
519 Broome Street
646-590-1498
@mishkarestaurant.soho
