DVIN: THE TINY RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN RESTAURANT
By Stefanie Ellis
Special To The Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO
March 9 2006
Whenever I go to Dvin, the tiny Russian-Armenian restaurant in
Webster Groves, I feel like the guest of honor. Once I step inside, an
otherwise quiet dining room suddenly comes alive with the intoxicating
sound of Russian folk music. And the owner, who is often reading a
magazine at a table in the front of the restaurant, rushes off to
the kitchen, as if to position herself for the preparation of my meal.
Slowly, my shoulders begin to move to the music, and the next thing I
know I’m dancing in my seat. And when the owner’s daughter, a pretty
girl with long braided hair, brings me my menu, I’m smiling, dancing
and greeting her all at once.
“Do you have meat blintzes tonight?” I nervously ask. “Yes,” she says
quickly, with a smile. Then, and only then, can my night truly begin.
And began it did, on a recent visit, with an order of sweet red peppers
($3.95), which came dressed in oil, garlic and a dash of vinegar,
and topped with crumbled feta and chopped black olives. The peppers,
though more tart than sweet, were soft and buttery, and nearly melted
in my mouth.
The spinach pie ($4.95), however, didnt exactly melt, as it was a
bit weathered, indicating, perhaps, that it was no stranger to the
inside of a microwave. Still, it was quite good. And though the menu
said it had cheese in it, I only tasted spinach and a bit of onions,
but it was a perfect match for the still-buttery phyllo. In fact,
I liked it better without cheese. Even in its dilapidated state,
it was one of the better spinach pies I’ve tasted.
As an entre, I was hesitant to select the dolmas ($6.75), grape
leaves stuffed with ground beef, pork, chicken, carrots and rice,
served in a butter sauce. But everything was perfectly balanced.
The sour cream was also more than compatible, if not perfectly so,
with the meat blintzes ($7.75), steaming pillows of spongy, slightly
sweet pancakes, filled with ground chicken. There are no bells and
whistles to this dish and no fancy sauces – just perfectly seasoned
meat tucked inside a golden buckwheat blanket.
I’ve heard that in Russia, the thinner your pancake, the better
your skill as a cook. At Dvin, the blintzes are the thinnest of any
variation on the crepe I’ve seen, yet possess a surprising density,
leaving you full but not stuffed. And in my case, deliriously happy.
For dessert, the frozen berry cake ($4.25), layers of sponge cake and
tart berry mousse, was topped with an icy assortment of raspberries,
blueberries and lingonberries. Considering that lingonberries,
other than those found in jams, aren’t typically available in area
supermarkets, it was a special treat. It was also the perfect finish
to a lovely meal.
And that’s the thing about Dvin: every visit is, in its own way,
perfect. Whether it’s the restaurant’s cozy feel and personalized
attention to background music, or blintzes that can quiet even the
toughest critic, this is a place worth checking out. What you do with
your shoulders is up to you.
Dvin
Address: 8143 Big Bend Boulevard
Phone: 314-968-4000 Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 5 to 11 p.m.,
Monday-Saturday Credit cards: Major cards accepted Smoking: No
Wheelchair access: Fine