Vanka Café

Vanka Café takes its full name, Vanka-Vstanka, from the Russian roly-poly doll that always rocks back upright — a fitting mascot for a dining room that has outlasted most of its neighbors on Nostrand Avenue since the late 2000s. Chef-owner Zumo Ashurov opened it after years in New York restaurant and catering-hall kitchens, and the room still has the simple, slightly old-fashioned look of a Soviet-era café. It is quiet enough to talk, and regulars treat it as a second dining room.

The menu covers Russian, Ukrainian and broader Eastern European cooking in big portions. The house points to its chicken Kiev and borscht, and to beef stroganoff and grilled kebabs; regulars add the soups and a salmon in white sauce with mashed potatoes. It is a good place to bring someone new to the food — nothing is exotic, everything is generous, and the staff will translate the menu if needed.