Bistro Cafe

Elite '08

24

55

Lisa M.

Alexandria, VA

This little Russian bakery is just a few blocks down from the Uighur eatery on the same stretch (also reviewed by me). The small of coffee and baked goods beckon us even though we are so very full from Uighur food. As I walk in, two things got left at the door - any thoughts about how much food my system can process at once, and my ability to communicate in the English language. The lone lady at the cash register speaks only Russian and the little knot of elderly women nestled at the lone table in the back are chattering away in a dialect my friend tells me is eastern European of sorts (he is Bosnian).

The little shop is simply overflowing with all manners of baked goods covering every discernable surface. The countertops are packed with buns, strudel, cakes, napoleons, breads, meringues and others I can't identify. All I know is it all smells wonderful! Everything in the place is DIY - some of the pastries that come in big trays have nearby knives so you can cut whatever portion you desire. And speaking of wishes, I wanted to buy some of everything but knew realistically it wouldn't survive the trip back to DC. But it doesn't stop me from pondering. A loaf of bread with cranberries and cherries? Some yummy chocolate meringues or fruit tarts? Finally I bought poppy seed pastries seasoned with almonds, a napoleon and swiped a taste of my friend's walnut cookies. Since no one speaks English, we just assumed the things we got were what the items actually were. The only drawback is that there is very little room to sit down to enjoy your purchases and apparently the coffee is pretty terrible. But who cares about the coffee when there are so many other things demanding room in your tummy?

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