The Upscale Russian Brunch
Rus-Uz Restaurant and Market, 1000 N. Randolph St., Arlington, 571-312-4086; www.rus-uzcuisine.com
A smoked fish tray and caviar tarts from Rus-Uz. Photo by Stacy Zarin-Goldberg
If your idea of weekend heaven is a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese, lox and the works, why not take it to the next level? The smoked fish tray from Rus-Uz (which opens at noon on Saturdays and Sundays) features delicacies that are smoked in-house by chef Bakhitiyor Rakhmatulleav, including sturgeon, salmon and butterfish, served alongside sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lemon and olives. (Just add bagels.)
Feeling decadent? Bump up your order with caviar tarts (puff-pastry shells filled with cream cheese and teeming with salmon roe or black caviar) and blini (delicate, crepe-like pancakes filled with ground beef, onions, cumin and coriander and pan-fried in butter until golden). Rus-Uz also offers farmers-cheese-filled blintzes on its catering menu; call a day or two ahead and the staff will make these to order.
Another option, with a little pre-planning, is to stop by the Ballston restaurant’s adjoining market (open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday) to stock up on gourmet fare such as whole smoked fish (mackerel, herring, trout), sliced smoked fish (salmon, escolar, butterfish) and 20 different types of caviar, including bowfin, sturgeon, salmon, paddlefish and lumpfish. Don’t forget the smetana (Russian sour cream) for dolloping.
For dessert, pick up a Kiev cake, which features alternating layers of walnut meringue and vanilla buttercream.