DCReview
photo credit: Travis Vaughn
Mari Vanna
Mari Vanna looks like it could have been decorated in a joint effort by a member of the Romanoff family and someone's grandmother. There are live tableside folksy accordion performances, as well as infused vodka shots in flavors ranging from blackberry to horseradish. The menu is authentic (try the pelmeni, olivier salad, and beef stroganoff — skip the “herring under a fur coat” salad unless you’re actually dining with your babushka), and it's a great venue to have a good time with someone you’re already pretty comfortable with. After dinner, there's karaoke on the second floor.