by Joe Crea/Plain Dealer Food and Restaurants Editor
Wednesday November 12, 2008, 7:59 AM
It's a real pleasure to tell you about Europa restaurant. This new spot in Pepper Pike is a terrific addition to our regional smorgasbord.
Housed in a space once occupied by the much-loved Lion & Lamb, Europa is the creation of Alex Shneyder, who operates the Russian Tea Room on Mayfield Road. The husband-wife team of Asta and Darijus Staniskis head up the kitchen.
Or, maybe I should say do the honors. Though it flaunts its contemporary/continental style, Europa embraces its Russian parentage more than anything else.
And it does so admirably. I'm loath to say this, mostly out of fear of jinxing, but almost everything we sampled was somewhere between intriguingly good and plain delicious. I don't say that as an expert on Russian cuisine, just as someone who enjoys well-executed flavors.
We're featuring a number of Jewish favorites," our server, Rebecca, told us at the start of a recent Saturday evening visit. "We'd really appreciate your recommendations, even if you don't care for something."
No problem. My companions and I started with the Blinis Platter ($8.50), more along the line of blintzes than the tiny, topped pancakes I'd anticipated. Each of the three small crepe packets featured a different filling. One was a savory stuffing of egg, mushrooms and onion, another a well-seasoned combination of chopped chicken with onion. The third, raisin-laced ricotta, was among the best I've sampled in years. Each blini was cooked crisp and arrived piping hot. Chilled slices of fork-tender baked eggplant, sandwiching a filling of ricotta and walnuts ($7) disappeared in moment.
Only the home-style gefilte fish ($6.50) drew divided response: We adults relished the delicious combination of minced whitefish and chopped vegetables in a briny aspic. The kids, on the other hand, saw cold chopped fish in "Jell-O" and shrunk in horror.
If you haven't tasted Chicken Kiev in ages, or have given up on it, Europa serves up a version that could renew your faith ($14). Lightly dusted with crumbs and fried golden, the first slice through tender breast meat reveals a plume of aroma -- the perfume of tarragon -- an oozing of dairy sweetness and the zesty contrast of chopped spinach. The mound of buttery homemade mashed potatoes on the side was heavenly. Similarly, Russian Pork ($16) was a wonderful home-style dish, a thick cutlet dipped in egg batter, fried then topped with a saute of cultivated wild mushrooms. Excellent fried sliced potatoes accompanied. The Seafood Pasta ($12) sported a buttery cream sauce so mild it seemed to contain little other than dairy -- the better to let the bits of lobster on top do all the talking.
This is one of those of those menus that I'd like to work my way through. It's such a welcome departure from the predictable Mediterranean/Asian/Latin triumvirate that seems to reign at most of our area's restaurants these days. I can only hope it will satisfy others as much as it did my party.