Chef Lidija Ragauskas Recipes - Russian Samovar Restaurant and Piano Bar, New York, NY, USA

Beef Stroganoff - Russian Samovar, NY, NY, USA

The Russian Samovar Restaurant and Piano Bar owned by Roman Kaplan and located in New York City at 256 West 52nd Street just off 8th Avenue in the heart of the theatre district has been serving traditional Russian cuisine since 1986 and features Chef Lidija Ragauskas as the talent in the kitchen where she has been delighting patrons’ palates for the past 18 years. If traditional fare of blini, caviar, and house-infused savory and sweet vodka, bring a gleam to your eye, then Russian Samovar is sure to delight. Chef Lidija Ragauskas graciously shares her mouth-watering recipe for Beef Stroganoff to tempt your palate into visiting the restaurant.

Russian Samovar Restaurant and Piano Bar

The ambience at the restaurant is warm and inviting, artwork and photographs line the storied walls, red fringed lamp shades cast a warm hue to the room, tables are dressed in pristine ivory linens and miniature silver samovars. Tufted dark red leather banquettes line the walls and bentwood chairs with red leather seats flank the tables. Friend and partner, the Nobel Award Winning poet Joseph Brodsky’s photograph holds a place of honor and lucky patrons can request to dine at the Brodsky table, and friend and partner, the legendary dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov’s white baby grand holds center court where it is played each evening.

The restaurant’s menu is a delight of traditional Russian food including Pirozhok – Russia’s classic country pastry filled with various savory fillings, Vareniki – traditional Russian dumplings filled with a variety of savory and sweet fillings, Kulebyaka – salmon filet, garden vegetables, and herbs stuffed in a delectable puff pastry, Chicken Kiev – the restaurant’s famous dish of succulent tender chicken breast stuffed with herbed butter, lightly breaded and baked and served with creamy mashed potatoes, Seafood Blinchiki – baby shrimp and scallops wrapped in blini, served with a light saffron sauce and garnished with red caviar, and Beef Stroganoff – Russia’s classic dish of lean tenderloin and sautéed mushrooms in a mushroom cream sauce, served over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or kasha, to name but afew.

Russian Samovar Restaurant and Piano Bar -NY, NY, USA

Russian Samovar Restaurant and Piano Bar

Chef Lidija Ragauskas took time out of her day to speak with Luxury Experience about her culinary background and about the Russian Samovar where she has worked for the past 18 years. She learned her trade by attending a culinary school in Estonia, USSR, and honed her skills working in the USSR before coming to the United States. Commanding the kitchen at Russian Samovar Restaurant and Piano Bar, she said that two of her favorite items on the menu are the Lamb Chops, which are savory lamb shanks simmered in a red wine reduction with herbs and peppers and served over kasha, and the Beef Stroganoff.

With an eye on the seasons, the restaurant has seasonal soups on the menu – for summer, there is Summer Borscht, a cold refreshing beet soup, Okroshka with a choice of kvas or kefir, and Chilled Cucumber and Dill Soup, and for winter – Solyanka, a traditional hearty "peasant" soup made with beef, smoked sausages, olives, pickles, and onions. The restaurant also has banquet menus for holiday events and for New Year celebrations. A few of the specialty items on the menu include suckling pig, rabbit, and beef and salmon tartar. When asked what her favorite ingredient is, she replied "dill."

The best advice she ever received from another chef? "Get more sleep when you can. "Although chefs have little free time, when she is not busy working in the kitchen at Russian Samovar she likes to go to the theatre. With the restaurant’s location in the heart of the theatre district, she has plenty to choose from.

Chef Lidija Ragauskas graciously shares her mouth-watering recipe for Beef Stroganoff to tempt your palate into visiting the restaurant.

Chef Lidija Ragauskas of the Russian Samovar Restaurant and
Piano Bar in New York Recipe

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff - Russian Samovar Restaurant and Piano Bar -NY, NY, USA

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1	Pound	Beef
5	Ounces	Wild Mushrooms
3	Ounces	Sour Cream
3	Ounces	Heavy Cream
2	Ounces	Cognac
1	Tablespoon	Mustard
2	Ounces	Butter
2	Cups	Onions, chopped into slices
		Nutmeg, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper

Method: With nutmeg on the tip of a knife, slice the beef into strips. In a large skillet, quickly brown the beef on both sides in the olive oil. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Put the beef back in the pan with the onion and the mushrooms. Add the mustard and cognac and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the sour cream and heavy cream the last few minutes, right before you serve the Beef Stroganoff.

The restaurant serves their Beef Stroganoff over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or kasha.

About Russian Samovar

The restaurant is open Monday from 5:00 pm until 2:00 am, Tuesday through Thursday from 12:00 pm until 2:00 am, Friday and Saturday from 12:00 pm until 4:00 am, and Sunday from 12:00 pm until 2:00 am.

"Cuisine For Your Soul – Our dishes were created to soothe the soul in the harsh Russian winters or to relax you in the summer heat. Featuring seasonal hot and cold soups, hearty favorites like Chicken Kiev and Beef Stroganoff, and light, elegant fair like our extensive salad and caviar options, we have something for all seasons."

"Russian Samovar is a major supporter of the art community, with poetry readings held throughout the year and a classically trained pianist performs nightly. It features live interactive theatre every Thursday with award-winning actors, performances from Opera Singer Michael Peeron Mondays, Gypsy Fun Trio on Fridays and Saturdays on violin and guitar playing traditional Russian music, and Jazz Blues Brunch on Sundays with the Uptown Jazz Company."

Read about our dining experience at Russian Samovar in the Restaurants section.