Eating Out - Slavic

We've been really bad about forgetting our camera lately, hence the day time picture of the restaurant we went to at night. Thanks again, internet!

Domku Bar and Cafe (Slavic and Scandinavian)

Although Domku promotes its Slavic and Scandinavian fare, we gravitated toward the Slavic options. Domku Bar and Cafe doesn't feel like a bar nor a cafe. It feels like a coffee shop. There are couches and tables with mismatched chairs. The decorations have that feeling that they are either chic or tacky but you're not sure which. This sort of establishment still feels a bit out of place in Petworth, a neighborhood in Northwest DC that people claim is "gentrifying" but the evolution is sometimes hard to spot. We didn't make the trip out to Domku to evaluate decorations and atmosphere, however. We came to eat!

Observations

• Drinks: I had a Lithuanian beer, Utenos, which was pretty nice (at least for a guy who only drinks PBR and Miller Lite). Kathryn ordered something called the "Caucasus cooler" which had about 8 ingredients. It tasted like a Central Asian adaptation of the old college staple "Sex on the Beach."
• Starters: We split an order of Placki Ziemniaczane - potato, carrot, and onion latkes with sour cream, onion, dill, and salmon roe. It was a very good (but small) dish, particularly the sour cream and caviar.
• Entrées: Kathryn order the Czech potato dumplings with kasza, spinach, mushrooms, sage, onions & grated Parmesan. I had Polish crepes stuffed with kasza, mushrooms, red pepper, leek, chicken, and tomato (Nalesniki). The crepes were then topped with tomato sauce. The best way to describe it is "enchilada-like." Our entrées weren't that great or all too filling. The one thing we learned is that kasza (or kasha) can ruin any dish. They are the reason porridge gets a bad rap in nursery rhymes.
• Dessert: We decided to get different main courses, so we (as a couple) could try more of the menu offerings. Since we were both still very hungry, Kathryn suggested we each get our own dessert, but she added that we should get different desserts. Then, she declared she was getting The Almond Cake! Now here is the thing, I love Almond Cake (always have!), and Kathryn doesn't like it (usually). To be a good husband, I ordered the second most interesting sounding alternative -- the beet cake (with ginger). Needless to say, I had about three bites of an amazing dessert (The Almond Cake), but I was left mostly eating the disappointing dessert (the beet cake (with ginger)).
• I'm not sure I'll head back to Domku, but I feel like I should give it another try. Maybe the pierogies and Swedish meatballs will be better - but probably not.