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Since this sounds like a theater-centered trip, I’m assuming you want to stay in Manhattan, not trek out to Brighton Beach in Brooklyn? There are a lot of restaurants in Brighton Beach, which is known as Little Odessa.

The name of the restaurant I’m suggesting is Veselka and it has been a staple of the Ukrainian community in the East Village for 70 years. You want the original East Village location on Second Ave, not the outpost in Grand Central Station. Sadly, two other restaurants in the same neighborhood that I used to go to a lot, Kiev and Odessa, both closed recently. Believe me, a restaurant staying open in Manhattan for 70 years is special. I haven’t been there recently but it was always good. Like everything else, it has gotten more expensive over the years. Once upon a time, it was a cheap place to eat. Except for the prices, it’s still very old timey though.

Here’s a link to their website, including their menus:


And here’s a link to an Untapped NYC article about Ukrainian places to support. Veselka is #2 on their list:

Even though I’ve eaten a lot of Chinese food and I love dumplings, I’ve actually never done the dim sum cart thing. I should get around to doing that sometime. If you find a good dim sum place, please post about your experience. We have a big Chinatown in Brooklyn, so I haven’t eaten in Manhattan’s Chinatown in a while.