THE BEST: Blintzes

[Pan]

In the spirit of previous "THE BEST" threads (linked here), I would like to ask you where you can find really satisfying blintzes in New York. I haven't had a really good one in quite some time. I like the pierogies at Teresa's, but the blintzes there are very disappointing because they're too oily and not moist enough. The blintzes I remember from my childhood were not so crunchy on the outside. I want to go to a place that has good potato and cheese blintzes, at a minimum -- bonus for good cheese and fruit or/and fruit jam blintzes. A friend of mine said that the Ukranian National Home restaurant on 2nd Av. between St. Marks and 9th has good ones, so we will probably go there for a late dinner tomorrow. But meantime, please tell us who makes blintzes that make you happy.

[Pan]

I went to the restaurant in the Ukranian National Home (actually called Ukranian East Village Restaurant) tonight with my friend. I had a cup of excellent mushroom barley soup (I really recommend this), some pleasant compote to drink, and one of my friend's very good blueberry varenniki (pierogies). I also had an order of potato blintzes. The filling of the blintzes tasted good, but I still thought their exterior was a bit more crispy than I prefer, and definitely too buttery. So while it was a pleasant meal and I look forward to going back and trying other dishes, it clearly is not the end point of my search for truly satisfying blintzes.

[Live It Up]

I doubt that they are "the best", but I used to order the raspberry blintzes at Veselka all the time. They are actually just regular cheese blintzes with a little cup of defrosted frozen raspberries on the side, but they taste basically the same as my mom's. Actually, now whenever my mom makes blintzes I have to have them with raspberries. Anyway, you might want to try them, because I don't remember them being crispy at all, although I haven't had them for a while. Just be sure to ask for sour cream if you want it, because it doesn't come with.

[Sneakeater]

From your description of what you like, I would guess that you wouldn't like the blintzes at the Diamond Dairy (on the mezzanine at 4 West 47th St.) as much as I do.

[Pan]

From your description of what you like, I would guess that you wouldn't like the blintzes at the Diamond Dairy (on the mezzanine at 4 West 47th St.) as much as I do.

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Is that a place to eat in or just a store? What else do they have?

[Sneakeater]

It's a place to eat. There's a big counter and a few tables. Aside from the blintzes (which I like a lot, but you would probably think are too crispy), there's a really great bean (no meat, obviously) chulent. I recommend it very highly. You might want to wait until it cools off before trying it, though.

Other than that, they have many of the standard dishes of a Jewish dairy restaurant. (I like the baked farmer cheese, which may be more doable in this post-global-warming August weather.)

Altogether, the Diamond Dairy is a very cool lunch experience.

Edited August 8, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Pan]

So, the blintzes are crispy, but how fatty are they? Those very buttery blintzes at Ukranian East Village really harmed my stomach.

[raji]

I doubt that they are "the best", but I used to order the raspberry blintzes at Veselka all the time. They are actually just regular cheese blintzes with a little cup of defrosted frozen raspberries on the side, but they taste basically the same as my mom's. Actually, now whenever my mom makes blintzes I have to have them with raspberries. Anyway, you might want to try them, because I don't remember them being crispy at all, although I haven't had them for a while. Just be sure to ask for sour cream if you want it, because it doesn't come with.

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I also often eat the blintzes at Veselka, I guess I find myself there about once a year. They're not amazing but I don't know that blintzes CAN be amazing. I image the best would be in Greenpoint where there's that whole Polish population. Anyone else have an opinion on Veselka's?

My college roommate worked at a place called "Blintz" on 3rd avenue at 11th Street. He was from suburban Mass and the owner was Israeli. Needless to say, they lasted about a year.

[Eatmywords]

I was googling the Russian restaurant Tatiana in Brighton to see what I was in store for. (I'm being taken there tonight). From what I've read, I have a pretty good idea but if anyone has an opinion pls let me know. Anyway, my google yielded a link to this, "Slavs of New York" blog. (Might be a bit dated but I bet most of these places are still around). Perhaps the long list of Polish venues may assist in finding the perfect pirogi......woops, I mean blintze!

http://nycslav.blogspot.com/2005/08/links-...s-by-group.html

Edited August 9, 2006 by Eatmywords (log)

[Sneakeater]

So, the blintzes are crispy, but how fatty are they? Those very buttery blintzes at Ukranian East Village really harmed my stomach.

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Yeah, that's it: very buttery.

Avoid.

[Eatmywords]

So, the blintzes are crispy, but how fatty are they? Those very buttery blintzes at Ukranian East Village really harmed my stomach.

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Yeah, that's it: very buttery.

Avoid.

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Sneak, you kill me.....just seeing the word "avoid" cracks me up.....(had to pay props)......btw, I hate when they're soaked in butter too.....like deep-frying a snickers bar.....totally unnecessary.

[Sneakeater]

I myself am generally of the school that holds that there's nothing that isn't made better by the addition of a little extra fat.

[Pan]

I myself am generally of the school that holds that there's nothing that isn't made better by the addition of a little extra fat.

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Key words: "a little."

Besides, it's not so much that I don't like the butter (though it was really unnecessary and excessive), but that eating that much fat makes me stay up all night with feelings of strong discomfort in my stomach and lower throat.

Edited August 10, 2006 by Pan (log)

[Sneakeater]

You're right. I regretted the "a little" as soon as I typed it.

I'm fortunate in that, aside from its seemingly endless expansion, my stomach seems to have missed the fact that it has become middle-aged, and will happily ingest whatever insalubrious stuff is thrown down it. I wonder how long that will last.

[piazzola]

I went to the restaurant in the Ukranian National Home (actually called Ukranian East Village Restaurant) tonight with my friend. I had a cup of excellent mushroom barley soup (I really recommend this), some pleasant compote to drink, and one of my friend's very good blueberry varenniki (pierogies). I also had an order of potato blintzes. The filling of the blintzes tasted good, but I still thought their exterior was a bit more crispy than I prefer, and definitely too buttery. So while it was a pleasant meal and I look forward to going back and trying other dishes, it clearly is not the end point of my search for truly satisfying blintzes.

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mushroom barley soup in Ukraine is known as krupnik

vareniky also known as peroghy in West Ukraine (pierogies).

Traditionally blintze, mliny or bliny are made with of whey or sirovuchka (white or farmers gvina lavana, cheese water).

may be you were served nalisniky similar but crispy.

I do not know potato bliny I personally know these as deruny or Jewish name latke.

[Pan]

Potato and cheese blintzes have both been common, traditionally, in Ashkenazic Jewish cooking from Eastern Europe, so it's surprising if potato blintzes have been uncommon in the cooking of their non-Jewish neighbors. But if I'm correctly understanding what you're saying, it's not that they are uncommon, but that they're called by a different name?