Brighton Beach:Eat More than thirty cafes and restaurants call Brighton Beach home, most serving hearty Russian fare like the beet-based Borscht soup (topped with a dollop of sour cream), tender potato or meat-filled pirogues, or blinis (crepes filled with savory or sweet fillings). Try places like Café Glechik (3159 Coney Island Avenue) for home-style Russian or Ukrainian food, Eastern Feast (1003 Brighton Beach Avenue) for Uzbeki food and shish kebab, or Gina's Café (409 Brighton Beach Avenue) for Russian treats and desserts.
Of course, if you're hankering for something more familiar, you can always stroll back down the boardwalk to pay a visit to Coney Island's Nathan's Famous (Surf Avenue and Stillwell), a frankfurter powerhouse which hosts a much-anticipated hotdog eating contest every Fourth of July.
Spoon 615 Brighton Beach Avenue, 718-615-3096 A sophisticated café with real Russian generosity, including a $5.50 lunch special. Open seven days a week from 12 to midnight.
