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One avenue west of the block where the Russian Vodka Room and the Russian Samovar face off in a battle of ostentatious Soviet anachronism, Uncle Vanya's beckons Russian ex-pats with a more relaxed atmosphere, adventurous infused vodkas and simple, hearty plates like beef Stroganoff and chicken Kiev. As befits a modest cafe named after a Chekhov play, the restaurant-bar is more provincial than cosmopolitan. Down the center runs a picket fence: on one side there's a narrow dining room decorated by yellowing Russian theater posters and an incongruous miniature disco ball; on the other, a small drawing room with a Tudoresque bar, a dour fish tank, a weathered player piano, and a sofa. There, you can recline while copping a buzz from vodkas flavored with lemon, garlic, horseradish, cranberry, or a delightfully subtle pepper. — Daniel Maurer

Infused vodka