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Everyone comes to Café Glechik’s for the same thing: superlative dumplings. Pelmeni and vareniki are the two varieties—served in batches of twenty-five—and both have supple, silky skins. (The pelmeni are bunched into furrows, while the vereniki are more like pierogi.) But beyond dumplings, there are worthy soups, stews, and kebabs, all reflecting influences beyond the spot’s Ukrainian base. Green borsch, a light sorrel soup with eggs and rice, serves as a less traditional alternative to the excellent red borsch, which comes with garlicky pompushka bread on the side. Stuffed cabbage is surprisingly light despite being filled with a taut sausage blend. The rustic emphasis on authenticity is underscored by tchotchkes dotting the walls and runners of traditional fabric framing a faux-window and a fuse box. Never fear. The kitsch stops before the kitchen. — Ethan Wolff

Pelmeni Siberian, $6; Ukrainian borsch, $6.60; pickle plate, $9.50; stuffed cabbage, $10.50