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This sunny yellow diner would be more cheerful without the fluorescent lighting, but the mood is still convivial. You'll find many Brighton Beach locals chattering away in Russian over the spot's namesake beverage, served especially milky here, and digging into heaping plates of Russian grub. Among the starters, potato pancakes are crisp outside and light inside, but a Ukrainian borscht loses the flavor of beets in all its vegetables. Main dishes deliver a creamy, spicy, and surprisingly noodle-less beef stroganoff, which holds juicy strips of meat and onions, and a thinly pounded chicken breast, smothered in a velvety mushroom sauce and sprinkled with a touch too much dill. Service is slow, so there's plenty of time to linger before refueling with the chunky apple strudel, cased in a lovely, buttery pastry crust. — Alia Akkam

Potato pancakes, $8; beef stroganoff, $10.50; apple strudel, $9.50