EUROPEAN MARKET AND DELI - TUCSON, AZ

The 'restaurant' area is a small curtained off alcove to the right of the front door. Mainly the place is a market; jammed in every corner and on every shelf with Eastern European delicacies and wine and beer and they also have an extensive deli counter with meats and salads and cheeses. its also a hub of socialization among the Russians in the area so its always fun to go in there and hear the language and people watch.

the menu is divided into Mediterranean, Greek and Russian sections. Last night we had a gyros plate which had pita bread, gyro meat, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and great yoghurt sauce. I desperately wanted their pelmeni; wonderful tasting dumplings stuffed with a beef-pork and vegetable mixture and served with Russian sour cream which is a mixture of creme fraiche, whipping cream and sour cream. I could smear that on all my food.

However, it takes 30 minutes to make the pelmeni and we were too hungry to wait. The last time we ate here and ordered them- Debbie was visiting so it wasn't a problem to wait - we just shared an appetizer and talked. So instead we ordered their cabbage rolls; 2 huge rolls stuffed to bursting in their cabbage skins; in a great flavorful tomato sauce. they serve it in a bowl with lots of sauce and lettuce. The lettuce wilts because of the hot sauce and is extraordinarily delicious. I also ordered some Russian sour cream on the side.

The market-deli is owned by a husband and wife. Her name is Olga and she is cautiously friendly; smiles with restraint but her appearance is show-worthy. Last night she had on tight tight black sequined pants, stiletto heels, a leopard form-fitting top and big bright bangle earrings. This outfit was topped by her blonde hair style which is ratted and combed into a towering beehive of Kremlin-ism.

Olga, we will be back.