The Russian-speaking enclave of Brighton Beach may conjure up images of caviar, fur-storage centers, and fading pastel hued high rise condos of a beach resort that never was. But once you walk the streets of Neptune Avenue, signs of diversity are apparent: women in colorful saris leading their children to school, Pakistani kebab restaurants and Georgian bakeries, and a small but vibrant pocket of Mexican-American life. El Jarochitois one of the signs. The Jarochito company has anchored the community since 1993 with their grocery and panaderia, a Mexican-style bakery that has a taqueria in back. More

Over an hour from Manhattan by subway and a light year away in atmosphere, Brighton Beach is a jackpot for adventurous food field-trippers. Markets and restaurants offer a greatest-hits list of Russian cuisine—smoked fish and meats, soups, blintzes, caviar, dumplings, pickled vegetables, slaws, rye breads, pastries, and so much more—often at mind-bogglingly low prices. More

Our planet is a very big place. A prosaic observation only until you look at a map and contemplate the movement of people across vast areas before Wi-Fi-friendly flights and noise-cancelling headphones. This restaurant lets you sample some of that history, taking you from Neptune Avenue to the Silk Road. 1001 Nights is best for: a date who's a citizen of the world, whose broad interests are matched by a big appetite. More

Take a big lump of cheese mixed with egg and butter, wrap it in dough, flatten it down, and bake. Sound good? Then get yourself to your closest purveyor of the Georgian cheese-stuffed bread khachapuri. In this video from CHOW, you can see how khachapuri is made at hole-in-the-wall bakery Georgian Bread in Brighton Beach. More

When it comes to vegetarian food, there are two things that Russian cooks do better than most: mushrooms and pickles. Witness Kebeer, a bar in Brighton Beach with a full menu that features plenty of vegetarian options. More

"We're starting to wonder if the mysteries of Russian sushi are worth another visit." [Photos: Hawk Krall] At the eastern end of Surf Avenue, where the slightly sad yet beautiful remains of Coney Island morph into the Eastern European neighborhood... More

As New Yorkers, we sometimes take for granted that we are surrounded by some of the best and most varied food in the world. But every now and again we should stop and marvel about our rich and deep... More

I've only been to Brighton Beach three times, but two of those times I ate at the same restaurant: Cafe Kashkar, My first visit to this Uyghur restaurant in 2006 gave me a craving for Uyghur food that I... More

Smoked belly, get in my belly. Photograph from ext212 on Flickr Don't have any plans this weekend? Maybe you should head out to M & I International Foods in Brighton Beach and have a Russian feast. Cia B of... More