A Little Of Little Russia Hits Court Street

There is no more need for brownstone Brooklynites to schlepp to Brighton Beach for a taste of Mother Russia. Taking over the former Tea Lounge space on Court Street in Cobble Hill is a new, oddly designed coffee bar/cafe called Karloff. Walking in, it is hard to tell whether the spot is an espresso joint, ice cream parlor or dyed-in-the-wool, homespun Russkie restaurant. But, after one bite into a plate of the kitchen's toothsome Vareniki who the heck cares!

These boiled babies are delicious. Small potato-filled dumplings showered with caramelized onions (pictured above), these tempting delights are worth coming back for again and again -- and maybe again.

On the other hand. Karloff's ice cream selection leaves something to be desired...

The 'scream is provided by a Hudson Valley, small-batch purveyor called Jane's Ice Cream. I know I'm going to get hate mail from Jane's enthusiasts, but I just couldn't warm up to her frozen confectionary treats. The texture was there. The flavor was not. If I closed my eyes as I sampled, I had a difficult time distinguishing between coffee and chocolate.

A much better dessert option is a dive into Karloff's selection of cookies "flown in straight from Brighton Beach"...

My favorite, although not pictured here, are the cloud-like mounds of meringue, sweet and crumbly on the outside, and gooey within.

All in all, a lovely trip to Little Russia on the F train, instead of the usual B or Q.