Jonesing on Borsch

My trips to Russia have made me a fanatic for Borsch--hot, cold, Russian, Ukranian, etc. All are wonderful--and I'm not even a beet guy. Any russian will tell you that the best Borsch is made in the home--slowly, with fresh ingredients, a soup as complex as russian grammar and much more rewarding. My russian friends won't even consider eating what they consider the inferior product served in restaurants, even those specializing in their cuisine. I had a fairly nice bowl at a place on Clement Street in SF (an amazing place to go for different cusines, by the way). Anybody know another place to get a homestyle bowl of the good stuff?

And is there something wrong with cabbage borscht?

Actually, there is no clear "correct" spelling..."Borscht" is the american transliteration...pronouncing it this way draws funny looks in Russia, as most russians don't prounounce the final T and thus my spelling.

I will definitely try these places...

The Samovar, in Memphis

carl reitz

The Russian Tea Room on Adams St. accross from the Art Institute in Chicago has wonderfull borsch, both hot and cold varieties.

If you come to Chicago there is a place called the Magic Jug (Ukranian)around Irving & Narragansett. Not that far from the airport. I am told they have killer borscht.

In New York,[url='http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=2075']Cafe Edison[/url] has good borscht:

I just had a big bowl of my Polish grandmother's borcht the night before last. It was absolute perfection....beets shredded long-ish, but very finely, the flavor of smoked pork hock present througout the deep red broth, and nice pieces of smoked pork meat scattered amongst the beets. A dollop of sour cream in the middle, and a generous dusting with black pepper, and it's heaven in a bowl. As good as borcht like this is under any circumstances, I alway find it's best when eaten in the winter during a snowstorm...while looking out the window. The cold outside is such a contrast to the contented warmth in my belly.