It took me only one visit to find my go-to dish at Sudova. Called Pelmeni, it is one of two dumpling plates and, as far as I can tell, the restaurant’s homepage has a lovely photo of this meal. The website photo shows a plate more artfully arranged than the one I enjoyed, with a generous dab of caviar and lots of pretty, edible flowers as garnish, but I am fairly sure the restaurant is showing off its Pelmeni.
I went back another time and tried the same dish. My companion ordered it, too, and loved it as much as I did. The fragrant preparation reminded me of my mother’s chicken and dumplings, mostly because the dumplings had the same toothsome texture as Mom’s did. Sudova stuffs theirs with salt cod and potato brandade, and there is no chicken in sight. Caviar beurre blanc provides a light, slightly salty and totally satisfying sauce.
Rye varenyky is the second dumpling entrée. (Pelmeni and varenyky are types of Ukrainian or Russian dumplings akin to pierogi.) These dumplings are stuffed with potato, sauerkraut and caramelized onion; it is vegetarian and would be vegan without the dill sour cream topping. I bet this preparation is as delicious as the one I fell for.
On the web, Sudova announces itself as an “Eastern European Kitchen,” which may be an unfamiliar cuisine to many Cincinnatians. Although this is owner Sarah Dworak’s first full-scale restaurant, she has been cooking Ukrainian and other Eastern European treats in our city for more than 10 years. Her first venture was a pierogi stand at Findlay Market, followed a few years later by the adorable Wódka Bar on Main Street in OTR. (Sadly for its many fans, the Wódka Bar closed this fall.) Now she is putting all her energy into this new venture on Court Street.
I walked past the place the first time I went looking for the tucked-away restaurant. Its entry sits back from the street beyond a pleasant grouping of patio tables. Dworak’s team rehabbed an old building that had not been in use for decades. The result of what must have been a challenging buildout is an inviting dining room and bar that combines contemporary and traditional décor. Sleek, dark tables without tablecloths and cool, dark green banquettes contrast with the imposing, elaborate hutch behind the bar. Some of the walls are quite plain, adorned only with sconce-style light fixtures, while another wall near the front door holds framed artwork and what appears to be the owner’s personal memorabilia.
Sudova has been a hit from the get-go, with reservations not always easy to get unless you plan ahead. With colder weather upon us, the patio tables will not be available for much longer, further reducing your chances of dining there on short notice. But they will also reserve bar seats, a nice option if tables are unavailable.
As for the Eastern European menu, Google would be a helpful dinner companion at Sudova. Descriptions are minimal, and although the servers and bartenders provide helpful explanations of the less familiar dishes, I hated to slow them down by asking too many questions. When I later looked up, for instance, kulebiaka (a savory pie, served here with a salmon and mushroom filling) or halushki (originating in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, a casserole often made with bacon and noodles, but Sudova’s is vegetable-based, with spaetzle), I almost wished I had swapped the dumplings for one or more of those delicacies.
On one visit, I tried the seasonal borsch. I missed the summer version by a couple of days, and the bartender lamented that it had gone off the menu. I am sure it or something like it will return in warmer weather. Instead of summer “Green Borsch,” served warm with chicken, sorrel, root veggies and soft-boiled egg, Sudova now serves a more traditional and quite delicious cold soup based on red beets.
For starters — listed as small plates — there is a green salad with golden beets, fennel and buckwheat, which unfortunately was mostly lettuce and had few bits of those other ingredients. A warm bean appetizer called Kvasolya didn’t work for me as a starter; despite the ingredients list of roasted pepper, leeks and Bulgarian feta, it was just a plate of seasoned beans. I thought it might have been perfect if tossed with the salad, simultaneously making the greens more interesting and lightening up the heavy beans.
Holubsti (stuffed cabbage) had a sweet tomato sauce and meat stuffing. My partner thought the sauce was too sweet, and for me, the dish was too meaty. But we both enjoyed sharing one of the large plates, a risotto made with buckwheat instead of rice, its savory flavor coming from wild mushrooms, pearl onions and pecorino cheese.
The glass wine pours include a wide-ranging geographic set of choices. Selections from Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Turkey join more familiar varietals from France and Italy — with California notably missing. Even by the bottle, Sudova listed only one pinot noir from California. This is not criticism, as I love adventurous wine lists and relish the chance to explore the unknown when it comes to wine.
In a comfortable and welcoming space, Sudova adds an exotic flair to Court Street, itself fast becoming a premier dining destination. A block or two away, in front of Court Street Kitchen, weekend valet service is available no matter where you intend to spend your evening. Sudova is small and in high demand at the moment, so do try to plan ahead for your taste of Eastern Europe.
Sudova, 22 W Court St., Downtown. More info: instagram.com/sudovaoncourt.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Dec. 11 print edition.
This article appears in Dec 11-24, 2024.