Russian Gourmet set up around 3 years ago, just off the Rockville Pike on Nicholson Lane, behind the Exxon station and in front of Barry's Magic. Perhaps Barry waved a wand in the little market's direction. Because now there are five of them.

The first was the Langley Shopping Center branch, opened in 1997 by Alexandra Costa and Zourab Tsiskaridze, a Georgian baritone who used to be with the Georgian State Opera. Costa was once married to a first secretary at the Russian Embassy, until she defected with her two small children, the first from that Embassy. Read Stepping Down From The Stars to learn more about the woman then knows as Yelena Mitrokhina.

In the Rockville Russian Gourmet there's a large cabinet full of charcuterie and dried fish. In the refrigerator are prepared Russian salads of beets, and cold slaws and more. Jams in regular and more unusual flavors, like blackberry, quince and rosepetal, share the shelves with interesting Russian teas, a big selection of pickles (see all the different types of pickled mushrooms), wines and spirits and the unique mixed spice, xmeli-cyneli (pronounced Hmeli-Suneli). Among the loaves are Borodinsky, rye and dark breads. There's honey cake and a range of self-serve candies. In the frozen cabinets are pelmeni, pirogi and blinis, as well as puff and flaky pastry. 

Also on sale is a small stock of Russian books and movies, matrioshki of the Czar, aprons, tablecloths and shawls, as well as homeopathic medicines.

11431-B Rockville Pike, MD, 301 816 0550, 13077 Wisteria Dr, Germantown, 19110 Montgomery Village Ave, Gaithersburg, Langley Shopping Center, 1396 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA, 703 760 0411, 907 Slater's Lane, Alexandria, VA, 703 299 4627, and 468 Elden St, Herndon, VA, 703 707 8181. A little hard to find, stuck behind a Three Pigs Restaurant at Big K-Mart Plaza, it that also does catering.

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