by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Joy Asico
How do you say happy birthday in Russian? “C Днём рождения” If we got that wrong, blame it on Webster’s Dictionary!
This week celebrates the first anniversary of DC’s Russian jewel, Mari Vanna. The authentic Russian eatery on Connecticut Avenue drips with the kind of cultural spirit you’d expect to find at your grandmother’s house and this celebration felt like an old family wedding full of special guests from ‘the old country.’
More than 150 guests guests mingled across the restaurant’s three floors and were greeted blinis, olivier salad, beets and other cultural delicacies, all washed down with a variety of house infused vodkas. The festive atmosphere is almost surely not the typical one you will find in Washington with a blend of pop music with a live, more traditional accordion player as well.
Since opening, Mari Vanna has gathered fans in the form of celebrities like Paula Abdul, Matt Bomer, and Marlon Wayans who have all stopped by, as well as visits from Washington Capitals Captain Alex Ovechkin, who hails from Moscow. The packed room for the Anniversary celebration included many local media personalities and VIPs from the DC area like ABC 7’s Scott Thuman, Echostage Owner Antonis Karagounis, DC Senator Paul Strauss, and newly appointed director of the DC Film Office Pierre Bagley.
Pierre Bagley and Kimberly Perry
