Dining out in the Soviet Union was often a less-than-inspiring experience. But in post-Soviet Russia, especially in the big cities, restaurants have made a dramatic comeback. You can now find everything from expensive gourmet establishments to закусочные, or fast-food joints. Visitors from North America now find such familiar names as Макдоналдс, which first opened its doors on Moscow's Пушкинская площадь back in 1990 (this is still the busiest McDonald's restaurant in the world). Restaurants featuring русская кухня have also made their presence felt, such as Русское бистро, which you learned about on page 144 of the textbook. For this exercise, go to the website of an up-and-coming chain of пивоваренные заводы-рестораны, or brew-pubs, called Тинькофф:

http://www.tinkoff.ru

1			Тинькофф is described on the company's home page as a "частная пивоварня." The adjective частный you encountered in Ch. 4. The noun пивоварня is a combination of "пиво," which you saw in Ch. 6, and a noun formed from the verb "варить," which has several meanings. Look up this verb in your dictionary, then provide a translation of the phrase "частная пивоварня."
2			To learn more about the пиво produced by Тинькофф, click on the "Продукция" link under the heading "Пиво" at the top of the page. On the right-hand side of this page, you will find Tinkoff's beers listed in two columns. • Сколько сортов (kinds) пива есть в продаже? The column on the right contains the Russian names for the various beers. • How would you translate these names into English? Consult a dictionary if necessary. Note: You've already seen the words светлый, белый and темный. The word фильтрованный is a cognate.
3			The first Тинькофф brew-pub opened a few years ago in St. Petersburg. Now the company operates in five cities, with plans to open restaurants soon in several more cities across Russia. At the top of the page, under the heading "рестораны," you will find a drop-down menu titled "Выберите город" (Choose a City). Click and hold on this menu, then select Москва. Scan the text for answers to the following questions: • Когда открылся пивоваренный завод-ресторан "Тинькофф" в Москве? • Сколько сортов пива продают в этом ресторане? • Что в меню есть для "особых гурманов" (particular gourmets)?
4			Тинькофф serves what we would call "pub grub." Click on the link marked "меню" to see what's cooking. In the first section, "Пиво Тинькофф," you'll find prices for the company's beers. Remember that liquid volume in Russia is measured in liters (литры). • Сколько стоит литр темного нефильтрованного пива? Это дорого? Now scroll down to the section marked "Холодные закуски," or appetizers (this word appears in the textbook on p.322). From here on down you'll find all sorts of different dishes. Pick out what you'd like to eat by scrolling down through the cold appetizers, salads, hot appetizers, sauces, soups and entrees — without a dictionary. Look for dish names that you can understand fully or in part. • Что Вы будете заказывать? Сколько это стоит?
5			Return to the top of the page and click on the link labeled "Интерьер" (another cognate). Have a look at the interior of the Moscow Тинькофф brew-pub. (You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.) Now compare the Тинькофф brew-pub in Moscow to the company's outlet in Нижний Новгород. (Can you find this city on a map of Russia?) Choose this city in the drop-down menu, then click on the "Интерьер" link to see photos of the brew-pub in Нижний Новгород. • Какой ресторан Вам больше нравится? Почему?
6			Finally, choose "Самара" in the drop-down menu. Start by locating Samara on a map of Russia. Then read the text on the Samara home page and summarize what you have learned in English. Remember: You're reading for the main idea, so you should consult the dictionary sparingly.

А ЧТО ДАЛЬШЕ?

7			The Балтика brewery, whose labels appear on p.169 of the textbook, is one of Russia's largest. Their website is located at: http://www.baltika.ru:8101 For information on restaurants in Moscow, try these sites: http://www.afisha.ru/restaurants http://www.moscowout.ru/eda/restaurants For St. Petersburg restaurants, go to: http://www.aktivist.ru/restaurants