Marilu F.
Yelp
I went for the pryanik (or "Russian spice cookies") a.k.a. my latest foodie obsession. I blame Francisco V. entirely for this. So much have I raved about these cookies that I was dying to go and get more at Matryoshka where he got them from.
Ended up going impromptu and was amazed at the amount of goodies I saw. It wasn't just about the sweets, although we did end up getting a few (one that I have already used FedEx for, so my friend in Tallahassee gets to try them), but I'm digressing here. Point is I've been driving everyone crazy about these cookies. Apologies to Sean M. especially, but seriously, these cookies are THAT good!
That being said, if you're not familiar with Russian cuisine, you're bound to be impressed at Matryoshka. They have their own deli and hot food bar. Not to mention that they make bread and sweets in house, although there are plenty more that are imported. While the staff speaks English and will help you, it is obvious Russian is the preferred tongue. That and a lot of the products have labels in the language, so if you don't feel like Googling, I heavily suggest taking someone with you who knows Russian (just in case) if you're unfamiliar with the language.
The place has a lot of variety, even things that you may not necessarily expect. I, for one, was surprised to see both duck and rabbit there and not frozen at that. The prices were economical, too. I may consider getting the rabbit there once I finally figure out what exactly I want to cook it with. I don't think, though, that I would make this a regular in my rotation of markets. The cashier we had was efficient but cold, and quite frankly, that was off-putting. That, and well, I feel it's just a place you go to, so you can try something new and/or get very specific purchases.