St. Petersburg Conference Week

After a very exhausting trip from New York, my team and I arrived at the Hotel Pulkovskaya. I wouldn't classify this is a world-class hotel, but it was nice.

The three restaurants the hotel offers are all reasonably priced by US standards (if not by Russian standards) and offer relatively tasty cuisine. The Paulaner has the feel of a German beer hall, and the wheat beer is free flowing. The Odyssey offers a nice menu, but there is no view from the large glass windows (instead there is a large corrugated metal container), not that the view outside the window would be much to look at anyway. Then there is the Bread and Salt restaurant. It has a nice cozy feel and a traditional Russian menu. It may not be the best analogy, but it almost felt like being in a nice cave.

The hotel's rooms, at least the standard room I stayed in, are fairly small, but I would not say the accommodations are uninviting. The beds are very small but comfortable, and there are very comfy pillows on top. There are mini-fridges located under the television (which took me 3 days to figure out). The bathrooms are nice and, I think, spacious by European standards.

My experience here was mostly involved around a conference, meeting new friends and socializing. If I had been in St. Petersburg on a strictly sightseeing trip, then this would probably not be the best place to stay. It is a 10-minute walk from a metro station and is considerably outside the city center.

One thing that did make me slightly uncomfortable was the fact that several prostitutes would hang out in the lobby each night and look at me as if I was a piece of meat. That was disturbing, but apparently they were there with the consent of the hotel, because they stored their jackets in the luggage room of the hotel.

There is a nice little grocery store across a side street from the hotel and plenty of places to eat and shop nearby.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience at Pulkovskaya, but probably more because of the new friends I was making than the actual hotel itself.

I had such a good time trying Azeri food for the first time! The restaurant (PECTOPAH) Baku is beautifully designed and the food is amazing. The minute I stepped through the doors, I knew this was going to be an interesting experience. I really wish I would have been able to speak Russian, however. It is a necessity to enjoy yourself at this restaurant. Or at the least, have a Russian speaker with you. I was lucky enough to enjoy dinner with some Canadians, French, Italians, Russians, and one other American. I have not enjoyed a night this much in a long time!

I highly recommend the plov, an amazing pastry dish filled with rice, lamb, apricots, pine nuts, and great seasonings (it is sort of a rice pilaf inside a pastry shell). Allow approximately 1 hour for the cooking of this main dish. It is worth every minute and every ruble. But don't just sit around, enjoy some cheese platters and some aubergines stuffed with nuts. They are both pleasing appetizers. In addition to these dishes, order some bread. It was so delicious, and I consider myself a huge bread fan. Overall, I had a wonderful experience and since Azeri food is so difficult to find back here in the states, I highly recommend giving it a try at the Restaurant Baku.

The price is amazingly affordable. I would be very surprised if you spent more than US$20 per person. As a bonus, treat yourself to some excellent (and affordable) Azeri red wine. There is also a small hookah lounge, if you are into that sort of thing.