Stoli Bar, Brookline

At Stoli Bar, waitresses walk by with trays of clinking vodka shots, bowls of warming borscht, and plates of potato latkes layered with house-smoked gravlax. Diners dig in to Russian dishes that borrow flavors from Ukrainian and French cuisine, such as the salmon kulebyaka—a puff pastry filled with salmon, julienne vegetables, and red caviar. Each dish is artfully presented on a white rectangular plate, which highlights the shape and texture of the food without surrounding it with distracting sparklers.