East European Groaning Board at Tatiana’s

The food-to-go from Tatiana’s, a Russian-Jewish delicatessen in West Hollywood, has made me lose my mind.

I try to be scientific when this phenomenon occurs. I take notes. I taste the source again. I bring in other stable and objective souls. But then, folks, I surrender. We’re talking manna, ambrosia, elixir.

Rosalia and Leon Tsiprin (Tatiana’s mom and dad) opened Tatiana’s in 1986, six years after they left the Ukraine. A combination appetizing store and delicatessen, Tatiana’s serves Los Angeles’ Eastern European community with a grand selection of smoked fishes and meats. Rosalia and her sister Bronya make all the salads and prepared foods.

If you learned about sweet noodle kugel , kasha varniskes and stuffed cabbage at your grandma’s knee, get ready for a blast to the past. If you’ve never tasted real challah , a rich yeasty egg bread stuffed with spiced ground meat, or sauteed mushrooms bathed in sour cream, or eggplant salad (three kinds: garlic, garlic-er and garlic-est) then Tatiana’s is the place to initiate you.

Sweet noodle kugel with raisins, cinnamon, sour cream and lemon is to die for. A savory version with lots of onions and a crisp curly crown would work wonders with a slice of pot roast. Aromatic tiny mushrooms are punctuated with whole allspice. Sheer leaves of still-crisp cabbage are pickled with a light hand. Sauteed eggplant, red peppers and tomatoes are a sweet Russian version of caponata.

While I happily worked my way through many of the dishes, the two tastes that completely seduced me were the smooth creamed eggplant with lemon and garlic puree, and the glossy salad of skin-on eggplant chunks with parsley.

Fresh gefilte fish, made alternately of carp or carp and whitefish, is delicious--and unassimilated (beware the skin and tiny bones). Smoked whitefish is as good as you get in New York (and only $5.49 a pound). Zingy beet and cabbage borscht is like nothing you’ve ever bought at the store. Stuffed cabbage filled with rice, dill and chicken forcemeat is beautifully balanced soul food.

Tatiana’s caters parties and with three days notice can provide a koulibiac , a whole challah stuffed with cabbage and carrots or spiced meat. (Beautiful to look at and about $30, one will serve a large crowd.) On the weekends one can buy rich pieces by the slice.

Fine pelmeny (crescent-shaped ravioli dough filled with your choice of potatoes, sweet cherries or meat) is available for cooking at home. Baked chicken with garlic and paprika is slow baked and an amazing $2.95 per pound.

Now I know some of you mavens out there will write to complain that real chopped liver has to be chunky or made with hard-boiled eggs (Tatiana’s excellent version is smooth), or that the kasha varniskes must be made with bow ties (the egg noodles in this delectable version are confetti-shaped). All I can say is--try it, you’ll like it.

Tatiana’s, 8205 Santa Monica Blvd., W. Hollywood. (213) 656-7500. Open daily 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Cash only. Parking available in lot.