Dear list,

A student of mine sent me the link to this restaurant in the Washington, D.C. area: http://www.thetastydugout.com/menu.html

 

The description reads:

Modern Zemblan Cuisine
Inspired by my years in Onhava following the fall of the Soviet Union—by day working to restore the House of Botkin to the Throne of Zembla…and by night hunting the sea-marshes for the rare Crepuscular Bog Orchid, waiting for first dawn to pluck its prized fragrant dark bloom—I proudly bring to you imaginative tastes from the Estoty and Tartary Cuisines of Zembla, as well as exotic ethnic flavors from its elusive Crypto-Hebraic minority.        

Relax. Indulge. Enjoy!

 

What makes this even more delightful and fitting is the fact that this restaurant is found inside of another restaurant (Ray’s Hell Burger!). So it is a Zemblan restaurant hiding within an American restaurant, just as Kinbote’s Zemblan tale is hiding within the monograph of John Shade’s American poem. One of these days I will try to visit and get an audience with the chef, after which I will file an update.

 

Cheers,

Matt Roth