What's Up! Magazine

Pel’meni is located at 1211 N. State Street and open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Photo by Jon Watson

Who among us hasn’t, on some late night with ears ringing and feet aching, trudged up Chestnut Street to Pel’meni? In its five years of business, those savory dumplings have transcended mere novelty status for the Bellingham bar crowd, and have gone straight to party-night necessity.

That’s an impressive step, considering that Russian Dumplings aren’t your typical late-night fare. I would venture that few of us had ever heard of such a dish before Pel’meni found its home in State Street’s Daylight building. But welcome it was and is still: while I can say that I’m never especially picky about what goes down my gullet at 1:30 a.m., one can only take so many pitas and hotdogs and slices of pizza.

Pel’meni is named after what it serves, the filled dumplings originating from Siberia and now canonized as part of Russian and Ukranian national cuisines. Quick research (Wikipedia) reveals that in those countries, store-bought Pel’meni are associated with a “students’ or bachelors’ lifestyle, much like instant ramen.” You don’t say. Downtown Bellingham must have looked like dynamite to Pel’meni’s founders.

They’re easy, yes, and simple but the dumplings are leagues beyond salty ramen. They’re filling in a stick-to-your-ribs sort of way. For your six dollars you receive a heaping bowl-sized portion in your choice of potato or beef with a slice of soft bread. The dumplings come dusted with something slightly spicy (is it Cayenne? Paprika?) and topped with a few sprigs of cilantro. While the beef dumplings are somehow zingier than the potato, the potato variety is far from bland. The dumplings are reminiscent of Italian tortellini but with a vague glueyness more like Chinese pot stickers. Various sauces stand ready for patrons to add at their discretion, but a serving of Pel’meni would not be complete without the behind-counter supply of individual cups filled with sour cream.

Whether you pile the sour cream atop your dumplings or use it as a dip doesn’t matter. The creamy tang adds such a satisfying depth to your bowl that you won’t look back and you won’t be sorry. And though the idea of sour cream swathed over bread might not strike you as a particularly tasty snack, it does wonders for sopping up the contents of a booze-filled belly.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to go for Pel’meni solely in the wee hours. You could also go for lunch or dinner when it’s not completely overloaded. The place is still steamy without the extensive late-night crowd, and you’re just not going to find a place to sit after midnight. An earlier visit allows one to appreciate the cheerful orange interior, the colorful geometric paintings flanking the walls and above all, the fabulous record collection. David Bowie, Talking Heads, Elliott Smith…they’re all there, with many others on vinyl, and you get to pick what plays. Just this aspect alone shoots Pel’meni into its own stratosphere of dining pleasure. If you need further encouragement just know that unlike, say, a hotdog with weird onion relish, Pel’meni is equally as delicious when sober.