I heard a rumour and was compelled to investigate. Is it true... do women in their 50's and 60's really get up on the tables at Rasputin Restaurant and dance to such classics as Dark Eyes or Those Were the Days? Does the live music by famous Russian musicians actually send shivers down the spine & compel people to sing along and do the polka into the wee hours? Sitting at a small table in the back of this restaurant at the corner of West Broadway and Cambie, I spoon delicious borscht into my mouth and take in the lively surroundings. The mood is one of celebration with brilliantly coloured helium balloons tied to the back of chairs, and clusters of family & friends feasting on cabbage rolls, Chicken Kiev and other Russian specialties. You'd think everyone there was celebrating a special occasion, and soon after owner Michael Shinder, who was a professional singer when he lived in the Ukraine, takes the mike and croons Happy Birthday at the top of his lungs. A spirited selection of Hungarian, Russian and Ukrainian folk songs follow this. Many of the musicians who play at Rasputin are world-class, having performed throughout Europe & New York. Among the artists tonight are Lache Cercel, a Romanian virtuoso of the violin, Yuri Kouzenstou on keyboard & Slava Alexandrov on balalaika. With such an array of ethnic eateries in Vancouver, live music has been a defining feature that truly ads spice and excitement to the dining experience. Whether it's a flamenco show at a Mexican cafe or a Celtic showcase at the neighbourhood Irish Pub, more and more restaurant owners are finding live music is a drawing card and makes for an evening their patrons won't forget. Back at Rasputin Restaurant the scene is as lively as ever and a wonderful singer named Hugget, garbed in a sexy red velvet dress has broken into a Spanish love song that indeed sends shivers down the spine. While the crowd has been somewhat more subdued than the stories I had heard (no tabletop dancing tonight?), the divots in the hardwood floor surrounding the band are evidence there's some pretty serious reveling happening here. Can entertainment make the difference when it comes to giving restaurant patrons an evening they'll never forget... from what we've seen tonight, yes, without a doubt!
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