my first borscht

I'm not a beet fan. It's probably because I didn't grow up with them except for seeing the canned type. As an adult I've taken opportunities to try new produce and have learned to like spaghetti squash, jalapenos, and figs. But beets, although I've tried them, are not something I will order at a restaurant. And I didn't this time either. Suzanne did.

We were at Firebird Russian Restaurant in Carmichael. I had bought a half-off deal a while ago and Suzanne agreed to go with me since she's never had Russian food before. Myself, the last Russian restaurant I had been to had been a hole-in-the-wall sort of place in North Highlands. 

We drove up to find Firebird pretty much near the corner of Manzanita and Fair Oaks. The restaurant is located in a strip building but occupies most of the footage. At one end was a sign saying it used to have a deli/store, but it was now completely empty and it looked like they were converting that end into a dance floor for a night club.