Since this is my first post I'm not actually sure how to begin, so let me first say that the restaurant was very good.
If you cannot sense the authentic polish/russian style when you walk up to the bed and breakfast style house that contains the restaurant then you will definitely get an idea of it when the waitress greets you at the door with her thick accent. Don't let that worry you though, the atmosphere is incredibly laid back and homey. One look at the menu also confirmed the russian theme, including: pierogi (7-8$), various appetizers (around 3-15$), and various entrees (about 10-20$) . You will notice as I write more reviews that my mom and I often order are some of the less expensive items, so I apologize in advance.
With that said, the first item that we ordered was a small (3$) appetizer, ground lamb stuffed puff pastry whose name escapes me. Not that I have ever been to russia or poland but I believe I can say that it was clearly very authentic based on the fact that I had never tasted anything like it before. The pastry was flaky, the lamb was WELL seasoned with spices that were reminiscent of middle eastern flavors, and I would highly recommend it.
The next item that we ordered (my mom and I shared the whole meal as we normally do) was the blintzes (6$ or 7$ don't remember exactly) . Though I'm not entirely sure of the blintze's place as a russian dish, I decided we should try it because the fillings sounded delicious and I'm not sure I've ever had a good blintz, (until then). I cannot remember all of the fillings but they included different types of vegetables, meats, and fruits. Since the order comes with three blintzes we decided to try three different fillings: potato and mushroom, cabbage, and red currant. Firstly, the potato and mushroom was very good, the filling was creamy and though there was not a whole lot of flavor, the subtle sweetness of the actual blintz paired with the creamy savory flavor of the potato made for a delightful flavor. Next the cabbage, this was my mom's and my favorite blintz and possibly favorite part of the whole meal. This one had quite a bit more flavor as it was slightly more seasoned and also had a good bit of acidity. As with the first blintz, the minor sweetness of the dough played very well with the acidity and salt of the yummy (hehe) cabbage filling. The third and final blintz was conveniently the red currant which was a sweeter one. I'm not sure sweet is actually a good word, but it's the only flavor that can really apply. Let me just say if you're looking for a dessert without having to go to the dessert menu this is not the dish you want to get. With that said it was delicious. The red currant flavor took on the creaminess of the sweet cheese filling very well. The natural sweetness of the fruit paired with, again, the minor sweetness of the blintz batter made for a delectably subtle sweet treat.
Now for the main event, of course we had to order some pierogies (7$) , as it is the one food that I know is an authentic polish/russian dish. Slightly straying from the classic potato filling (which is one of the 5 variations offered) we decided to order the pork filled pierogies. I have actually had authentic homemade pierogies before. These were made by the mother of one of my best friends who indeed has polish roots. Though her potato dumplings were very good (not to mention bigger) I must say that the one's at yummy mama's take the cake (sorry Mrs. Goodwin). The dough was reminiscent of wonton dough, though thinner, and the pork filling was, again, very well seasoned though with slightly more subtle and less identifiable spices than the lamb. Overall the pierogies were just as good as I was hoping for from an authentic russian restaurant.
Since we entered the restaurant absolutely starving from a long run that morning, my mom and I were still not overly full by the time we had finished these dishes we decided to order dessert (4$) . The dessert menu consists only of a specific type of pastry which is made up of a crunchy cookie with a slight meringuey aspect (we later found out it contained egg white powder) layered with a sweet whipped topping (presumably thick whipped cream). These pastries come in four variations: chocolate (the most popular of course), hazelnut, walnut, and vanilla with fruit jam. Always looking to be different my mom and I ordered the hazelnut. I must admit we were thoroughly surprised by how thick and crunchy the cookie layer was and it would be almost impossible to eat the dessert without a knife to cut through it. Hard cookie aside, the dessert was very tasty though I would probably order the chocolate next time due to the lack of much flavor other than vanilla.
Also, I must note that on the side of the restaurant there is a market with all sorts of authentic polish items (I figure they must be authentic because I could not read any of the labels) from fresh meats to pre-packaged pierogies to a giant selection of spices. We always try to bring something home to my dad from our eating adventures so we picked a candy cake that the woman (who I presume to be the "mama") suggested. The decadent dessert which was made up of sweetened condensed milk, white chocolate chips, and raisins, had the consistency of a chunky fudge and tasted like a mixture between dulce de leche and a white chocolate cookie.
Overall my dining experience at yummy mama's food was a very good one. I would suggest any and all of the dishes that I have mentioned. I would also very much recommend trying some other dishes that catch your eye. I think it is safe to say that as far as I can see this is the place to go for authentic polish/russian food in St. Pete.
