If it's cold outside, order harcho, spicy meat and potato soup that is absolutely incredible. Also, don't forget to order khinkali, baked dumplings with different kinds of fillings, usually some type of meat. My personal favorite Georgian dish, khachapuri, a boat-shaped hollowed-out piece of baked bread filled with butter and cheese, sometimes topped with an egg. And when all else fails, there's a McDonald's on every corner ten times better than those in the US.
I've been a picky eater for most of my life, but traveling to Russia long-term forced me to challenge myself and try new foods. Honestly, it's scary to order in a country where you don't really speak the language and just have to eat whatever food comes to you that day. It's also exhilarating, in a weird way, to find some foreign dish that the rest of the world has probably never heard of that you love. Food is a great way to interact with a culture on a personal level.
Food in Russia is prepared in many different ways. Cafeterias with pre-cooked options are very popular as are sit-down restaurants. Shashlik is made by grilling small pieces of skewered seasoned meat over a flame. Khinkali are formed by making and rolling out dough, filling it with meat of some kind and twisting it shut before steaming/baking.
