{"id":26052,"date":"2022-09-26T16:42:23","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T16:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.devourtours.com\/?p=26052"},"modified":"2022-09-27T16:07:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T16:07:42","slug":"georgian-food-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dev.devourtours.com\/blog\/georgian-food-nyc\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Great Places to Find Georgian Food in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

It used to be that to get good Georgian food\u2014really to get <\/span>any <\/span><\/i>Georgian food\u2014in New York, you had to spend an hour on the subway going to deepest, darkest Brooklyn. You can still do that, as there are a lot of great Georgian eateries in that borough. But now there are a small handful of excellent Georgian restaurants in Manhattan too. Here are the best spots for Georgian food in NYC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"colorful
Discover the best Georgian food in NYC at these restaurants. Photo credit: Victoria Shes<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is Georgian Cuisine<\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s an oft-told tale that links the cuisine of the Republic of Georgia with the origins of this Caucasus region country. As the story goes, when God was distributing portions of land to give to people, the Georgians turned up late, saying they\u2019d been feasting great food and drinking wine. God angrily informed them that all the land had already been given away. But when the Georgians told him that they were having the feast in his honor, God was so pleased he gave them a swath of land he\u2019d reserved for himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Georgians make God the Great Enabler in the sky. This is why if you haven\u2019t had Georgian food, you have a full license to try it. And if you\u2019re unfamiliar with the Republic of Georgia, it\u2019s time to pull out a map. No, it\u2019s not a state in the Deep South of the United States. Georgia is a former part of the Soviet Union. Located in the Caucasus Mountains, wedged between Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. And the cuisine of this relatively off-the-radar country is one of the world\u2019s best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Colorful
The Big Apple is a great city to discover the diverse food of Georgia. Photo credit: Maria Orlova<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most Common Ingredients of Georgian Food<\/span><\/h2>\n

Since Georgia has been at the crossroads of the Silk Road, the cuisine is diverse. Borrowing a little bit from its neighbors to produce rich and delicious cuisine. There are some ingredients that make recurring appearances: walnuts, eggplant, pomegranate seeds, grapes, and various fresh herbs. It\u2019s almost like Mediterranean cuisine without the Mediterranean Sea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And, of course, bread. Lots and lots of bread. Khachapuri, the ubiquitous baked cheese bread, is a must at any Georgian table. The version of the region of Adjara, located on the Black Sea, has the shape of a boat with molten cheese and a raw egg in the middle. It is pretty much the face of Georgian food around the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And if you needed to know anything else about Georgian cuisine it is this: Georgians have a word called \u201c<\/span>shemomechama<\/span><\/i>\u201d which is used to describe a state of being uncomfortably full while being simultaneously unable to stop eating. It’s not your fault you\u2019re having these gluttonous desires\u2014the food is just too good to resist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With that said, it’s time to explore the best restaurants in New York to tap into this divine bounty of food that is Georgian cuisine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Top Picks for Georgian Food in New York<\/h2>\n

Ton\u00e9 Cafe\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Named after the huge traditional oven that Georgians bake bread in (and a distant sibling to the Indian tandori oven), Ton\u00e9 Cafe (<\/span>265 Neptune Ave<\/span><\/i>)\u2014as the name would suggest\u2014specializes in all things gluten. There are six different khachpuris on the menu, but it\u2019s not completely bread here. Also excellent here are <\/span>khinka<\/span><\/i>li, the broth-holding dumplings, and the garlicky <\/span>kashi<\/span><\/i> soup. Making at one of our favorite cheap eats in Brooklyn<\/a> too!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"khachapuri
In addition to their small dining room, Ton\u00e9 Cafe also sells cakes and pastries in their bakery next door. Photo credit: Christine Isakzhanova<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cafe Delia<\/span><\/h3>\n

Located on East 8th Street, <\/span>Cafe Delia<\/span><\/a> is probably the most casual of the collection of Georgian restaurants in New York. Despite being diminutive, the restaurant has a long menu of traditional Georgian delights, including five different types of regional khachapuri, the delicious baked cheese bread, as well as various stews, soups, and fresh salads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chama Mama<\/span><\/h3>\n

With two locations, one 0n the Chelsea\/West Village border and one on the Upper West Side, <\/span>Chama Mama<\/span><\/a> is one of the best Georgian restaurants in the city. The sleek space with a leafy back garden is a great place to linger over a steaming khachapuri or one of the regional stews on offer. Chama Mama is also one of the few Georgian restaurants that change their menu based on the season. Which brings back regulars to try new regional specialties.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"cooked
At Chama Mama, classic Georgian cuisine is presented with a modern spin. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cheeseboat\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Novice Georgian food eaters often refer to the cheese-filled boat-shaped Adjaruli khachapuri as a \u201ccheeseboat.\u201d We reject this linguistic lunacy. And yet, the badly named <\/span>Cheeseboat<\/span><\/a> restaurant, which is located in Williamsburg and Hell\u2019s Kitchen, is just too good to dismiss. Yes, they churn out the namesake baked cheese bread here\u2014and it\u2019s pretty good\u2014but the restaurant also does some tricked-up versions of khachapuri that comes topped with stuff like meatballs, different types of cheeses, mushrooms, prosciutto, and such. Purists would pull their hair out at the pizza-fication of khachapuri. That is, until they actually tried it and realized it\u2019s quite good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chito Gvrito<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the newest kids on the Georgian restaurant block, <\/span>Chito Gvrito<\/span><\/a> made a great first impression with New York diners, as word spread about this Gramercy restaurant quickly. Elegant but relaxed and casual at the same time, Chito Gvrito has the usual Georgian staples but takes it a step further by adding some varieties to the genre. For example, there are traditional<\/span> khinkali<\/span><\/i>, the dumplings that hold meat and soup broth inside. But the kitchen also makes them with cheese or lamb and tarragon. The juicy, tender grilled meat here is also worth some stomach space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Georgian
The traditional khinkali<\/em> at Chito Gvrito are some of the best Georgian foods in NYC. Photo credit: PhotoPat<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Georgian Cuisine<\/span><\/h3>\n

It may have one of the least creative names around\u2014why not go a step further and just call the place \u201cRestaurant\u201d?\u2014but the cuisine at <\/span>Georgian Cuisine<\/span><\/a> is anything but ordinary. Like Cheeseboat, this Bay Ridge, Brooklyn restaurant offers doctored Adjaruli khachapuri that\u2019s topped with things like bacon, red beans, grilled chicken, or eggplant. Particularly good here is the<\/span> shkmeruli<\/span><\/i>, a dish from the Racha region that is a tender chicken baked in a garlicky milk sauce. They have a good selection of Georgian wine here as well as well as some of the best Georgian food in NYC.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Kharcho
We recommend trying any of the traditional Georgian stews served at NYC’s Georgian Cuisine. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pirosmani<\/span><\/h3>\n

Named after Niko Pirosmani, a very famous na\u00efve painter in Georgia, this Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn restaurant opened in 2001 and changed ownership in 2017. The new owner restored the Pirsonmani replica paintings on the walls. And then went about digging through 19th-century Georgian cookbooks to find recipes that got lost in the daze of the Soviet period (1922-1991). He then resurrected the dishes here. Sure, there are plenty of Georgian classics on the menu but you\u2019ll also get off-the-radar stuff like <\/span>chanakhi<\/span><\/i>, a claypot-cooked eggplant and lamb stew. Even better, Pirosmani (<\/span>2222 Avenue U<\/span><\/i>) is BYO. The unique dishes served at Pirosmani is why it’s a must visit spot for Georgian food in NYC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It used to be that to get good Georgian food\u2014really to get any Georgian food\u2014in New York, you had to spend an hour on the subway going to deepest, darkest Brooklyn. You can still do that, as there are a lot of great Georgian eateries in that borough. But now there are a small handful […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":26055,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"2normal","inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[2114,2102],"tags":[1391],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDevour Tours<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/dev.devourtours.com\/blog\/georgian-food-nyc\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 Great Places to Find Georgian Food in NYC - Devour Tours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Did you know that the Big Apple as some excellent Georgian restaurants? 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