Georgia on my Mind

Continuing my tour of the world's touristy-looking restaurants that turn out to be surprisingly good, I've eaten twice at this place this week and it was superb both times.

By the end of the second time, I even didn't mind the live chickens and the cheesy donkey.
I might comment on the dishes i had if I can get round to it.

БУДЬМО!!!

Thanks for that Bren-I took the time to look through the whole site-looks like a fun place with a huge tasty menu and some very enthusiastic staff.

Between noon and 4pm they give 30% discount on food and wines. Worth another visit?
Georgian and Armenian (or Generally Caucasian) restaurants are among the best in Russia. I have some nice old memories.

Some of the best dining experiences any where in the world are to be found in Australia Another classic example of fine dining - Note t he table and chairs thoughtfully provided by the proprietors for the use of those wishing to dine "al fresco" , coupled with the scintillating view of "Wheelies a La Australiana"

Notice too, the ever popular verandah with a lovely bric-a-brac of trellis work to screen the dining patrons from public view! And the artistic creation of the window - a shining example of Australia's finest denizens.

Fieldgate - that is the lunchtime special and I think it involves a buffet.

CC, this was an indoor all fresco if you see what I mean. Sitting on the verandah overlooking the chookhouse while eating burnt snags isn't quite the same.

Continuing my tour of the world's touristy-looking restaurants that turn out to be surprisingly good.
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The definitive words there Bren are "the world's touristy-looking" so I gave you three shining examples of "touristy-looking restaurants" from another part of the world.

Seems my attempt at humour went unnoticed - and after all the time I took to find the very best ones too!

And ..and I searched especially for Marsden's too. The proprietor is very famous you know Bren, very famous indeed.
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Well, that's fine CC, but why don't you start a separate thread where you detail your experiences there? I'm trying to keep one restaurant each to a thread of its own.

Oh, I misunderstood the reason of the thread. I apologise for over stepping the mark and stepping on your toes. It won't happen again.

I'm not making rules, CC, just suggestions. It's a lot easier to read about one restaurant at a time.
I look forward to your Marsdens thread and the various delights of Kangaroo Island

Right, now, the first night we went there I had :
Starter
Adjapsandali ( Cold aubergines braised with bell peppers, tomatoes and onion. The variety of herbs with mint and garlic offers an unforgettable taste ) & I can't remember what the other bloke had.
Main Course
I had Veal Shaslik - superbly done, just right charcoal BBQ taste on the outside but lovely and tender and beautiful mixture of spices , big pieces, generous quantity, with a sauce boat full of "Tkemali" ( Spicy tomato-alicha sauce with onions and herbs ) on the side, which I hadn't asked for but was great.
He had "Artala" ( Oven-baked shin of lamb with potato croguettes and braised vegetables ) which looked fantastic and he said it was great.
A bottle of S. African Pinotage and plenty of lavash (Georgian bread) with special spicy butter topped it all off.

Second time:
Starter
We both had Adjapsandali cos it was so good the first time (he had tried mine)
Main Course
I had pork, peppers, potato and other veg stew (not on the website menu) . Very fine taste but the residual gravy at the end was a bit salty for my liking.
He had the "Chakapuli" ( Lamb braised in white wine with tkemali and fresh tarragon ) which he praised highly.
Bottle of Chilean Shiraz Malbec
(Georgian wine is banned in Russia, perhaps not officially, they kind of dodge the subject when you ask them. This started last time I was in Moscow in 2006 when the government started harassing Georgian establishments, in fact we trekked in the rain to one LP-recommended one only to find it shut-down without notice. The menu offers "Abkhazian wine" which is perhaps a "safe" reference to Georgian wine since Russia recognises Abkhazia as a separate republic)
Dessert
We had a charge at the dessert buffet for 600 rubles each.
I had various torts and baklava type thingies and some stewed cherries.
Then finished with espresso and some "Georgian" grappa (perhaps it's not banned?) which was a bit rough and vastly improved by adding the juice from my stewed cherries.

This is a country where you can get an inkling of politics by reading the wine list.

"plenty of lavash (Georgian bread)"

Bren-do you mean Tonis Puri or Lavash ?

Because the former is Georgian-the latter Amenian.

Interesting about the wine on offer-I did wonder about the Abkhazian reference.

Edited by: someone who loves bread

I mean what's called on the menu "lavash - homemade Georgian bread"

What's Georgian dressing?

And isn't a 2560R buffet about AU$140?

It's about $110 Canadian-but remember 'Between noon and 4pm they give 30% discount on food and wines'

Moscow is one of the world's most expensive cities y'know.

Exactly - it's not cheap but it's a fairly upmarket restaurant and still about half of what you can pay at some places in Moscow for worse stuff.

I think some people assume that there must be parallel restaurant economies for high-spending expats and thrifty locals. Not in Moscow - the expats can't keep up with the locals any more.

For what it's worth, our bills on respective nights came to about 4900R and 5600R.

I hasten to add that I couldn't get away with that in Sydney, but we took turn about to pay the bill so the impact on the expense account was split.

Last night however, I ate at Stardogs for 95R including drink, and am now munching on bread, ham and cheese from the supermarket , washed down with a can of Baltika#7.

Here's some more affordable food in Moscow

As a side note.
I look at those prices with horror.
In the 70s, during my visits to Soviet Union, even as a poor student from Poland, I could live like a king. Had it been today. I'd have to live on stardogs and supermarket (or bulochnaya) food.
It looks like a whole different world now.

That is an understatement. Prices are slightly cheaper in Tyumen where I am now, if that's any consolation