Copyright cleveland.com
PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio — Georgian Bakery Tiflis is finally bringing the flavors at the intersection of Europe and Asia to Northeast Ohio as the region’s first Georgian restaurant. Georgian Bakery Tiflis is a full-fledged Georgian restaurant, specializing in the country’s traditional dishes. The restaurant opened earlier this fall. Owner Giorgi Chincharauli is originally from Georgia. Chincharauli moved from Georgia to Russia, where he operated a Georgian restaurant, and then to the U.S., first settling in Chicago. However, after some advice from his friends in Northeast Ohio, he decided to give Parma a try for “starting [his] new life.” It turned out to be perfect — he enjoyed the calm, friendly atmosphere and found a diverse, welcoming community, many of them immigrants like himself. “I like it here,” he said. “Very nice people.” Everything is made fresh, to order, and Chincharauli brags that they don’t even have a freezer in the kitchen. Khachapuri is a savory baked good that’s probably Georgia’s most famous dish, which Chincharauli also called “everyone’s favorite.” Variations feature crusty bread filled with cheese, beef, spinach and beyond. Adjarian khachapuri is the popular boat-shaped version filled with melted cheese, egg and butter. Other dishes like khinkali, or Georgian dumplings filled with beef, beef and pork or cheese, are also a favorite. Mtsvadi, or barbecue meat skewers, also have a heavy presence on the menu. Various salad recipes, including spinach pkhali salad, are Chincharauli’s mother’s recipes, who still lives in Georgia. Desserts like Napolean cake and drinks like traditional Georgian kompote, or a fresh fruit drink, complete the offerings. “Everyone really likes it so far,” he said. Chincharauli hopes to get a license to add Georgian wine, which he says is some of the best in the world, to his menu offerings. Because Northeast Ohio has been without a Georgian restaurant until now, Chincharauli and his staff spend some time educating people on the culture, the history and, most importantly, the food. “Some people don’t know where Georgia is,” he said of some customers who thought of just the U.S. state. Georgia is a “very small, but very beautiful country,” Chincharauli said, that shared borders with Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Black Sea. The restaurant is named after the old capital city of Georgia, which changed from Tiflis to Tbilisi, where Chincharauli was born. “Everyone could love Georgian food,” he added. With combinations like melted cheese, fresh-butchered beef and homemade bread, what’s not to like? When it comes to the signature cheese blend present in many of the khachapuri options, only the chef knows the exact recipe. “The cheese is a very big secret,” Chincharauli said, joking that the chef won’t even tell him the entire recipe. So far, Chincharauli has received a positive response from the community, with Georgian customers excited to have a taste of home in town, and other folks happy to try something new. Quality service is just as important to Chincharauli as the food, and he loves how friendly his customers have been, from being open to trying new things to helping him improve his English speaking skills. “I want to see a smile on everyone’s face,” Chincharauli said. “Thank you, God, and thank you to the people of Ohio.”
