Ekaterina Sudakova
Google
While on a trip to Connecticut, we stopped by Badageoni for a late lunch—and it turned out to be one of the best meals of our trip. We were starving, and the food hit every mark: comforting, hearty, and fresh. Though the portion sizes looked small, they were incredibly filling—any more and we would've been uncomfortably full. Here's what we had:
🍆 Pkhali Rolls
Eggplant and sweet peppers stuffed with walnut pâté
A small but deeply flavorful plate. The smoky eggplant paired beautifully with the slightly textured walnut pâté, offering a creamy and earthy balance to the oiliness of the eggplant. The sweet peppers almost had a pickled quality, bringing a sour contrast that cut through the richness. The highlight, however, was the cornbread patty—dense, creamy, and subtly sweet. Unlike American-style cornbread, it had a smoother texture and made the perfect palate cleanser between bites.
🥟 Mini Khinkali
Beef & pork dumplings in yogurt sauce, topped with puff pastry
This was the standout dish. Served in a small clay pot, the dumplings were tender and juicy, nestled in a tangy, rich yogurt sauce. The puff pastry lid trapped in steam and, once soaked in the sauce, turned into the perfect flaky companion to the dish. It was comforting, balanced, and unforgettable—I’ve thought about it every day since.
🍖 Chakapuli
Lamb stew with white wine, tarragon, scallions, sour plums & herbs, served with shoti bread
This was a unique and exciting dish. The combination of tarragon and sour plums was unlike anything I’ve had before. The stew was fragrant and bright, with the sour notes lifting the richness of the lamb and completely eliminating any gamey flavor. The white wine presence was a bit strong at first but mellowed with each bite. The shoti bread—baked in a traditional tone oven—was fresh, stretchy, and ideal for sopping up the broth.
We visited around 3 PM and had the place nearly to ourselves. The service was excellent—attentive, thoughtful, and well-paced. We were tempted by the dessert menu, which featured a variety of traditional cakes, but felt too full to commit to more bread-based options.
That said, I’d love to see a traditional Georgian tea service added to the menu—small cake slices with jam or muraba (like walnut or melon) would make a beautiful end to the meal. I also hope they’ll expand into other Georgian desserts like Churchkhela, Pelamushi, Tklapi, or Kaklucha to showcase more of Georgia’s culinary depth.
We can’t wait to return on our next trip and try even more of the menu.