Dumond A.
Yelp
Found this place somewhat randomly online and eventually came here yesterday for a lunch date - and I am still struggling with how much food I've put into my body as a result, the next day.
Short version:
Great, really filling Georgian food in a nice establishment. Show up hungry.
Long version:
The reason we ordered that much food is because (a) we were totally unprepared for how hearty and filling the portions were, but mostly (b) because the food was so damned good and we just couldn't help ourselves.
Came in when it was absolutely pouring rain (and hail was coming down for the first since since I can remember in NYC), so we dashed in just in time to avoid getting totally soaked. There was exactly one table for 2 available, right next to the door, so we sat down and looked over their menu.
The only reason I'd be tempted to give them less than 5 stars is because the owners really need to step up their staffing - they only had two poor waiters to serve about 50 customers, split between their indoor and outdoor space. Service on their part was great (they were polite and prompt as they could be), but there was only so much they could do - food was a bit slow to come out, the door was always left open (which was an issue, right after a thunderstorm in mid-November), and we had to remind them of our drink orders a couple times. But again, since it was just two waitresses, we certainly tried not to be jerks about it either. A few customers showed up after we did, waited for 10-15 minutes to be seated, and eventually gave up - their loss, considering how good the food is.
That said, the space indoors (when the door is closed and you're nice and warm) is nice and cozy without being cramped, and they have a really neat bathroom with plenty of books for adults and kids for some reason - and black walls that you can write on, with a bucket of chalk they provide. Neat!
So yeah, onto the food. Keep one thing in mind: they do not mess around with their portions.
We ordered the Khinkali Soup Dumplings and a bowl of warm Borscht with beef as an appetizer / small entree, to start us off - without realizing that was already enough to feed two people, and maybe leave room for dessert. The soup had plenty of meat and two slices of their home-made bread for dipping, and the dumplings were stuffed with beef and special Georgian spices. These were the thickest dumplings I'd ever tried, a lot chewier and harder to cut through than any Asian or Polish dumplings I've eaten before - and they were very tasty.
We both wanted our own cheeseboat, so we could get to try different types, so we ordered 2 - and luckily the boats showed up fairly quickly, because we were about halfway through our appetizers. We got a doggy bag for the dumplings we hadn't eaten yet, and tried to take on these boats.
She got the Shkmeruli Chicken boat, and I got the Steak 'n' Egg boat. It's...pretty much exactly what you would expect. A "boat" of delicious home-made bread that has a thick layer of melted cheese (part mozzarella, part feta), and the other ingredients are bedded on top. They have about a dozen options to choose from, including vegetarian or pescatarian options, but most of them have some form of meat.
The quality is exactly why this place is highly rated, and why I'd be happy to come back despite their prices not being exactly cheap.
Once you factor in how much damned food there is in each boat, however, it becomes less expensive - as long as you order just one boat for two people, or avoid the appetizers. A single boat is seriously enough for a date, trust me.
We also ordered a shot of their Chacha (Georgian brandy, strong stuff) and some hot mulled wine, which helped us digest the food a bit.
Eventually managed to struggle from our seats and go for a walk. At that point, finally a third server showed up - it was mid-afternoon at that point though, and they may have been prepping for the dinner rush.
I'm really glad we tried the place out, was a fun and memorable weekend experience - yet another great restaurant in Greenpoint for us to come back to.