New Georgian Restaurant to open in D.C.

By Mariam Chanishvili

Tuesday, January 14

<i>Tabla</i> will bring a taste of Georgia to the Park View neighborhood of Washington, D.C. by the late winter 2020.

<i>Supra</i> is the first Georgian restaurant in Washington, D.C.

The number of Georgian restaurants abroad is increasing gradually.

Various Georgian restaurants are operating in the US, including Kargi Gogo and Supra.

Supra is the first Georgian restaurant in Washington, D.C. taking its name from the Georgian word for 'celebratory feast.'

Jonathan and Laura Nelms, owners of Supra, announced the opening of DC’s second Georgian restaurant Tabla in 2020.

Chef Lonnie Zoeller and the Supra culinary team (including Georgia native Ani Kandelaki) will offer the menu focusing on two directions: Khinkali (meat dumplings) and Khachapuri (Georgian cheese bread).

Tabla will also offer Georgian wine selection with Georgian-inspired cocktail program, Georgian soft drinks and a selection of local and imported beers.

The 75-seat space will be located at Lamont Street and Georgia Avenue in the Park View/Petworth neighborhood. The restaurant features an open view of the kitchen. 2Scale Interiors, who designed Supra, are designing the 2,000 sq. foot space. An artwork embellishing the interior will feature the work of LAMB, one of Tbilisi’s famous street artists, known for featuring lamb eating Khinkali.

Tabla will be open seven days a week, serving a late breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner.

“Supra’s co-founder, Jonathan Nelms, is excited to expand the presence of Georgian food and wine in D.C. Jonathan’s interest in the region began in 1990 with a teenage friendship with a Georgian exchange student, who inspired him to embark on his exchange year in then the Soviet Union. It was during this time that Jonathan had his first exposure to Georgian food and wine, a cultural passion,” reads the information of the restaurant.

Georgian cuisine is becoming very popular all over the world. It is noteworthy that the restaurant is also vegetarian-friendly.

A distinctive feature of Georgian national cuisine is various sauces used to serve with first and second courses. All Georgian sauces are cooked from natural components: vegetables and spices as well as berry and fruit juices. Tomatoes, pomegranate, sloe berry, and tkemali are also often used.

Another distinctive feature of Georgian cuisine is the plentiful use of cheeses. The structure of cheeses is very specific yet varied.