I’d kind of stopped writing my seasonal favorites, but if there’s any time that the shining stars deserve a shout-out it’s 2020. Here are some of the cool new things and businesses that have been creative and awesome and brought bright spots to a weird year. Maybe they’ll help with your holiday gifts or celebrations!
(In alphabetical order, not playing favorites within the favorites)
Agro Meat Market Looking for lamb or mutton? Craving English-style bangers? This South African-run farm will bring them to your door. (They also now have retail locations in Tbilisi, but I haven’t visited yet). Their products are good quality and the prices are reasonable. Stocking our freezer with their products before the lockdown was one of the smartest things we did.
Bagelin.ge It’s long been a joke among ex-pats that Tbilisi would be perfect if only we could get bagels and Mexican food. Bagelin is taking care of part 1 (actually, the chef makes great Mexican food, too, but only occasionally…keep your eye out). The order in advance and pick-up/delivery model is pandemic-friendly, and the bagels are delicious. They’re just what bagels should be–both traditional and Georgian-inspired flavors. They’ve also got their own spreads and drinks from local microbreweries. Additionally, they value supporting their employees, local agriculture, and good causes like the Transcaucasian Trail. Located within Lokal, listed below.
Chveni Puri is a new bakery in our neighborhood. The brilliance of the place is that it’s a walk-up kiosk, so you don’t have to go inside to buy. Bread is the limiting factor to reducing grocery trips in our house (and I assume many Georgian homes), so it’s particularly suited to 2020. Their bread is also really good, and they sell amazing chocolate buns and whole-grain crackers.
Dighomi Forest Park is different than most of the city’s other big parks. Tbilisi parks tend to be manicured and full of amenities, which can be nice, but Dighomi Forest Park, which is basically just trees and grass with some trails and benches, is a literal breath of fresh air. It’s usually busy, but you can always find a place away from everyone else.
The Great Central Asian Bake-Off #GCABO: A social media baking contest sponsored by the Uzbekistan tourism ambassador and the cookbook writer Caroline Eden to promote her new book Red Sands had people all over the world (myself included) trying their hand at making Central Asian baked goods: non, samsa, peach cake, and bread pudding, as well as a “showstopper” of their choice. The showstoppers were really incredible! Cakes decorated like hats and bus stops and beautiful cookies. Some of my friends participated, too, and it was great fun to try new recipes and see how other people had made them. I learned a lot about Central Asia and had a lot of fun; I’d love to see other countries/cookbook authors steal this idea, and hope we have round 2 next year.
International Georgian Wine Tasting from Eat This! Tours is the best Zoom event I’ve attended. It was well-organized, which is of course key, but what made it really special was that they had wine suppliers in both the US and Georgia, so I was able to attend the event with my parents and some family friends in the US. Baia’s and Gvantsa’s Wines are delicious! Would love to do another event like this (hint,hint if you read this)
Lokal Tbilisi describes itself as a co-working and co-living space, but not just..and the “not just” is where things get interesting. They quickly became the coolest place to hang out, hosting all sorts of fun and interesting events ranging from family dinners cooked by the Bagelin guy, to beer festivals, to lectures on taxes, and everything you can imagine in between. They now host our BookSwap group (and have shelves for those who can’t attend the meetings) and offer a great place to relax and see a friendly face when the restrictions allow. They’ve become a cornerstone of the English-speaking community in Tbilisi. They are meticulous about following the Georgian CDC’s hygiene recommendations so I always felt safe going there when it was allowed, and now that they aren’t allowed to have in-person events, they are using their space to collect charitable donations; keep an eye out for potential online events. If you’re looking for a place to live or work, you should definitely check them out. If not, there’s probably an interesting event going on.
Megobrebi Brewery I discovered them last year, and in February I heard that they offered free tours of the brewery, so some friends and I arranged to visit. That turned out to be one of the last things we did in the old normal. Their beers are creative and delicious, and they’ve been creative through the pandemic, offering deliveries and online homebrewing classes. Their tarragon beer is my favorite, but I think they’re all pretty good and I’m not usually a beer drinker, so that’s quite an endorsement.
Soplidan.ge I was a customer before the pandemic, but they really took the opportunity to expand their offerings and services and make a good company even better. They saved Thanksgiving by having turkey available with no fuss, and they generally have a good assortment of hard-to-find local products (spinach, leeks) and gems from small producers. They also carry the Georgian heritage wheat flour (called lomtagora) that I love, and some very tasty nut butters and goat cheese. Also available on the Wolt Delivery App.
Travel Box (read my whole post here…such a fun and creative way of supporting the domestic tourism industry until international tourists can return)
Wine Junkies Another “box”, this time of Georgian wine and treats. I don’t think we’ve ever had a product we didn’t like in their boxes, and everything is packaged very prettily so it feels like Christmas morning once a month. It’s a great way to explore Georgian food and wine, and they’re supporting small producers making high quality products, something I think we’d all love to see more of! In addition to their regular boxes, they’ve now got a special series of boxes raising money for Dog Organization of Georgia.
Cookies and The Caucasus 