Sochi’s Killer Cheese Bread

Are you as obsessed with the Olympics as I am?  Beautiful mountain scenery, good looking athletes, stray puppy adoptions—what’s not to love?  A month ago most of us would have been hard-pressed to pinpoint Sochi’s whereabouts on a map of Russia.  The city happens to be about as far southwest as you can get in the mammoth-sized country, nestled on the Black Sea just a stone’s throw from the border of Georgia.  In fact, if you’re looking for a taste of the Olympic host city’s cuisine before the games end, your best bet may actually be at a Georgian restaurant, as many of the former Soviet Socialist Republic’s regional dishes are also enjoyed in Sochi.  Even in a city with as much culinary diversity as New York, authentic Georgian food can be hard to find.  But thanks to one new East Village restaurant, enjoying an Olympics-themed feast just got a whole lot easier.

Traditional Georgian restaurant, Oda House (located in the East Village), just under a year old, serves one of Sochi’s (and Georgia’s) most beloved, must-try dishes: Khachapuri.  The traditional cheese bread comes in a variety of shapes and filling & topping combinations, with Adjaruli arguably being the most popular version.  This is the gourmet Old World hangover food of your dreams— a boat shaped bread whose center is composed entirely of cheese, butter, and one poached egg.  Tear off the outer crust and dip it into the oozing, bubbling pool of cheese for one rich fondue-like meal.

What makes Oda House’s Adjaruli so irresistible?  Perhaps it’s the perfectly baked, yeasty crust, golden brown and crisp on the outside, chewy and warm on the inside; or maybe it’s the decadent mix of two Georgian cheeses, tangy imeruli and salty sulguni (similar to feta and mozzarella, respectively).  It also doesn’t hurt that there’s half a stick of butter plopped down in the middle of this bacchanalia of carbs and dairy.  The restaurant prides itself on using organic farm ingredients, and I could swear the Adjaruli has only gotten better since I first tried it several months ago.  Luckily for all of us Olympics binge-watchers, Oda House does both takeout and delivery.  Order up before the February 23^rd Closing Ceremonies!

Oda House
76 Ave B
New York, NY 10009
(212) 353-3838