POMEGRANATE


CRUISING THE CAUCASUS Russian Georgian Restaurant


by david vera Georgia and Russia may have been at odds in the


past, but for two years their local ambassadors here in North Park have filled hungry stomachs with a startling array of flavors that you wouldn’t expect from this merger of cultures. If you think of Russia and picture nothing more than a gloomy pile of potatoes, beets and a jug of vodka, you couldn’t be more mistaken. The generous staff and management pre- sented us with the most luxurious, refreshingly non- Californian meal we’ve enjoyed in quite a while. Best of all, their sincere hospitality made us feel as though we were being welcomed to dine in the home of a good friend—a friend whose walls are replete with hand-written compliments on the cooking. Classic Russian staples and Georgian spices converge to cre- ate a delicious anthology of culinary mash-ups that we’re sure you’ll enjoy. Owner Dmitriy Shteynbuk is the frontman of this


gastronomic group—having escaped a stint in law school back home in Latvia. “I marinate meat, I cut shish kabob…but mainly I’m the public relations guy,” said Shteynbuk. “At one point there were two [other owners]; one older gentleman, he was Czeck, the other one was from Georgia. Then the man from Georgia offered to go into business with me to open this place as an Eastern European restaurant. Down the line, the place next door became available so we grabbed it. We decided to merge both businesses.” This explains the two-room setup of the restaurant.


Excellent mood-setting music varies from folk melo- dies to campy Euro-pop and it lets you know you’re in for something completely out of the ordinary—and thankfully so. Many ingredients on Pomegranate’s recipe cards will be completely foreign—and notably difficult to pronounce—for many Southern Califor- nians. What’s even more demanding is the hunt for those very components that make the offerings on this menu so special. “Getting the right ingredients is extremely diffi-


cult,” admitted Shteynbuk. “There is a Georgian spice called khmeli suneli that consists of 12 other spices. I can buy all 12 spices separately but the taste is not the same. Even when I buy tomatoes and cucumbers, they look awesome. Sometimes they even have a


wonderful smell. But when it comes to taste, plastic tomatoes taste better.” Clearly quality is a very important factor to the staff


of Pomegranate. One may wonder as to why this res- taurateur hasn’t considered opening such a business where food from Eurasia is more recognizable—say, New York for example. “New York is not a good example of Russian cuisine,”


said Shteynbuk. They have so many [restaurants] and 90 percent of them are embarrassing. I’ve been living in American for almost 12 years. I spent eight months in New York—it’s a great city, but I wanted something else. I was overwhelmed…I wasn’t ready. Don’t have a family but I’m a very family-oriented guy. I wanted something more quiet…but not New Jersey or Staten Island.” San Diego’s climate certainly does lend itself to


a wider array of locally grown produce. And Chef Dzmitry Sakaliuk utilizes it quite well. As we scanned the menu, Owner Shteynbuk proposed that we relax and let the kitchen staff select a sequence of dishes that best embodies the spirit of Pomegranate. We were not disappointed. Our first offering was a hearty vegetarian Borscht


presented with pumpernickel bread and herb butter. This was my first time trying the vibrant fuschia- colored stew. I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting such a pleasant balance in flavors. It warmed us right up from the rainy gloom just outside. Our Salad Sample Platter consisted of a richly


sweet Kavkaz Beet Salad with walnuts, a complex and elegantly spiced eggplant salad called Ikra Badrijannaya and a bright and crisp slaw calledSalat Vesna which translates to “spring salad.” I could have eaten heaping platefuls of all three, but I had a feeling there were many more delectable dishes to come. A most welcomed surprised was the gracefully


flavored wine-based Vodka Shot served with ador- ably small Gherkin Pickles that had a nice kick to them—definitely refreshing and complementary to the following course: Beef Stroganoff. Now, I know many of you will have no choice but to picture a box of dehydrated egg noodles and a paper packet of what can only be described as flavored salt. Please


note that this is not your fault. Blame America. Thank- fully, what we were served was a formidable portion of tender beef steak and quartered potatoes drizzled with a perfectly seasoned gravy that could melt your knees. Not too rich or heavy, this was a great anchor to sate our hunger while leaving room for the rest of dinner. Next was what I believe to be the pièce de résistance: theChicken Tabaka is a flattened Cornish game hen, fried, smothered in garlic and spices, drizzled appropriately with a tart pomegranate sauce and set ablaze on the way to your table. Seduc- tive blue flames lick the bird and further crisp the skin to create not only a gorgeously textured entrée, but a table-top lightshow as well. And the taste…comfort with a dazzling twinge thanks to the caramelized pomegranate sauce. Accompanied by the Olivier from the salad portion of the menu, this course was the most texturally impressive so far. …AND THEN CAME DESSERT Two plates of sheer decadence: Babushka’s Surprise and theMedovik Torte. The first surrounds a melt-in-your-mouth spiced and baked apple with honey-kissed stone-fruits and toasted walnuts, almost making us forget that there was another plate on the table ready to be experienced. Of course we couldn’t ignore the torte for very long, as its artful plating beckoned our senses. Russian honey cake is how it’s described on the menu, but it’s so much more. The delicate zest of lemon in the dreamy filling permeates each layer of moist, thin-sliced cake and the spiced pears add a nice graininess to the dish. Both desserts are served with a liberal scoop of ice cream to lighten up the flavors. And while I’m sure they’re portioned for two to share, don’t be surprised if these offerings make you reexamine your ordinarily generous nature. Happy travels! And don’t forget to write… on the wall!


Pomegranate Russian-Georgian Restaurant is located at 2312 El Cajon Boulevard between Louisiana Sreet and Texas Street. Call 619.298.4007 for information and reservations or visit russiangeorgianfood.homestead.com for a complete menu and related links.


MAY 2012 | RAGE monthly 59


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