By ROGER GRODY
GEORGIAN CUISINE—NOT fried green tomatoes or peach cobbler but khachapuri and mtsvadi from the European republic of Georgia—is well worth discovering. Pasadena’s recently opened Deda (“mother” in Georgian), just a short walk from Pasadena Playhouse, provides a proper introduction.
The restaurant is ensconced in an attractive South Lake Avenue space that previously housed Del Frisco’s Grille and short-lived Le Grand. At Deda, guests settle into roomy, comfortable booths illuminated by contemporary lighting fixtures; distinctive Georgian movie posters line the walls.
A square bar, a fine spot for an afterhours tarragoninfused libation, is on one side of the restaurant, while additional tables occupy a covered sidewalk patio, buffered from strolling pedestrians.
For those who appreciate the cuisines of Armenia, Russia or Ukraine, Georgian food will be vaguely familiar, although it tends to feature more robust and herb-forward seasoning than those regional neighbors. Pkhali mezze is Georgia’s answer to a hummus selection, a trio of walnut-laced spreads made from roasted bell peppers, beets and spinach, respectively, which pair well with the housebaked puri (baguette-like bread).
A quartet of spherical, crispy corn croquettes is filled with sulguni cheese and plated with mint-inflected yogurt sauce.
One of Georgia’s signature dishes—and one that has developed a bit of a cult following in L.A.—is khachapuri. The more iconic adjaruli khachapuri, a good way to warm up at Deda, is a boat-shaped crusty bread used as a vessel for molten cheese, topped with a seductive runny egg yolk. Another version of khachapuri offered here closely resembles an Italian pizza, sans tomato.
Among entrées are seared Atlantic salmon with a pomegranate glaze, accompanied by cheesy mashed potatoes, and wild boar sausage presented on a pedestal of lobio, a traditional Georgian bean stew. Among the best dishes is the tarragonand paprika-scented shkmeruli, a generous serving of tender, juicy chicken (or tiger shrimps if preferred) bathed in a creamy garlic sauce well worth mopping up with the house bread. Khinkali—soft, oversized dumplings typically filled with spiced meat and steaming broth, not too unlike Chinese xiao long bao—are elevated here with minced Wagyu beef.
The bar dispenses cocktails consistent with the cuisine but dressed up enough for a trendy nightspot. In addition to a decent selection of California wines, the reasonably priced list celebrates Georgia’s 8,000year tradition of winemaking. A couple dozen labels are presented, almost all of them offered by the glass for easy exploration.
Georgia was centuries ahead of the current “orange wine” trend, white wines whose extended skin-contact results in vibrant hues. Its reds, produced from indigenous grapes along the Black Sea coast, present flavor profiles akin to some classic Old World varietals.
Desserts include fluffy, sweet cream-filled Georgian doughnuts called ponchiki as well as more familiar items like pavlova with mango mousse and a very respectable Frenchstyle napoleon.
Deda has already been discovered by adventurous local diners and L.A.’s Georgian and Ukrainian communities. Interestingly, the restaurant reveals parallels between the cuisines of the European nation of Georgia and America’s Peach State. Both are proudly grounded in tradition, steeped in soul.
Read more stories at Performances Magazine Pasadena Playhouse October Issue
For more information about the restaurant, visit dedarestaurant.com
Address: Deda 55 S. Lake Ave. Pasadena
Phone: 626.995.3332
Photo credits: Photo courtesy of Performances Magazine Pasadena Playhouse October Issue
