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Khachapuri: The Butter Topped, Cheese-Stuffed Bread Vessel Of Your Dreams
By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 29, 2014
Modified Apr 29, 2014
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Apr 29, 2014
Modified Apr 29, 2014
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Khachapuri is pronounced like this, but let's just call it by its other, perfectly Americanized name: butter pizza. This is what a writer at WaPo recently dubbed it after trying it at a new spot in D.C. And just look at it, who could disagree with that assessment?
Khachapuri at NYC's Pirosmani. (Gothamist)
Okay, maybe it's more of a butter calzone. Or a bread vessel carrying delicious passengers like butter, cheese, and eggs. It is a simple dish that your hungover brain has probably dreamed up a thousand times while your starved body lay stranded on the food-barren island of your bed. Each one is like a fleeting sculpture built in tribute to Comfort Food.
The Georgian dish can be found throughout New York, though it may be tougher to come by outside of neighborhoods like Brighton Beach, Rego Park, Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, and Gravesend. It is, however, available at the celebrated East Village spot Oda House, which specializes in Georgian cuisine. They don't skimp on the butter, either:
Oda House's Khachapuri. (Yelp)
In Brighton Beach, you can hit up a bevy of places, but definitely stop by Georgian Bread—below, Serious Eats looks at their bread baking process, as the owner discusses the magical dish:
Over in Sheepshead Bay, check out Pirosmani, where the flatbread is filled with a tangy, melty suluguni cheese. It's pictured above, and we can personally vouch for it. Speaking of photos, here's what khachapuri looks like when it's all mixed up (which you should do before dunking your ripped off pieces of bread in)... and since each khachapuri is like a unique, caloric snowflake, this one's from Rego Park's Marani:
Marani's khachapuri. (Yelp)
You can seek out your khachapuri, but maybe it's best if you just let it find you—if you pass by a spot specializing in Russian/Georgian cuisine, it's sure to be on the menu.
Tagged
butter pizza
comfort food
khachapuri
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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