The Flight of the Butterfly
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By Indira Gumarova
Situated in a Park Avenue brownstone, Pepela (“butterfly” in Georgian), is an upscale restaurant featuring authentic Georgian food. After opening last year, it quickly earned international respect for its sophisticated cuisine, ultra-chic atmosphere, private label wines, satisfying portions and very personal warmth from the owner and restaurant staff.
The restaurant space has the feel of a gorgeous mansion, with two levels, where each room reflects a different mood: On the entrance floor is a cozy bar/lounge which is aglow in soft light. Downstairs, the dining room is dimly lit with luxurious chandeliers and reflects a sense of magical interplay with the butterflies on the wall, while purple upholstery and white tablecloths bespeak a design sense that is both beautiful and modern. It can also accommodate up to 200 people for a corporate event, or a wedding party.
Award-winning Chef, Malkhaz Maisashvili, who was born and raised in Georgia and explored Western cooking in France and Zurich, likes to serve healthy-sized portions, and laughs off food critics who complain about portions “too big for fancy restaurants.”
“Not only do I honor every customer by making sure they are fully satisfied when they leave the table, I also honor Georgian food culture, since it is a distinct tradition of Georgian people to serve a lot.”
Georgian dishes reflect the nation's geography, as the country is located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. I recommend starting with the Mixed Appetizer Plate (eggplant rolls, sweet peppers with walnut paste and carrots, beets with walnut and Georgian Spices) and the Khachapuri (legendary Georgian baked flat cheese bread).
Moving on to the mains, the Kubdari (round meat pie with ground beef baked inside thin dough, the Buglama of Salmon (pan fried pieces of salmon cooked with tomatoes, fresh greens and white wine served with rice and olives) and Khinkali (Traditional Georgian Dumplings with Juicy Meat) will surely satisfy even the most stringent epicurean adventurer.
Gabriel Boter, one of the restaurant’s owners, was instrumental in realizing the vision of Pepela, as his work on the interior design was tireless.
“Inspired by the world I saw in my travels, I wanted to create a concept for the restaurant where the food is a getaway to Georgia, my native country, but the ambiance is decidedly more global and less indigenous. From my personal experience, I know that when the design of the restaurant is not driven by the menu, the food surprises guests even more, especially if they have never tried traditional Georgian food.” continues Gabriel. “The name “Pepela” I came up with while I was flying around the world like a butterfly—careless, free, living in France and Italy for years before I settled down in New York.”
The richness of Georgian wines attracts wine lovers and those who try Georgian wine once, return to try it again and again. The Georgian winemaking tradition started 8,000 years ago, and some authorities even claim that this was wine's birthplace. Wine has a central place of honor in Georgian culture. Suggested wines at Pepela are Kindzmarauli, Khvanchkara, Rkaciteli and Belii.
Pepela has attained celebrity status as presidents, models and artists quickly justified all of the buzz created at the restaurant’s opening. “It is not just a restaurant, it is an experience. It is a place to see and be seen. Every time I eat at Pepela, I feel I am at a good friend's elegant dinner party,” says a regular customer who did not want her name published.
Pepela often features live music and offers special discount events throughout the year to accommodate every customer’s budget. In addition, it is an excellent location for the solo diner.
www.pepelanewyork.com
Situated in a Park Avenue brownstone, Pepela (“butterfly” in Georgian), is an upscale restaurant featuring authentic Georgian food. After opening last year, it quickly earned international respect for its sophisticated cuisine, ultra-chic atmosphere, private label wines, satisfying portions and very personal warmth from the owner and restaurant staff.
The restaurant space has the feel of a gorgeous mansion, with two levels, where each room reflects a different mood: On the entrance floor is a cozy bar/lounge which is aglow in soft light. Downstairs, the dining room is dimly lit with luxurious chandeliers and reflects a sense of magical interplay with the butterflies on the wall, while purple upholstery and white tablecloths bespeak a design sense that is both beautiful and modern. It can also accommodate up to 200 people for a corporate event, or a wedding party.
Award-winning Chef, Malkhaz Maisashvili, who was born and raised in Georgia and explored Western cooking in France and Zurich, likes to serve healthy-sized portions, and laughs off food critics who complain about portions “too big for fancy restaurants.”
“Not only do I honor every customer by making sure they are fully satisfied when they leave the table, I also honor Georgian food culture, since it is a distinct tradition of Georgian people to serve a lot.”
Georgian dishes reflect the nation's geography, as the country is located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. I recommend starting with the Mixed Appetizer Plate (eggplant rolls, sweet peppers with walnut paste and carrots, beets with walnut and Georgian Spices) and the Khachapuri (legendary Georgian baked flat cheese bread).
Moving on to the mains, the Kubdari (round meat pie with ground beef baked inside thin dough, the Buglama of Salmon (pan fried pieces of salmon cooked with tomatoes, fresh greens and white wine served with rice and olives) and Khinkali (Traditional Georgian Dumplings with Juicy Meat) will surely satisfy even the most stringent epicurean adventurer.
Gabriel Boter, one of the restaurant’s owners, was instrumental in realizing the vision of Pepela, as his work on the interior design was tireless.
“Inspired by the world I saw in my travels, I wanted to create a concept for the restaurant where the food is a getaway to Georgia, my native country, but the ambiance is decidedly more global and less indigenous. From my personal experience, I know that when the design of the restaurant is not driven by the menu, the food surprises guests even more, especially if they have never tried traditional Georgian food.” continues Gabriel. “The name “Pepela” I came up with while I was flying around the world like a butterfly—careless, free, living in France and Italy for years before I settled down in New York.”
The richness of Georgian wines attracts wine lovers and those who try Georgian wine once, return to try it again and again. The Georgian winemaking tradition started 8,000 years ago, and some authorities even claim that this was wine's birthplace. Wine has a central place of honor in Georgian culture. Suggested wines at Pepela are Kindzmarauli, Khvanchkara, Rkaciteli and Belii.
Pepela has attained celebrity status as presidents, models and artists quickly justified all of the buzz created at the restaurant’s opening. “It is not just a restaurant, it is an experience. It is a place to see and be seen. Every time I eat at Pepela, I feel I am at a good friend's elegant dinner party,” says a regular customer who did not want her name published.
Pepela often features live music and offers special discount events throughout the year to accommodate every customer’s budget. In addition, it is an excellent location for the solo diner.
www.pepelanewyork.com
