Yesterday was pretty cool. There was a press conference that I attended, where several folks fielded questions from the Russian media about why Open Source is a good idea. The questions were really good, and the answers very coherent. I'm coming to really understand that Open Source makes even more sense in non-US places than it does in the USA, for all the reasons that have nothing to do with monetary cost.
At the end of the day, several of us went off in search of dinner. We went down Arbat, and came to a Georgian place. Fortunately, Henri was with us, since none of the rest of us were able to communicate beyond the level of grunts. Even more importantly, he knew what to order. It was fantastic. I wish I could remember what everything was called.
By the time we came back, it was somewhere around midnight. 4 of us went to a cafe to chat some more. It was after 1 by the time I got to bed, but I was still up at 6.
I still can't get used to the idea that I'm in Russia. Walking down Arbat last night was just great. I hope to get to the Kremlin and St. Basil's this evening, but I understand they are all closed off in preparation for Victory Day, as well as for the visit of Mr. Bush.
Time to go attend the opening talks.
The things we had in the Georgian restaurant were
khatchapuri (cheese bread), khinkali (meat dumplings) and shashlik (meat on the stick).
A very nice dinner although the restaurant looked quite cheesy. A shame we don't have any Georgian restaurants here in Helsinki...
/Henri
PS. The wine was Saperavi from the Genatsvale region, if I remember correctly. I would've liked the wines from Kakheti region more, but unfortunately they were quite prohibitively priced.
Ha, we went to that Georgian place too! (http://gallery.prwdot.org/arbatskaya/P1020238) My cousin took us there, it's just around the corner from her office in Old Arbat.
I was a Russian major in college and have spent years loving, cooking and understanding Georgian food. I was in Tbilisi in 1987 and would love tio go back. I would love to hear from other Georgian cooking enthusiasts, since I am one of very few in Cleveland, Ohio. And yes, we have lots of Russians here.
Thanks for your input,
Pat
Fell in love with Georgian food in Petersburg last year... Colchida reataurant at the cemetery end of Nevsky Prospekt. Wonderful meal. Bought "The Georgian feast" by Darra Goldstein for Xmas, and am trying out the fascinating recipes. Tsatsivi is hard to get right... grinding walnuts fine enough is a problem!.
We had excellent Mukuzani wine in Petersburg. Tried the one Georgian restaurant in London last month... Tbilisi in Holloway Road... superb. Tried Old Tbilisi semi-sweet red wine too... different, but very good too. They claim the oldest evidence of wine-making is in Georgia (other nations make similar claims) but the food is so very good I'll give them the benefit of any doubt... fresh, healthy, full of flavour, and a joy, sometimes lengthy, to cook.