Pomegranate Russian-Georgian Restaurant
2302 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104 619-297-4007 Open 7 evenings a week 5-10pm
Once upon a time in the West ... on the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and Louisiana Street, there appeared a Russian-Georgian restaurant. Our food is robust, for heroes of the table, as our motto amply testifies: "Borscht by the bucket, vodka by the inch." Our service is "Allegro ma non troppo!" As for parking, it is positively Darwinian: survival of the fittest.
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RESTAURANT MENU
20 vegetarian dishes (and those which can be made vegetarian) are now flagged with a green "V".
APPETIZERS -- ZAKUSKI
V Ajap Sandali: A traditional Georgian vegetarian ragout -- eggplant, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, herbs, khmeli-suneli seasoning, our improvement to Western civilization. Appetizer $6.75, Entree $9.85
V Salat Olivier with or without chicken: Perhaps the most typical of Russian salads. One of Napoleon's few conquests in Russia. Try it! $8.50
Pelmeni: Siberian meat dumplings, garnished with yogurt and spicy condiments. (A great idea -- have a cup of real Russian tea from our samovar to compliment this true folk dish.) $7.50
Fish Pelmeni: Filled with a mixture of salmon and chicken. Exquisite! $8.50
V Khachapuri: Cheese pie. "Life without khachapuri is a pure waste." Evokes passionate praise from the lips of any Georgian. A medley of exotic fillings folded into a dough crust. (A hot samovar tea or a light wine
will put you into an agreeable mood.) $6.50
V Lobio: Beans! We love it. And with walnuts, ah... It is eaten to set the appetite going. $6.75
V Pkhali: A well-known Kavkaz mountain appetizer of finely cut vegetables and herbs married with lemon and garlic. Sometimes the mountain folk add beets and walnuts to this sprightly peasant dish. $6.50
V Georgian green salad with cheese: A zesty introduction to your main course. $10.50
V Georgian Eggplant Salat: Try this dish once and your wife will never see you again...grumbling. $9.75
V Salat Vesna: Salad made of fresh cabbage with berries, herbs, and a serious love. $7.75
V Ikra Badrijannaya: the poor man's caviar. A vegetarian's dream of heaven when in hell. $8.50
V Khinkali: Peasant-style meat or vegetarian dumplings. (A serious crime is committed by not ordering a glass of beer with this mountain delight.) $7.75
V Vareniki: Potato-onion or potato-cheese dumplings. An extraordinary dish, especially if you're from Odessa! $8.25
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP!
Borscht: Almost a meal in itself. Beet roots, potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables and meats are simmered for hours to produce culinary magic. Served with a dollop of sour cream, at your pleasure. $8.75
V Vegan Borscht: "All borscht to the people!" $8.50
Peter the Great Schi: Russian peasant soup with bread on the side. A secret enjoyment of nobility. $9.75
Jon's Soup: A reflection of Jon's mood. Seasonally adjusted to the Tbilisi stock exchange. Please ask.
V Cold Okroshka: Yogurt and herbs and our love. Oh, baby! $8.25
IT DON'T MEAN A THING IF YOU AIN'T GOT THAT SWING!
Russian BBQ: Beef. Platter with two sides: choice of potatoes, kasha, Red October. $14.50
Georgian BBQ: Pork. Platter with two sides: choice of potatoes, kasha, Red October. $14.51
FOR A FISTFUL OF RUBLES...
Golubtsi: Village-style cabbage rolls, filled with a ground beef mixture and simmered in beef stock, to which sour cream is added just before serving to create a rich broth. $15.50
Chakhokhbili: "Georgian Eagle" -- Another peasant specialty, this chicken casserole will make your mouth water. Large pieces of chicken simmered with onions, tomatoes, bay leaves, lemons and sometimes a little sherry -- plus, of course, the Chef's secret spices. Even Stalin melted at the prospect of this aromatic dish.
(Try a glass of young red wine with it and you'll fly like an eagle.) $15.70
FOR A FEW RUBLES MORE...
Chicken Tabaka: Pressed fried Cornish hen, split down the middle and fried under a flat river rock. The ultimate definition of tenderness. (A strong Russian tea or a bottle of Cabernet will put you in a pensive mood. "How wonderful the world is!" Allow approximately 20 minutes for us to catch a chicken first.) $17.50
Zharkoyie: This tradition and recipe comes to you directly from the times of Ivan the Terrible. Braised beef (unfortunately, we can't get bear meat) with onions, dried fruit and our "far-away" spices. (This Hunter's Joy cries out for a good red wine and a long, slow meal over which you'll want to recollect the good times and dream of those that are to come.) $17.50
Chanakhi: In Georgia, it's "wine, women, song -- and chanakhi!" Wherever friends gather for good conversation, well-aged red wine and good true fellowship, this festive food is served. It's a lamb stew seasoned with the aromatic spices most characteristic of Georgian cooking. $18.60
Roast Leg of Lamb: A feast for lovers, young and old -- quintessence of lamb prepared in the finest tradition of our cuisine. With village-style potatoes. You'll never forget this dish. $24.50
Beef Stroganoff: Try this indulgent yet restrained marvel. Russia's claim to fame. $19.50
V Vegetarian Stroganoff: Unbelievably delicious! $16.50
Chakapuli: A celebration of spring in your heart! Lamb, onions, tarragon, wine, plum sauce. (Should any be left over, it is best on the second day; or on the seventh day -- when God created Georgia!) $18.50
V Shashlik [Served on Fridays and Saturdays only -- allow 25 minutes.]: Your choice of meats or vegetarian style marinated in yogurt or pomegranate juice and grilled over prunings that give shashlik its tantalizing aroma. It is said that this dish saved the accord in 1944 in Yalta between Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt.
Pork Loin or Chicken $16.50 Vegetarian $11.50 Lamb $21.50
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST...
If you ask nicely, and if you deserve them, the Chef will cook some of these delectable peasant dishes for you: Kartoshka Po-Derevenski, Red Cabbage Salad with Cranberries, Kasha, Roasted Pepper Salad,
Roasted Eggplants with Walnuts and Pomegranates. Ask your waitress for an explanation.
HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN...
Smoked Rainbow Trout or Smoked Salmon: Salmon or trout is smoked over a slow hardwood fire in the Georgian mountain style. Taste this gourmet treat and die happy. Market price varies unless the Chef goes fishing himself. Around $18.50
LA DOLCE VITA or EYES WIDE SHUT
Babushka's Surprise: A fresh-baked apple filled with sweet fruits, walnuts and honey; topped with ice cream. $5.50
Toad Sweat Ice Cream: Not for the faint of heart! $5.75
Kutuzov Soup Vishnya: Wild cherry soup. Captures the heights of pleasure. $6.50
Napoleon Torte: Escape with this sinful retreat. $7.75
Zhukov Torte: Overwhelms the defenses of all your senses. $6.25
Turkish Coffee: Our Turkish coffee is black as night, hot as love, sweet as sin, and powerful as damnation. The perfect way to end your evening meal. $5.50
Russian Samovar Tea: Watch the Russian way of tea drinking. $3.50
We carry Blenheim sodas! Ginger Ales! Cheerwine, the ladies' afternoon delight. Our sodas are: scary; extra strength; and drop dead! $4.75
We cater to the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 619-297-For-James-Bond (4007)
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