If you have no idea where the country of Georgia is, welcome to the club. It took a Google search for me to discover that the country, approximately the size of South Carolina, is actually part of both Europe and Asia. Luckily, you don’t need to know any of this to thoroughly enjoy Badageoni in Mount Kisco.
Badageoni is the only Georgian restaurant in Westchester County. The 65-seat restaurant is owned by siblings Inga Duignan and Giga Jankarashvili. So what exactly is Georgian cuisine, you ask? Based on its geographic location, Georgian food is influenced by the Mediterranean, Turkey and the Middle East. However, after dining at Badageoni, I can say the food is like nothing I’ve eaten before.
What should you order?
Khachapuri is a Georgian cheese bread and Badageoni serves five different varieties. We opted for Adjaruli Khachapuri because it was the first one listed. We figured this would make it the most popular and perhaps the most traditional choice ($15). This “cheese boat” is stuffed with a hot river of cheese and can be topped with a sunny side egg, which we opted not to get. It is served blazing hot from the oven, finished with pats of butter. The server directed us to mix it all up before eating. In the family of cheesy bread, I would say its closest relative is the calzone.
Badageoni serves several cold plates, most of which are vegetarian. We opted for Pkhali Rolls, eggplant and sweet peppers stuffed with walnuts and Georgian spices and garnished with pomegranate seeds ($15). The 3 eggplant rolls and 4 stuffed peppers along with a piece of Georgian cornbread was perfect for two of us. However, I’d likely order another appetizer if there were additional diners with us.
Khinkali is the national dish of Georgia. We ordered the Potato Khinkali, potato dumplings served with fried onions and yogurt sauce ($16). It was terrific. Although, in hindsight, I wish I had ordered the basic Khinkali as it is the more traditional dish. It is the Georgian version of the soup dumpling and we generally like to order the most representative dish whenever possible.
You break the pastry crust with your spoon and inside is a piping hot crock of dumplings and onions in yogurt sauce. These potato dumplings are not filled and have a similar texture and taste to a soft gnocchi. The yogurt sauce is creamy with a slight tang.
The dessert menu is fairly limited with only four choices: ice cream, ice cream with meringue and caramel, napoleon or badageoni. The server noted that the badageoni is similar to a panna cotta, which sounded interesting. Plus, it’s named after the restaurant. However, when I debated between the napoleon or the badageoni, she recommended the napoleon. We went her expert opinion.
The napoleon ($14) was delicious. I haven’t had napoleon in ages! And the serving was large enough for sharing. My husband and I each had a generous piece and we still had half to bring home for the kids. Georgian desserts are traditionally nut and/or fruit based, so I was surprised not to find a more diverse selection of sweets.
Badageoni is a recipient of a Michelin Bib Gourmand. This award is given to restaurants that serve delicious food at reasonable prices. While my husband and I are vegetarians, there are a variety of meat dishes served here. From charcoal-grilled meats (Mtsvadi) to signature dishes like Chakapuli (slow-cooked lamb in white wine with tarragon, scallions and herbs) and Tabaka (fried crispy cornish hen) ,there is something for everyone. While vegetarians can find plenty to eat here, vegans have a more limited selection.
Fall and winter are a great time to visit this restaurant. Many of the dishes are heavy on bread, cheese and pastry, which are perfect comfort foods for cold, dark evenings!
The Details:
Badageoni Georgian Cuisine
website
26 East Main Street
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 864-1666
Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 12 PM – 9 PM
Friday – Sunday: 12 PM – 10 PM
Closed Wednesdays
Parking: Street parking in front of the restaurant and a municipal parking lot behind the restaurant (free parking on weekends)
Price: $$ (expect to pay around $100 for two people to dine, (appetizer, khachapuri, two entrees and dessert) not including drinks) Portions are large enough to share an appetizer and/or dessert.