Dining
BY KATLYNN FOX
Sami Sumeli blends a mixture of Georgian and Eastern European avors to create a lineup of dishes for locals in search of the bold and herb- laced comfort food. A closer look Co-owner Olga Davydova grew up in Eastern Europe, where she enjoyed dining at Georgian restaurants along the West Coast. After moving to the Austin area over a decade ago with her husband, Andray Davydov, she realized that Texas lacked the homemade food she had grown accus- tomed to. “We didn’t have anything like this in Texas,” Davydova said. “We thought about it for a while, and we saw that people are really waiting for a restaurant like that.” Olga Davydova and Andray Davydov opened the restaurant last April after completing all of the inte- rior renovations themselves. They brought together a team of employees from Eastern Europe and a sous chef, who is from Georgia, to form a menu that blends Slavic and Turkish cuisine. “We have an educational mission here,” Davy- dova said. “Our servers are super attentive, and some of the meals that people see for the rst time, we explain what to do with them.” The menu The Sami Sumeli menu is made up of around 70% Georgian dishes and 30% Eastern European dishes—many of which have been adapted to American tastes, Davydova explained. The most popular menu item is the Adjarian Khachapuri, which is a bread boat lled with cheese and topped with butter and an egg yolk. Another fan favorite is the Khinkali, which features hand- crafted dumplings made with dierent meats and vegetables. The restaurant also accommodates larger parties with packages like the Chef’s Table, which feeds a group of 5-7 people with a variety of appetizers, salads, kebabs and a bottle of semi-sweet wine. The main dish is served personally by the chef. “We’re not just a restaurant,” Davydova said. “We’re a whole experience.” Sami Sumeli serves 20 Georgian wines, the majority sourced exclusively for the restaurant, oering selections rarely found elsewhere. The oerings include natural wines made at family Sami Sumeli oers Eastern European and Georgian staples
Sami Sumeli oers grilled meat skewers served with chicken, pork, beef or lamb and a side of sour cabbage, rice and Satsibeli sauce (Beef Shashlik, $29.95) .
KATLYNN FOX COMMUNITY IMPACT
The most popular menu item is the Adjarian Khachapuri, which is a bread boat lled with cheese and topped with butter and an egg yolk ($17.95 standard size).
In Georgia, Sami Sumeli sounds like “seven herbs” and in English it sounds like “an herb mix,” Davydova said. In Russian, it means “we did it ourselves,” Davydova said.
wineries, including red, white, amber, rosé and sparkling wines. The restaurant also serves cocktails, coee, tea and Georgian lemonade served in avors like wild
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guava and tarragon. Something to note
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Just like the wine oerings, Davydova also imports the spices used in Sami Sumeli dishes straight from Georgia.
401 E. Whitestone Blvd. Ste. A101, Cedar Park samisumeli.com
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CEDAR PARK EDITION
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