GEORGIA ON MY PLATE

On my way to pick up Andrea at the National Public Library, I stopped at the Ostrovskogo Park, which is right across from the library. I snapped two photos of the grand Catherine the Great statue that dominates the charming and quiet little bit of heaven right off the loud and hectic Nevsky Prospekt.

Statue of Catherine the Great is the center piece of the Ostrovskogo Park.

On the west end of the park is the Alexandrinsky Theatre. A tour bus driver mistook me for a Dutch tourist after I told him in Russian it was the Alexandrinsky and that I understood no more Russian, but that I was learning it.

Alexandrinsky Theatre from the park, just west of the statue.

The weather was relatively mild: mid 60's, cloudy, but no rain. We went into Gostiny Dvor and purchased a little French press coffee maker for about $40. The Melita funnel we use at home -- while very practical, inexpensive, and a great way to make coffee -- is just not available any place here, although the filters are.

We then went in search of a movie, but there was nothing showing that interested us at either the Aurora or Dom Kino movie houses.

So it was off to Georgia...for food! And no, not the Georgia of Scarlett O'Hara, peanuts and Jimmy Carter!

We enjoyed the best meal we have eaten in 10 days of our stay in Russia at a restaurant called Tarkhun. I have not been eating much, primarily because carbohydrates have become such a staple of my diet and I don't want to have to purchase another seat for the plane ride home. But I admit to eating at Tarkhun like the Willie T. for which I have gained a fairly deserved reputation.

Appetizers or zakuskis were: Pkhaleuli: cold hors d'oeuvres of walnut paste. Now the walnut paste was inside roasted red bell peppers and eggplant, as well as being combined into patties of green beans and spinach. As much as I love spinach, the green bean patty was better, but not by much.

We also had a hot zakuski called Lobio: French red beans in a sauce with gurian red cabbage. mmmm.

And topping off our appetizers was Xachapuri, imertian style (whatever that means.) Xachapuri, for those who may not know, is akin to baked brie in dough, but it is presented like pizza on a board and sliced into sections. Also muy delicioso.  Xachapuri and a salad would be a complete meal in itself.

Zakuski on my plate: 12 o'clock is the Lobio and cabbage; and then is the spinach and green bean walnut paste patties, followed by the Xachapuri at the 6 o'clock position. Sorry. I should have photographed the dishes upon arrival, but I also had Standart vodka on my mind.

I washed this down with the local vodka, labeled Standart.

But we were not done! For our entree, we had an outstanding fricaseed chicken in creamy garlic sauce and potatoes grilled on coal. I drank a Weltenberger Kloster beer with my meal. Truly outstanding, and even at $90 inclusive of service charge, a real value in St. Petersburg when compared to the other meals we have had.

Chicken in creamy garlic sauce prepared and served in a ceramic dish with potatoes grilled on charcoal and served with onions and a tomato-based sauce with dill.