Tabla – Another Georgian Restaurant in DC
By Mariam Chanishvili
Thursday, August 29
Jonathan and Laura Nelms, owners of Supra, one of the most famous Georgian restaurants in Washington DC, announced the late 2019 opening of DC’s second Georgian restaurant, Tabla, which will be located at Lamont Street and Georgia Avenue in the Park View/Petworth neighborhood.
As the owners described, the name Tabla comes from a west Georgian word for an outdoor table used to serve the copious amounts of food characteristic of a traditional supra.
Chef Lonnie Zoeller and the Supra culinary team, including Georgia native Ani Kandelaki, will go through the menu and the kitchen, which will focus on two mainstays: Khinkali and Khachapuri.
Large dumplings with a top knot - Khinkali - are this country’s contribution to the world of dumplings.
Dumplings will be served with various fillings, some with traditional fillings and others representing the culinary team’s imagination.
“The idea is that the chefs can be a little more inventive. Like using non-traditional fillings or playing around a little bit more than at Supra,” Laura says.
Since Georgian cuisine features many vegetarian dishes, with or without walnuts, Tabla will offer vegetable-centric salads and starters.
Like Supra, Tabla will offer an all-Georgian wine selection.
The artwork in the space will include the work of LAMB, one of Tbilisi’s top street artists, known for depictions of his eponymous lamb character, often shown eating Khinkali.
The interior will include a 14-seat bar and communal table for 16.
DC's first Georgian restaurant -Supra opened its doors in November 2017. It introduces Georgian cuisine to DC visitors and residents alike.
Rammy Award-winning global plates restaurant Compass Rose started DC’s khachapuri craze back in 2014, and more U.S. cities are starting to celebrate the cuisine of the former Soviet countries.
A RAMMY Award has become the most prestigious award presented to members of the restaurant's food and beverage industry in the Washington Metropolitan region.
