Restaurant Week often gets me sampling restaurants I’ve never even heard of. Some friends from the Upper East Side met me on Third Avenue for a Georgian 30 two-course brunch at Chito Gvrito.

Our friendly server, Olivia, first brought just one Vermont Lemonade, a blend of vodka, grapefruit juice, and maple syrup ($14). The combination sounded a little odd, so we decided one of us should sample it before everyone ordered. It turned out to be so refreshing that we all ended up having at least one.

For appetizers, one friend chose the chilled aubergine rolls in a walnut-fenugreek sauce sprinkled with juicy ruby-red pomegranate arils;  two of us had the Ajika char-grilled shrimp—five large shrimp drizzled with red Ajika chili oil. Both were tasty.

One friend then chose the flairon steak with caramelized Ajika shallots (an $8 supplement), another ordered the Chito Gvrito khachapuri, an herb-and-cheese-stuffed flatbread with herb pesto. I opted for their version of shakshuka, chirbuli—a tomato-based dish with poached eggs and polenta. Unfortunately, mine arrived at room temperature. I asked for it to be redone, but it appeared they simply reheated it, leaving the eggs overcooked.

To round out brunch, we added two side dishes: country potatoes with shiitake mushrooms, shallots, fennel, and pomegranate, and Mtsvane Lobio, a mix of snow peas, shallots, and herbs.

I wound up replacing my chirbuli with their classic Adjaruli khachapuri—the iconic open-faced cheese pie topped with an egg. Olivia mixed it tableside before serving it, and it was definitely the better choice.

We lingered for hours, sipping our cocktails and catching up since we hadn’t seen each other in ages.

Chito Gvrito
Gramercy
173 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10003
646-767-0154
chito-gvritonyc.com