Aragvi

out of business figure that one?

Aragvi has always been well known in the Russian community as the restaurant sidekick of Winmart, conspicuously tucked away behind the store. However, Aragvi has now opened up as a bar, open only Thursday - Saturday. Taking the leap from private restaurant to public bar is pretty significant, so we'll see how it turns out for their business. For now, this review is just for the restaurant.

I must first mention that this is not somewhere you can just come in and sit down. Aragvi is only for large parties of 15+ that take up most of the night. You have to call well in advance to get everything ready.

The restaurant itself is very well decorated and is equipped with everything you need to have a good time. There's a DJ stand, proper dancing lighting, as well as a camera that swivels from the ceiling to record every moment.

As for the food, it definitely isn't what it used to be. There is always a plethora of cold appetizers, which consist of a good amount of the meal. These were all great, with selections such as Olivier Salad, crepes with red caviar, meat and cheese cuts, piroshki, etc. This was all very good, considering how easy it is to screw up any of those. The entrees, on the other hand, were pretty bad. The plov, a traditional uzbek rice dish, was too soggy and unflavored. The grilled chicken just fell of the bone, a sign that it was definitely overcooked. Guys, time to make some improvements on your main dishes.

I've been coming to Aragvi for birthday parties and such for as long as I can remember. It still is and always will be one of my favorite places for such events, but they really need to step their game up with the main dishes.