Tumanyan Khinkali Factory

Tumanyan Khinkali Factory Restaurant Review:

This courtyard restaurant is surprisingly dapper, with a covered patio and a dining room with white tablecloths and multiple chandeliers. The name "Tumanyan" refers to famed Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanyan. The Eastern European comfort food goes back generations. Namesake khinkali are large boiled Georgian dumplings with thick ends, filled with either ground beef, herbaceous Georgian cheese, or umami-rich minced mushrooms. Pileli soup is a strong starter, too, creamy, tangy and loaded with tiny dumplings and delivered in a decorative ceramic vessel covered with a golden phyllo dome. Blinchik are mini crêpes stuffed with ground beef and walnuts, rolled and served with squiggles of sour cream. Pilmeni are the best option of all, deep-fried Russian-style beef ravioli with sour cream, sprinkled with fresh cracked black pepper. With all this hearty food, most of it mild, consider ordering the pickled vegetable medley, a big plate of cucumbers, cabbage, tomato, cauliflower and carrots. To drink, you can draw from a full bar or stick to tart yogurt libations.