Cheeseboat, a fast-casual concept specializing in Georgian cuisine, is coming soon to 1224 Grant Avenue. The spot is currently home to Sancha Sushi, and established eateries in the area include Betty Lou’s Seafood & Grill, House of Nanking, and Trestle.
Owner Shalva Dzotsenidze tells What Now San Francisco that the new restaurant is called Cheeseboat because of the appearance of its specialty menu item, acharuli khachapuri. The traditional Georgian dish is an open piece of bread filled with melted cheese and topped with an egg yolk that cooks in its heat. The menu will offer a classic version with only the bread, cheese, and egg (as well as an optional patch of butter), in addition to spinach and bacon options. Alongside acharuli on the menu will be rincali, which Dzotsenidze describes as “handmade, soupy dumplings” filled with either lamb, beef, mushrooms, or mashed potatoes.
Beverage selections include white, amber, and red Georgian wines made in traditional fashion — where, rather than using oak or steel barrels, the wine ages in a qvevri, or a clay pot, that’s kept buried in the ground. The 8,000-year-old tradition results in a wine that is “softer” than Californian wines, and with more minerals, according to Dzotsenidze.
If this sounds appetizing, Bay Area residents won’t have to wait for long — the new North Beach spot is planning to open on February 1.
