Kavkaz

A few weeks ago, I was out and about and met a woman and son who were handing out flyers for their new restaurant - Kavkaz. I spoke to the woman - who is one of the owners of this family-owned restaurant - and learned it was a Mediterranean/Russian/Eastern European cuisine. This place sounded up my alley - plus I love trying new places! I told the woman I would come check it out soon and when lunch time arrived today - I knew it was time.

Kavkaz is a small little restaurant located in Stallings right off 74 east. The outside has a nice little patio, however, it faces the Stallings water - but still cute. On the inside, you are welcomed by a friendly, family staff who is eager to serve! My group (including my spouse and another couple) were seated and our drink orders were taken right away. From reviewing the menu, there was a good mix of cuisine and reasonable prices. Everything looked good and interesting to try - it was hard to make up my mind! The menu was also user friendly as it defined all the dishes served. The table ended up ordering the following:

Appetizer - Lahmajoon - minced beef and spices on a lavish bread made as a pizza

Me - Beef Kabob sandwich with a blinchik, or beef crepe

Spouse - Chicken Kabob sandwich with potatoes

Couple - Blinchiks, Khinkali (beef stuffed dumplings) and fried potatoes

While we waited, we were served fresh made bread and olive oil for dipping. The olive oil had spices which made the overall flavor of the bread very tasty. Within 10 minutes, our appetizer arrived - surprisingly a nice size. The Lahmajoon had 3- 6 inch 'pizzas' that were easy to split among the table. They were nice and hot and a mouth full of flavor. The minced beef was perfectly spiced and the lavish was nicely toasted - no burnt edges noticed! This dish made us all excited about our meal - and the smells from the kitchen added to our eagerness.

Our meals came shortly after we polished off the Lahmajoon. I traded half of my beef kabob sandwich with my spouse so I could try both the beef and chicken. Both kabobs were delicious. The beef and chicken were both tender and was wrapped in the lavish bread with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and onion with a nice light sauce. The flavors all complimented each other and it was a nice and light dish. Next, the blinchik. This is the reason to dine at this restaurant. The crepe was lightly fried with a nice amount of beef - again perfectly seasoned. The blinchik was not greasy at all and had a nice crisp. It was served with sour cream - but it is not needed. The couple also raved about their blinchiks as well. I did not try the Khinkali - as I will save that for the next visit - but was told they were also very good. The fried potatoes are steak fries - and served as a 'tower' - presentation is everything!

The service was very good - drinks were refilled on a regular basis and the table was cleared timely after each course. I was so full I could not try the dessert - but that too seems like it would be wonderful.

In the evenings, the restaurant has belly dancing and hookahs. Beer and wine is served throughout the day with various choices from Eastern Europe. Russian MTV is shown on the tv in the dining room, which is a good conversation piece.

The service and food both get 4 ghosts. For two drinks, the appetizer, and two meals - plus tax and tip - our meal was ~$32. This is a great little restaurant and I hope it succeeds. This place is worth the trip - so go check it out!

http://kavkazrestaurant.com/