Sami Sumeli offers grilled meat skewers served with chicken, pork, beef ($29.95) or lamb and a side of sour cabbage, rice and Satsibeli sauce. (Katlynn Fox/Community Impact)
Sami Sumeli blends a mixture of Georgian and Eastern European flavors to create a lineup of dishes for locals in search of the bold and herb-laced comfort food.
A closer look
Co-owner Olga Davydova grew up in Eastern Europe, where she enjoyed dining at Georgian restaurants along the West Coast. After moving to the Austin area over a decade ago with her husband, Andray Davydov, she realized that Texas lacked the homemade food she had grown accustomed to.
“We didn't have anything like this in Texas,” Davydova said. “We thought about it for a while, and we saw that people are really waiting for a restaurant like that.”
In Georgia, Sami Sumeli sounds like “seven herbs” and in English it sounds like “an herb mix,” Davydova said. In Russian, it means “we did it ourselves," Davydova said. (Katlynn Fox/Community Impact)
Olga Davydova and Andray Davydov opened the restaurant last April after completing all of the interior renovations themselves. They brought together a team of employees from Eastern Europe and a sous chef, who is from Georgia, to form a menu that blends Slavic and Turkish cuisine.
“We have an educational mission here,” Davydova said. “Our servers are super attentive, and some of the meals that people see for the first time, we explain what to do with them.”
Main course
The Sami Sumeli menu is made up of around 70% Georgian dishes and 30% Eastern European dishes—many of which have been adapted to American tastes, Davydova said.
The most popular menu item is the Adjarian Khachapuri, which is a bread boat filled with cheese and topped with butter and an egg yolk. Another fan favorite is the Khinkali, which features hand-crafted dumplings made with different meats and vegetables.
The most popular menu item is the Adjarian Khachapuri, which is a bread boat filled with cheese and topped with butter and an egg yolk. It comes in a standard size ($17.95) and a happy hour portion ($10). (Katlynn Fox/Community Impact)
The restaurant also accommodates larger parties with packages such as the Chef’s Table, which feeds a group of five to seven people with a variety of appetizers, salads, kebabs and a bottle of semisweet wine. The main dish is served personally by the chef.
"We're not just a restaurant,” Davydova said. “We're a whole experience.”
The drink menu
Sami Sumeli serves 20 Georgian wines, the majority sourced exclusively for the restaurant, offering selections rarely found elsewhere. The offerings include natural wines made at family wineries, including red, white, amber, rose and sparkling wines.
The restaurant also serves cocktails, coffee, tea and Georgian lemonade served in flavors such as wild guava and tarragon.
Something to note
Just like the wine offerings, Davydova also imports the spices used in Sami Sumeli dishes straight from Georgia.
“We cook with love, we serve with love, and if people want to try something new and be happy with it, please come to our place,” Davydova said.
