A Short & Sweet Pomegranate

I LOVE this place! Why have I never been and why have I never had Russian food before? Pomegranate Russian-Georgian Restaurant is located on El Cajon Boulevard and this eclectic light-a-match-off-the-wall (which is how they lit the candle on our table) restaurant is comfort food at its best. The writing on the walls of the restaurant say so and I'm here to attest to it. The decor alone will give you something to talk about but the food will have you dreaming about it for days. Amazing!Everyone that works in this restaurant is Russian. I found our waiter a little harsh and overly confident about the food at first but after tasting the dishes we ordered I decided that he had every right to be that way. The prices are not cheap but the ingredients used are of great quality. Plan to do lots of sharing and tasting with this kind of food and I promise you it's worth the price! Oh and its cash or check only and they have an ATM. Hysterical right? Who writes a check for dinner and what restaurant has an ATM inside of it? Awesome.

There was only two of us at dinner so I plan to go back with more people so I can try more of the highly recommended items on the menu. I will blog about Pomegranate again because I know many more amazing dishes are awaiting my taste buds. I wanted to get a little something up on this restaurant since its fresh on my mind and deep in my heart but it will be short and sweet. I can't stop thinking about it this place! Good thing its only a few blocks from my house!!!
We started with the Vareniki which is a potato cheese dumpling. They are served with sour creme, crispy caramelized onions on top and in some sort of rich buttery broth. They were like velvet and so good.We also had the Georgian Eggplant Salad. When it came out I can't say I was excited about eating it. It was covered with raw red onions. I dug in, took one bite and couldn't stop. It is one large thick slice of grilled eggplant served warm, lathered with a garlic and walnut sauce and topped with sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions and garnished with fresh herbs. It was so amazing and almost tasted Mediterranean. I would absolutely order it again.
For the main course we had the Zharkoyie. Its a Russian stew of braised beef, onions, carrots, dried fruit, and spices. It is served with an herb potato salad and kasha (rice) on the side. Now this is the ultimate hot meal to get on a cold night. The flavors were amazing and the beef was tender!As the night went on our waiter softened up and we spent about a hour speaking to him and the owner. Very nice guys. Oh and I need to tell you about the guy who sits outside the front of the restaurant grilling up Shashlik. He is basically the Captain of Pomegranate and if you see him you will know why I call him the Captain. I loved this guy! Actually I kind felt like I was aboard a ship and was taken away to Russia for a night. It was a great journey and such a trip! I can't wait to go back.
Pomegranate Russian-Georgian Restaurant
2312 el cajon blvd. san diego ca. 92104
619.297.4007