“Georgia has some of the oldest winemaking practices in the world—and they’re still using them! It’s a reflection of time, place and tradition.”
“Georgian culture is so full of love for food and beverages, you can't help but be inspired!”
Nicholas and Leslie Goellner
When it comes to talking about travel, owners of Kansas City’s The Antler Room restaurant, Nicholas and Leslie Goellner, could spend hours on the topic getting you excited at the possibility of adventure and discovery — without even naming a destination. However there’s one in particular that no other duo can do as well as them: The Republic of Georgia.
It’s a destination James Beard–nominated chef Nicholas Goellner got a taste of before he even stepped foot in the country, thanks to the Georgian mother of a childhood friend back home in Kansas who opened his world up to the cuisine. “I realized that if I’m going to cook for a living, the kind of food I want to make is the kind of food that you need to keep on coming back to, one that’s not too heavy and very flavorful. Georgian food is all of those things to me.”
As for his wife and business partner, Leslie, she’s ready to show you a whole other side of wine that you never knew existed, especially for a destination cradled between Europe and Asia. “With so little access to small-production organic wines, this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime to taste directly from the source,” she mentions excitedly. And she would know—Leslie managed top NYC and SF restaurants before returning home to Kansas City.
Together, they are the perfect pair to help you see for yourself what makes Georgia one of the most under-the-radar culinary destinations on the planet.