A Taste of the Other Georgia in Pensacola
About this episode
Martin Padgett explores the influence of Georgian cuisine in Pensacola through the story of Chef George Lazi.
In “A Taste of the Other Georgia in Pensacola,” Gravy reporter Martin Padgett ventures to Pensacola to sample a bit of Georgia—a Georgia much further away than the five-hour car ride to Atlanta. Florida’s Gulf Coast brings to mind pictures of crystal-sand beaches and the Navy’s Blue Angels, but until recently, it hasn’t been known as a haven for global food. That’s begun to change, and as Pensacola has begun to grow out of its small-town roots, Chef George Lazi has brought a new cuisine to the table, along with a symbol of hospitality. Lazi grew up in Soviet Georgia, but when the USSR collapsed in 1991 and Georgia declared independence, the childhood he knew disappeared. When Georgia’s economy imploded, families would go without work, without power, without currency—but would still gather to share what food and drink they had, and to drink Georgian wine from the ceremonial ram’s horn present in nearly every home, a horn called the khantsi. Lazi left Georgia when he was nineteen to come to America, where he learned from some of the best chefs in the hallowed halls of food. But after he married, he and his wife, Luba, looked south to find a place they could build their own…
People in this episode
Host: Martin Padgett
Guest: Chef George Lazi
Topics covered
- Georgian cuisine
- Southern food
- Cultural exchange
- Immigrant stories
- Food history
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Georgia, Pensacola, Florida, Soviet Georgia, South
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