Georgian Immigrant's Dream to Open Deli Comes True

Georgian woman Natea Markhvaidze’s dream to open a Deli one day came true when she bought the former Duffy’s Deli on Route 58 in Riverhead.

The process took almost a year before she finally got what she had dreamed about. Dali’s menu includes everything from Duffy’s former menu as well as new traditional Georgian meals, Turkish coffee, cheeses, breads, soups and more.

Natea Markhvaidze serves many of the same customers, offering them traditional Georgian foods.

“It’s the same menu because it’s the same customers,” she said. “We’re introducing some traditional food slowly and so far people like it.”

Ms. Markhvaidze said that Georgian food traditionally contains a lot of herbs and spices. She said that one of her goals was to bring Georgian food to the Deli, considered very popular in Brooklyn and Long Island.

Natea starts her day by grinding coffee each morning, making pastries, soups and sandwiches while best friend Mayela Sandoval works on the counter.

“I want [the deli] to feel like home,” Ms. Markhvaidze stated, stressing how important it is to her that all the food is made in-house continuing “fresh, like a mom or grandma’s food.”

Duffy Griffiths still own Duffy’s. He stated he sold the Riverhead location because balancing three locations was too much. Although he no longer works at the Riverhead location, he believes it’s in “good hands.”

“She seems very nice,” Mr. Griffiths commented “I could tell she was going to be a hard worker and she was very enthusiastic about it.”

Source: www.riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com

Nina Ioseliani