I’m Quartz’s fashion reporter, and it was fashion, oddly enough, that drew me to the little Georgian bakery in New York where I snapped this. Food too: I would occasionally pass the bakery, and see the khachapuri, a doughy bread boat filled with cheese, egg, and butter, through the window. I was always planning to stop in, but never seemed to remember.
A few months before, Balenciaga had named Demna Gvasalia, the lead designer at Vetements, as its new creative director. Gvasalia is from Georgia—the country, not the state—and he was a big deal in fashion. I think something about him in the news that day prompted me to finally go get some khachapuri. I saw this tarragon lemonade soda and I had to try it. It was so unusual, I decided to take a picture.
For more curiosities from our travels, check out our Souvenirs page.