An Ode to Georgian Cuisine's "Bribe Worthy" Chicken Dish

The Wall Street Journal published a few days ago a lovely ode to chicken tabaka, one of Georgia's most famous dishes. From the WSJ's article:

Like my first kiss, my first taste of chicken tabaka was memorable as much for its context as for its deliciousness.

Tabaka is a classic dish from the Republic of Georgia. But that first taste occurred in Moscow, in the middle of a bleak Russian winter, in 1979. Soviet store shelves were empty; people queued in long lines for food. And yet, behind the doors of the Aragvi restaurant, an alternate reality thrived. The interior of the restaurant was faced in beautiful pale marble that shimmered in light from sconces lining the walls. A balcony above the main dining room held a small orchestra that played stirring music. In private dining rooms, Communist power brokers held clandestine meetings over endless carafes of vodka and Georgian wine. Strongmen at the doors turned most ordinary people away. Only because I was a foreigner with plenty of Marlboros for bribes was I able to gain entry.

The rest of the article, complete with recipe, can be found here.