Blackdog Cantina

Blackdog Cantina was renamed and moved to:

Blackdog Bar & Grill
Česká 140
266 01 Beroun
Telefon: +420 773 380 280
E-mail: info@blackdogs.cz
www.blackdogs.cz
www.facebook.com/BlackdogCantina

"The dog is a gentleman. I hope to go to his heaven, not man's." Mark Twain

There's a Tex-Mex and burger joint that's been getting a lot of attention from the Czech press.

This country's top food blogger, Pan Cuketka, said he had the best burger of the year there last summer. The American owner, Scott Van Wagenen of New York, was interviewed by one of the biggest newspapers. The other top Czech paper gave the food top marks. A major Czech news magazine raved about the "fantastic burgers."

Yet, little to nothing has been written in English about Blackdog Cantina.

Until now.

One reason could be that it is in Beroun, about 40 kilometers from the center of Prague. Undeterred by distance, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

I'd been looking for a chance to drop in for more than half a year. A return from an Italian road trip finally gave it to me. It was good I had my GPS with me. The device quickly helped me find the little corner the restaurant sits on.

The restaurant is tiny. There's an open kitchen and bar with a few stools in front of it.

There are about five or six tables. That's it.

In the summer, there are more, with outside seating.

I reserved a table at 6 p.m. on a Saturday night. The waitress on the phone said she didn't think it was necessary. Thirty minutes after we arrived, they were turning people away.

We started with drinks. My Czech friend had the house red (45 CZK). She said it was quite nice for the price. I ordered the homemade ginger lemonade (20 CZK).

It had a pleasant ginger zing, but was otherwise too watery for me. I thought it needed a shot of lemon or sugar or both.

My friend got a small order of beef nachos (small 105 CZK/large 170 CZK). The small order is plenty large for one person.

The star here is the beef. It was slow-cooked to a tender state and marinated in adobo seasoning. It had a subtle but unique flavor and aroma that I've never found anywhere else in this country.

The beef rests underneath black beans, melted cheese, guacamole and sour cream. It sits on top excellent warm corn tortilla chips that keep a lot of their integrity under the heavy ingredients. We both loved it.

I wanted to get a chipotle pork taco, but the pork was unavailable this night. Instead, I tried the lime and coriander marinated chicken taco (50 CZK or two for 75 CZK).

The pulled chicken had the light flavor of lime, though it was a little salty for me. They spice some dishes to order, and this one had mild heat, as requested. Also in the warm, soft corn tortilla were cheese, lettuce, salsa, a dab of guacamole, and sour cream.

For a second round, I couldn't resist the Infarkt Burger (140 gram burger for 110 CZK or 200 gram version for 135 CZK). I got the large.

I don't believe in half measures when it comes to heart attacks or burgers.

It comes on a lightly sweet, soft, but deceptively sturdy brioche-style bun. Equal in excellence was the high-quality ground beef. The thick patty had great flavor.

Also included were guacamole, soft, smoky bacon, melted cheese, red onion, lettuce, tomato, and seasoned mayo. The menu said it had ancho chili, but I didn't really taste it.

The one disappointment here was that the menu also said burgers are cooked medium unless otherwise requested. Mine was cooked all the way through, with not a bit of pinkness to be seen. Aside from that, I'd rate it among the top burgers in the country.

Finally, I finished with the chocolate death (65 CZK).

This cake, served warm, was similar to a fondant, but without the liquid center. Instead, the chocolate sauce -- real, high-quality stuff -- was poured over the top. A great ending.

The bill for this meal was a modest 445 CZK.

I was impressed enough that I had to make the 45 minute drive to try more. I returned the following week with my Italian friend and another couple.

The ladies had the house wine. Big B and I had the amber Birell (30 CZK each).

I really don't like non-alcoholic beer, but this one was drinkable. Big B liked it a lot. We also had Mattoni mineral water (25 CZK).

Some of us ordered a couple of things, thinking it would come in two rounds, but it all came at the same time in a Tex-Mex avalanche.

I wanted to try the black bean and sweet potato empanadas (75 CZK), but those were not available this time. Instead, I got two tacos with the same filling (75 CZK).

They had different types of salsa. I didn't really pick up the flavor or texture of the sweet potato. But I really like black beans and the warm corn tacos shells are great. It's a nice vegetarian option.

Big B got the large Lucha Libre Burger (130 CZK). This one includes bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, grilled onions, and salsa.

He declared the bun "very nice" and he loved the grilled onions. His was cooked medium-well, definitely more than medium. He said he would certainly return for another one. Big B was also pleased with the low price for such a high-quality burger.

My Italian friend had the grilled vegetable quesadilla (60 CZK). This was a bit of a let down.

It was dark, but the only vegetable we could see or taste inside was grilled onion.  The grilled onions were done well, but it was too simple.

A bigger let down was M's beef quesadilla (70 CZK).

They were filled with cheese and the adobo beef, which was as good as the first visit. But the tortillas were on the grill too long and had a burnt taste. We decided not to send them back, but it really took the pleasure out of them.

Finally, I had the chipotle pork enchilada (115 CZK).

The baked flour tortilla sat on black beans and rice and was coated with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. It was big.

Inside, there was slow-cooked pulled pork. There was a lot of it.

The meat was tender, with a hint of the chipotle. I wished for more. The pork had a sweetness that might surprise some people, but I was fine with it. My friend didn't think I could eat it all, but I finished every bite.

This second evening was marred by the table next to us. It was occupied by six roaring, shrieking drunks. They were mainly partaking in the Holba beer on offer, along with various shots. It was hard to cope with in such close quarters.

Blackdog Cantina is not perfect.

The overdone burger and quesadilla attest to the occasional lack of focus. The owner was cooking on both nights.

There are also reports on the Czech site, Scuk, about issues with service.

But I will also say that there is nothing else like it in this country. Who else is doing Tex-Mex quite like this? The tacos rival those at Las Adelitas, the only authentic Mexican restaurant in the Czech Republic. And on top of that, the burgers are great..

I don't know if I'd make a special trip again. However, the next time I'm heading toward Plzen, I'll certainly stop in Beroun and have a burger and adobo beef nachos.

The Blackdog is not quite heaven, but it's enough close to the border.

Blackdog Cantina
Pivovarská 105
Beroun, Czech Republic
Tel: (+420) 773 380 280

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Amigos Restaurant - Revisited

"The finest plans have always been spoiled by the littleness of them that should carry them out." Bertold Brecht

I've been hearing a lot of debate lately. What's the best Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant in Prague?

Cantina? Fosil? Buffalo Bill's?

There was no consensus, I'm sorry to say. Amigos was a restaurant that got a few mentions.I'd been there a few times, wrote a post (not one of my best), and found it was not bad, but nothing special.

But the power of suggestion being what it is, I decided to try it again recently. I went with V for a late, mid-week dinner.

It's a pretty big place with many rooms, and it was packed.V had gotten there ahead of me and said she had to fight for a table.

What I noticed when I walked in was the thick, stale air. And not from smoke, either. It was the smell of too many humans in a confined space. The restaurant was in serious need of a good ventilation system.

We sat in the room in the back of the restaurant at the end of a long, red hallway.I ordered the beef tenderloin quesadilla.

It came with guacamole, a few jalapenos, salsa, and sour cream dolloped into the middle.I wish the toppings were on the side. Serving them this way always makes the middle of the quesadilla soggy.

As soon as I took a bite, I realized there was something a bit off about the beef. It was old.

Not rancid old. Just past its expiration date. It had a musty aftertaste that asserted itself more when I breathed out through my nose. Which is what I tend do when I am are eating.

I didn't mention it before V took a bite.

"The meat is old," she said.

"That's what I thought."

"Will you send it back?"

"I'm hungry. I don't want to wait for something else. I'm gonna eat it. It's unpleasant, but still edible."

So, I ate it. I didn't suffer any ill effects, but I kinda wish I did send it back. V told me later she felt bad, but it's hard to say what caused it since I was fine.

There was one other odd thing. On the menu, the price was listed at 225 CZK. But looking on the bill now, I see I was charged 127.50 CZK.

If there was a 50% off deal going on, no one told us. I really should read bills more carefully before I leave restaurants.

V had veggie fajitas. She was very disappointed.It came with dried out refried beans, and a lot of rice.It also had flour tortillas, salsa, guacamole, jalapenos, chopped tomatoes, and sour cream.What didn't she like? No red beans, for starters. Also, there were just a few onions but plenty of broccoli. She thought the broccoli was just wrong. Other places like Neklid do better veggie versions (even though theirs has zucchini).

And again, I see that it was 117.50 CZK on our bill and 235 CZK on the menu.

Service was pretty good, considering how busy the place was. In fact, the waiters seemed confused about who was handling our table, and two different servers kept trying to wait on us and asking us the same questions twice.

For drinks, we just had a couple of bottle of Mattoni sparkling water (23 CZK each). The final bill was a very reasonable 314 CZK.

But the good price did little to take away our bad feelings about Amigos.

No one plans to serve people bad dinners. But the aged beef, the broccoli-laden quesadillas, and the stuffy air certainly spoiled it for us.

I doubt we'll ever go back.

Amigos
Anny Letenské 16
Prague 2
Tel. (+420)222 250 594


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Restaurace Jáma

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind." Albert Einstein

In that heavenly area close to Wenceslas Square, I resumed, once again, my never-ending survey of Prague's hamburgers.

I went to Restaurace Jama, which means "the hollow" a couple of times recently.The place is quite popular with expats, though I rarely go myself.I'd heard boasts about the burgers over the years. Regarding the vaunted Jáma Burgers, I have good news and bad news. More on that later.

Jáma is a big place, and it is often pretty full. Drinking is a common pastime.A half-liter of Pilsner Urquell was 45 CZK. Gambrinus was 35 CZK. Kozel dark was 35 CZK, and Kozel light was 29 CZK.I should note that the prices listed here should be correct but, as of this writing, the prices on the Internet menu were not up to date.

On my first, I had the world's most popular of burger combination, the bacon cheeseburger. But, I had to wonder why the menu offers a bacon burger (175 CZK) and a cheddar burger (175 CZK), but there was no combo.To achieve full bacon cheeseburger status, you have to order one of the above burgers, and then add extra cheddar (45 CZK) or extra bacon (45 CZK).

This annoyed me. I was also irked that a slice of cheese cost the same price as the bacon -- a mind-boggling 45 CZK.

Regarding the bacon itself, it seemed that the chef took a little shortcut. The strips had the tell-tale signs of being deep fried rather than pan fried.

A friend who worked at a snack bar once told me about this trick. The bacon cooks much faster, but comes out with a dried out, brittle texture.

I have also have a beef with the onions served on the side. What are they thinking, slicing them that thick? When you put them on the burger, they create an airy loft space under the bun.

There was also lettuce, tomato, and oddly, black olives on the side. You can have fried onions for an extra 10 CZK, which I presume would not raise the roof as high as the raw ones.

The menu said the burgers came with fries. But later, I saw there was a 10 CZK charge that said "hranolky (fries) plus." I'm not sure why.

OK, that's the bad news.

Yes, there is some good news. The beef patty was thick, well-shaped, juicy, and held together well. There could have been a little more seasoning.

The bun was large, sturdy, and perfectly-sized for the meat. It was nicely toasted. The steak fries were hot, crunchy, and there were plenty of them. It was all very filling.

On second visit, I decide to try the Jack Burger, made with Jack Daniels barbecue sauce (195 CZK).I don't know what I was thinking. This was a mistake.

That's because the plain, classic burger cost only 150 CZK. I don't see how they could justify the 45 CZK premium for the small amount of sauce unless this liquid gold was hand-carried from the USA on a first class flight.

And I could hardly taste it. A big disappointment. I should have tried the chili burger.

I noticed they had Canada Dry in the fridge, so I ordered a bottle (30 CZK).

Unfortunately, it doesn't taste quite the same to me as the Canada Dry ginger ale in the states. It had a slightly saccharin flavor.

Jama had other offerings besides burgers. There were burritos (155 CZK), Czech beef in cream sauce (159 CZK), and ribs (155 CZK).

I saw they started making something called an "orange drop" chimichanga. I'm not sure what that is, but I'm intrigued.

I probably will try the Tex-Mex options some day in the future. The burgers have so much potential, but the puffed up pricing, odd onion slicing, and bad bacon put me off.

They get the big things right.

But to my mind, they got too many of those slight, but devilish details wrong.

Restaurace Jáma
V Jámě 7
Prague 1
Tel. (+420) 224 222 383


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Žlutá pumpa (The Yellow Pump)

“Conversation is food for the soul” Mexican proverb

I mentioned to a colleague that I'd never found any exceptional Mexican food in Prague. He recommended Žlutá pumpa (The Yellow Pump) in Vinohrady.We walked there on a Sunday night and found a table outside. I'd been away all weekend at a wine tasting in Moravia, so we had some conversational catching up to do.I'd walked by the restaurant a number of times, and it always looked full, so I thought we were lucky to get some seats.We put in our orders. The place was only half full on this evening, but it appeared there was only one waiter serving everyone.It took 45 minutes for our food to appear.

I'm pretty predictable. I ordered the chimichanga (98 CZK). It was filled with big pieces of chicken breast, a few red beans, tomatillos, jalapenos, and salsa. The flour tortilla was lightly crisped on the outside, but was not deep fried.It was relatively small as chimichangas go. The filling was fairly simple. But I liked it. Their salsa really made it work. It is excellent, with lots of tomato and a powerful kick of cilantro. I love cilantro.

There was more salsa on the side, along with sour cream, and a pile of undressed lettuce that I thought was mostly a waste.

V ordered the chicken fajitas (150 CZK). The meat came out on the expected iron skillet, mixed with onions and peppers.Contrary to expectations, it was not sizzling on arrival. It was hot, though.

The chicken did not taste of chili or classic Mexican seasoning. We couldn't really discern the spices on it, but it still tasted fine.

There were warm flour tortillas in a basket on the side.And there was the great salsa and sour cream.I would have loved some refried beans, but they didn't come with this dish.

For drinks, V had two glasses of white wine (32 CZK each).

We also shared a half-liter of Hoegaarden with a slice of lemon (42 CZK).

They also have Pilsner Urquell and Staropramen on tap.

We drank two bottles of Korunni sparkling water (20 CZK each).Still feeling hungry, I decided to order dessert. I got the cinnamon crisps (55 CZK). It was a flour tortilla, pan fried with cinnamon sugar in the middle. The menu said it came with sour cream, but there was, thankfully, whipped cream in the middle.It was nothing fancy, but I have a great weakness for anything with cinnamon sugar. I grew up eating cinnamon toast, so I liked it. V did, too.

I do wish the tortilla was cooked to a higher level of crispness. There was also a mound of jam on the side, which I didn't really need.

There were orange slices, but unfortunately, they had obviously shared a cutting board with some garlic. Not a good combo.

The total bill was 449 CZK.

Almost all the burritos were around 100 CZK, and there were quite a few different combinations.


Žlutá pumpa may not be an authentic Mexican culinary experience, but it was better than I expected, considering the prices.

So, we'll be going back for some more conversation.

And the other kinds of food, too.

Žlutá pumpa
(The Yellow Pump)
Belgická 11
Prague 2
Tel. (+420) 608 184 360


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La Casa Blů

"A man can be himself only so long as he is alone." -Arthur Schopenhauer

There are times when I want to go out, but no one else can play.

When that happens, there are various things I do. Sometimes, I end up at La Casa Blů.For me, there's really one reason I go. I'll get to that a little later.

When I showed up at the Old Town establishment at 6 p.m., it was relatively empty. That would change shortly.By 8 p.m., it filled up with a young crowd, including many students, as far as I could tell. A number of people had MacBooks on their tables.There's Mexican-style food on the menu, but some people come just to drink. The bar serves mixed drinks and cocktails, many for under 100 CZK. A mojito was 115 CZK.But this is no fancy cocktail lounge. The yellow-walled room looked a little worn, but it had a pleasant, lived in feeling. It is filled with simple wood tables and rickety old chairs.

As for myself, I skipped the cocktails and stuck with a half-liter of Pilsner Urquell (39 CZK).

They also have Staropramen and Velvet on tap.

Along with my beer, I had an order of the chili con carne nachos. A portion for one person was 138 CZK.The ground beef with red beans was spread generously over the top of flour tortilla chips with melted cheese. I really love when the chili sauce begins to soak into the chips and they achieve the perfect state between soft and crunchy.

There were several slices of jalapenos, but I wished for more. I can't get enough of those.

What I didn't need so much were the whole black and green olives, the corn niblets, or the few slices of pickled carrot.

They aren't part of the true nacho experience for me. Still, they didn't significantly detract from my overall enjoyment.

A portion of chili nachos for two was 198 CZK. But, honestly, the single portion is pretty darn big and filling for one. Two could split a single as a beer snack and be satisfied.

But on this day, I was alone.

And I was more than happy to drink my cold beer, eat my tasty nachos, and do some serious people watching.

I'll leave it up to you figure out which was the main attraction.

La Casa Blů
Kozí 15
Prague 1
Tel. (+420) 224 818 270


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