Bohemia Bagel Express - Closed

I heard the bad news earlier this week from a reader -- Bohemia Bagel Express at Tylovo náměstí is closing today.

I stopped by for a steak sandwich on Wednesday and the man behind the counter confirmed the news.

And an article in the Prague Daily Monitor today fills in the sad details.

It's a shame because they had good prices, a decent burger, steak sandwich, and chicken salad, and I could grab something on the way to work.

What they say about the importance of location is true. If the little food shack had only been on the other side of the park, next to the tram stops, it all might have turned out different.

Too bad I just wrote a long post about them so recently. And another one more than a year ago. Now, those posts get a "closing" tag, along with Bohemia Bagel at Újezd, Fuzion Cafe, Dinitz Cafe, Alexander's, Tiger Tiger, Valetta, and Picante.

Quite a list of casualties over the last 20 months or so. Tough times out there in restaurant land.

Read the full post

Summary only

Vermeer Restaurant (closed)

**April 12, 2009 Update: This restaurant near Jiřího z Poděbrad has closed down.

“If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it” Albert Einstein

A good Reuben sandwich in Prague?

Sounds absurd, but it's more than a hope. It's a reality.

I first heard about it from a few American foodies buzzing and raving about the sandwich at a brand new place called Vermeer.It's in Vinohrady, near the Jiřího z Poděbrad metro stop and Tram 10 and 16 stops. When I heard the Reuben news, I hustled over there as quick as I could.

I almost missed the sign with the name on one side of the outdoor seating.It was too cold to sit outside, so I headed down the stairs.There was a good looking space, with vaulted brick ceilings and lots of dark woodwork.There were three small dining rooms to chose from. The furniture was tasteful, comfortable, and good quality.There was another small space upstairs that they call "the bistro" with the same menu and light shining in the windows. But it was still under construction, so no pictures of that.

I got down to business and ordered my Reuben with steak fries. I grew up eating them, and still love them greatly. Perhaps more than any other sandwich. I've discovered a number of other Americans in Prague share my Reuben obsession.Vermeer's was made exactly as it should be -- corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Thousand Island (AKA Russian) dressing, on grilled rye bread. It was crunchy, salty, sweet, sour, buttery heaven.

I should note that when the restaurant first opened, the sandwich cost 185 CZK. Now, it is 235 CZK. But the last one I had did have more corned beef.

I met Vermeer's very friendly owner, George, and had a long discussion with him about Reubens and more. I asked where he found anything close to real corned beef in Prague. He told me he had a secret source who made it specially for him.

I said it wasn't exactly New York style, which are overstuffed with super tender meat. But I was just nitpicking. It's not like that anywhere else outside New York.

This Reuben was more than good enough to make me a regular. And for comparison, it was better than any Reuben I'd ever had in Atlanta, Georgia.

Three fellow Americans told me they loved it and that it was an authentic iteration. I also observed a Slovak woman trying one for the first time, and she said she really enjoyed it. Which was a good sign, because they are going to have to pull in more than just expats to make it.

George also told me they will be doing American style breakfast every morning from 7 a.m. He's Macedonian, but spent some years living and working in the USA and knows what should be on the menu.

I was impressed by what I saw: Eggs Benedict, pancakes, waffles, French toast, plus the usual variations of eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast. They'll even do an English breakfast.

Vermeer will have specially made bagels to go with their smoked salmon and Philly cream cheese. They won't come from Bohemia Bagel, which I tolerate but are too dense and chewy for me.

At the end of the meal, George gave me a complimentary piece of their homemade carrot cake (I didn't tell him who I was at that point).It wasn't Bakeshop Praha level, but hit the right basic notes, with a sweet and tangy cream cheese icing.

Someone else told me they struck up a conversation with George and also got a piece. He liked it so much, he ordered a whole one to take home.

I'd received a recommendation for the bacon cheeseburger with steak fries, so I ordered that on my second visit.I'd rank it near the top of all Prague burgers, with only a few small caveats.

First, let me say that this was a beautifully constructed burger. Construction means a lot.

It had perfect proportions of meat, grilled onions, sliced tomatoes, sliced pickles, bacon, and cheese. There was a little lettuce overhang, but nothing I couldn't deal with. They all sat on a large, fresh, toasted sesame seed bun.The ground beef had some seasoning. I'd say salt and pepper and at least one other spice I couldn't put my finger on. If I had to guess, I'd say cumin.

The patty was very juicy. Eventually, it did soak through part of the bun and was a bit messy to eat. This was a hard burger to put down, in more ways than one.

There was plenty of bacon, but it got a little lost in the mix of all the other toppings. I though the burger would benefit from a more assertive, smokier bacon. The small pickles were sliced the long way instead of in round slices. But again, I nitpick.

It was one of the largest burgers I've seen. A very filling meal, all by itself. It was 195 CZK when I first went, but now the price is north of 200 CZK.

On my third visit, I went for the club sandwich with steak fries (155 CZK).I've sampled a few around town, including at Cafe Louvre and Cafe Imperial. They were OK, but nothing special.

Vermeer's club sandwich was the real deal. The best I've had in Prague, without question. It was made with smoked turkey, bacon, lettuce (though not iceberg), tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and mayo. The ingredients were all good, especially the turkey, which is usually the downfall of club sandwiches in Prague.

It tasted just right.

But the construction and presentation were amazing. Again, everything was in the right proportion on double deccker white toast. I can't recall the last time I'd seen such stylized grill-marked toast.After the club sandwich, there were just so many other things I wanted to try.

Steaks? Quesadillas? Fried calamari? Caesar salad? Cobb salad? Savory and sweet crepes?

The scope and ambition of the menu had me concerned about the quality. But I'd already heard a rave about the chicken tikka masala. And the things I'd tried so far were all good.

Now, some people have accused me of being too American in my tastes. To them, I say, "Guilty as charged."

Which brings me to my fourth visit as I obsessively ate my way through the foods of my youth. I got the Monte Cristo sandwich with steak fries (175 CZK). Talk about a decadent meal.It was sliced turkey, bacon (instead of the more traditional ham), and cheddar cheese sandwiched between slices of bread dipped in egg (essentially French toast), which is then fried.

There was powdered sugar sprinkled on top and a strawberry compote on the side.

It was delicious, but let me warn you. I had one for lunch, had trouble finishing it, despite no breakfast, and I still wasn't hungry at dinner time.

I asked George why the restaurant is called Vermeer. To make a long story short, he fell in love with the Dutch painter's work and felt some creative inspiration from him. He even wants to add some Dutch cuisine to the menu.

Is Vermeer perfect? No, but the place just opened and a few small details needed to be ironed out.

The heat in one room hadn't kicked on so it was a bit chilly.The flowery font style on the menu was difficult to read in the low light. They played nice jazz music, but occasionally it got too loud.

The good news was that George was very open to all comments, feedback, and criticism and sounded like he aims to please.

And I was very pleased when he told me you can call ahead to order food to take out. I'm going to put the number in my phone.

What will I order most often from Vermeer? There were a lot of tempting choices, but you don't have to be an Einstein to answer that one.Vermeer Restaurant
U Vodárny 2
Prague 3 - Vinohrady
Tel. (+420) 222 516 992

View Larger Map

Read the full post

Summary only

Bohemia Bagel Express - Revisited (Closed)

** This Bohemia Bagel outlet closed down on October 10, 2008

"In terms of fast food and deep understanding of the culture of fast food, I'm your man." Bill Gates

I am always on the hunt for a quick takeout lunch near Wenceslas Square. I don't do fast food like McDonalds or KFC. But I do need my food fast.

I have a rather encyclopedic knowledge of the area's options and can tick off the pros and cons of a myriad of choices.

Recently, I've been going often again to Bohemia Bagel Express at Tylovo námestí, near I.P Pavlova tram and metro stops.I wrote a post more than a year ago about some of the bagel sandwich options from this unassuming little shack. My views on those still hold. They do a nice chicken salad with sun-dried tomato and red onion.

But in recent days, I've been going deeper into the menu and, with a few caveats, I've liked what I've found.

I've really gotten into their Philly cheese steak sandwich. They used good quality beef, fried on an electric grill, along with onions and green peppers and the cheese melted into the large, toasted roll.The only issues were that the bun is too spongy and chewy, and I'd like it more if the onions and peppers were cooked longer. The peppers had too much crunch for my taste. But if you want your food fast but also cooked to order, concessions must be made.

I thought it was a good deal at 85 CZK. They also offered a double meat version for 145 CZK. I tried that once, but really, the single was enough unless you are very hungry.

I also really liked their bacon cheeseburger. It was nothing super special, but it hit a lot of the right notes.The beef patty was not especially thick, but still substantial enough that one satisfied me for lunch. It gets some decent flavor from the grill. It had a big bun that held together well.

The price of 65 CZK made it taste even better, especially considering the skyrocketing prices of other burgers in Prague. They also had a burger without bacon or cheese for 55 CZK. Nice.

The negatives?

This may sound like a strange complaint, but I thought it had too many toppings. They were all appropriate -- lettuce, tomato, and onions. But I always got way to much lettuce, and even the number of tomato slices were over the top.

And sometimes they were on the bottom. Once, there were tomatoes on the top and the bottom of the patty.

The bun was also too chewy for me.

Now, a word about the service from the folks behind the window. Not so good.

Example #1:

I put the phone number for Bohemia Bagel Express into my phone so I could call ahead and save time. I called ahead for a burger. The woman asked me, in Czech, what kind of bagel I wanted it on. I said I didn't want a bagel, I wanted a hamburger bun. Conversation ends.

I get back to the office and, lo and behold, my burger was on a bagel.Perhaps I didn't understand every word she said. But I clearly said what kind of bread I wanted. At least she chose sesame for me. Not a bad choice.

Here's a look inside.There was a lot going on in there. Which was a particular problem when served with a bagel because everything shifted around and fell out more easily.

Example #2: I once asked for a little ketchup on my cheese steak (yes, it's true). When I unwrapped my sandwich at the office, there was no ketchup.

But that miscommunication pales in comparison to another one I had with them.

Which leads me to Example #3:

Again, I ordered a burger over the phone. I was in a big hurry to meet someone for a ride out of town. Plus, it was raining, and I had no umbrella. Plus, I was starving.

Warning: I'm dangerous when I am hungry, late, and wet.

I got to the window as the person ahead of me got his food and walked away. I asked for my order and by the look on the two faces in there, I knew immediately what had happened.

"You gave my burger to that guy!" I had murder in my eyes. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT!!!"

"He ordered the same thing! We didn't know it wasn't you." the woman said. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!"

She said in Czech that he also called, indicating that was why they were confused. But I could see the grill. There was no other food cooking.

"Then why isn't there another hamburger cooking?!?" I was getting ready to lunge through the window and give them a non-verbal grilling.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I'll make another one very fast," The man said in English. I would have walked away and told them to forget it, but given my state of hunger and the prospect of hours in a car with no food, I decided swallow my anger and wait. The burger came out very rare, but still edible.

For one lunch, I tried the turkey club (99 CZK). It was fairly ordinary, processed smoked turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and mustard.It was huge. Again, overstuffed with the toppings. It was not possible to eat without making a mess. I saw that the bacon came from a heating tray, rather than being fried on the grill. It was soft, not crunchy.

While doing some hard chewing on the roll, I had an epiphany. The roll had just about the same density and consistency of a bagel. It was just stretched into a different shape.

Since they make their own bagels, why not make their own rolls with the same dough? I could be wrong, but that's my theory. I didn't think it was a good thing. The size and shape were perfect, but I personally think bagels don't make great sandwich material.

That said, my colleague Major Dan liked the bagel sandwich he had for dinner one evening. He was headed off to KFC, and I talked him out of it. I sent him to Bohemia Bagel Express, fearing more for his arteries than he did.

He picked up a hot pastrami bagel (99 CZK). It comes with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mustard, mayonnaise, melted Swiss cheese.They call it "pastrami," but it really was more of a processed deli meat. It didn't taste bad, but didn't resemble real pastrami like you'd find in New York.His one negative comment: Too much lettuce.

And then there is dessert. I'm hooked on their brownies (25 CZK). They are very, very fudgy and sweet.They can vary in size. Sometimes, they have been more cake-like than fudge-like. Whatever. I've been eating them for years.

And on the occasion when no brownies are available, I go for their chocolate chip cookies. The one I had the other day was just right -- a little crunch around the edges, and soft in the middle.Maybe it was on the thin side, but still a very satisfying end to a lunch at my desk.

I should mention that I rarely pass up the chance to pick up some cinnamon raison bagels (11 CZK each). I take them home, freeze them, then toast them in the oven as needed.It's nice now that Philedelphia brand creme cheese is available in Prague. But it's not cheap.

I found a decent, cheaper alternative. I think it is called Tesco Soft Cheese Natural. Something like that.

Being no billionaire, I always like to save a few crowns when I can. Bill Gates? Not so much.

He may have served billions and billions in his line of work. But when it comes to a deep understanding of where to get some decent and fast food around Wenceslas Square, I'm your man.

Bohemia Bagel Express
Tylovo námestí
Prague 2
Tel. (+420) 603 196 636


View Larger Map

Read the full post

Summary only