Budvarka

"All right, brain. I don't like you, and you don't like me. So let's just do this, and I'll get back to killing you with beer." Homer Simpson

I'll be honest at the risk of offending lovers of Czech cuisine. When someone tells me, a place does a great koleno (pork knee), I don't go rushing over to check it out.

I've eaten large quantities of Czech food over the years. But that's partly because I have also consumed large quantities of Czech beers over the years.

So when I agreed to meet a friend in Dejvice a couple of months ago, I chose Budvarka.Their yeast lager had been beckoning me to come for a long time. Finally, I got to try the Budvar kroužkovaný ležák (33 CZK).It's rare to find this beer on tap in Prague, and I'm not sure why.

I really loved its clean, crispy flavor. And there was something extra-fine about the carbonation. I was hooked.

Looking for an excuse to go back more recently, I found my inspiration in an entry on The Prague Post blog, which said the food was much improved from earlier years. And another friend told me he'd tried the koleno and duck and enjoyed it.

So I went with the English Patient and A Lady Friend. The interior was pleasant enough, with attractive wood-paneled ceilings and brass fixtures.There are separate smoking and non-smoking rooms.There is something of a standardized quality that gives it the look of a model for future franchises.

ALF started with a glass of hot wine (50 CZK). I thought it would be red, but they served the white variety.She said it was fine. EP and I started in on the kroužkovaný ležák.

ALF ordered a bowl of the zelňačka (38 CZK).The pork and cabbage soup was good, with nice chunks of ham, It was on the sour side. We both agreed we'd had better.

I got the venison pâté with basil pesto (75 CZK).The chopped liver had a dry, grainy texture. It crumbled and was hard to spread on the ordinary, boring white toast. The only thing that livened it up at all was the jarred cranberry compote from on the side.

For a main course, EP had the Cmunda po Kaplicku or Kaplice-style potato pancake (110 CZK).The pancake itself was thin and very dry. Oddly, even the sauerkraut filling had a dryness to it.

But there was one positive note. There was a generous amount of good-quality smoked pork.Overall, neither of us liked this dish.

ALF tried the ginger chicken wings (125 CZK).The unseparated wings, with the tips on, were cooked competently. They had a crunchy skin with juicy meat underneath.

The flavor was less pleasing. I didn't taste ginger. ALF said it reminded her of "UHO." The acronym stands for "univerzální hnědá omáčka," which translates as "universal brown sauce." We didn't like it.

I felt guilty for not following the recommendations on the duck or koleno, but I didn't want those. I ordered the krkovička or grilled pork neck (145 CZK). It was served under a goulash sauce with batter-fried onions on the side.I've had some wonderful, juicy, tender, tasty pork necks in my day. This was not one of them. Under that salty sauce, the meat was tough and hard to cut. The onions were dried out and not hot.

The only thing I liked was the warm, toasted mini-loaf of Czech bread that came on the side.I enjoyed dipping it in the sauce, but I didn't need that much bread.

At the end of the meal, we got to talking, story-telling, and laughing, and EP decided we needed some Becherovka shots (35 CZK each). I tried and failed to talk him out of it.And then he ordered another round. And then another.

In total, I think we had 7 shots and 7 beers between us. But it could have been more. I believe but cannot confirm that I lost one of the tabs.

The bill for the three of us, including the drinks that I can document, was 1104 CZK. Basically, the food was cheap, and the quality was low.

I felt very bad the next day. I remembered why I generally swore off Becherovka a long time ago.

But through my headache haze, I decided I'd be happy to return to Budvarka for the beer. It'd be the best way to kill my memories of the food.

Original pivnice Budvarka
Wuchterlova 22
Prague 6 - Dejvice
Tel: (+420) 222 960 820

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Ristorante Sapori

"If life were predictable, it would cease to be life and be without flavor." Eleanor Roosevelt

I love Italian food and Prague has plenty of Italian restaurants.

Not long after I checked out the new Mirellie in Vinohrady, I stumbled upon the even newer Ristorante Sapori near Náměstí Míru.I heard it was started by someone connected to Giardino con Enoteca -- an Italian/Mediterranean place not far away where I'd had some great dinners. I gave Sapori a few weeks to hopefully get things running smoothly, then I went for dinner and a chat with V.

I quite liked the look of dining area.The high ceilings with gold crown moldings, cream-colored walls, hard wood flooring, and white-clothed tables with big comfy chairs gave it a warm, yet classy feel. V thought it was a similar but somewhat lesser version of Aromi.Our efficient waiter started us off with a crudité plate of carrots, celery, and black and green olives.We really liked the dip, which we were told was made from pureed olive, eggplant, mixed with mustard. It was smooth, light, and a little sweet -- a nice change from butter or olive oil.

We also got decent white and seeded Italian bread.There was a single 30 CZK charge for the bread and spread.

They were temporarily out of large bottles of sparkling water, so we ordered smaller bottles of Rajec (35 CZK).We got three of those in the end.

For her starter, V got one her favorites, the grilled octopus (195 CZK).In this version, the tentacles were sandwiched between slices of grilled eggplant and mozzarella. It all sat on a bed of beans.

The fresh octopus was good. It didn't taste grilled, but the small portion was very tender. It was missing the crispy exterior we both like. The cheese was excellent.

The eggplant was plain and dull. The beans were OK, but on the oily side. Overall, it didn't compare favorably to better versions we've had at Mirellie and Giardino.

My starter was the stuffed mushroom caps (190 CZK). This was rather grim.First, it is listed as a warm appetizer and mine came out room temperature.

It was filled with good wilted spinach. But that was topped with overcooked, hard, cold bacon. On top of that, there was a small sprinkling of melted Pecorino that had cooled to the consistency of plastic.

I mentioned the temperature issue to our waiter. He immediately went to speak to the kitchen about it, but there was no other response.

For a main course, I ordered my regular favorite, the risotto frutti di mare (240 CZK).It's something of a benchmark for me, since I have a lot of other versions to compare it to.

This one did not have tomato or tomato sauce mixed in, unlike most others in Prague. But it was drowning in olive oil. The fresh calamari were good. The small shrimp were too salty. The clams were tiny. The mussels were small, not the freshest, and some were sandy. A crayfish yielded a small amount of flesh. There are much better versions of this risotto out there.

V hadn't had scallops for a long time, so she ordered the mixed plate of scallops and calamari (340 CZK).There were several whole, small squid and three good-size scallops. One was slightly overcooked, and two were perfectly seared, maintaining their delicate texture.

But there was one big fault with this dish. All the seafood was covered with very garlicky spinach. Sadly, that strong flavor leeched into the scallops and calamari and overwhelmed it. The dish would have been very good if they'd only have kept the spinach separate.

Neither of us drank, which helped keep the bill for this meal to 1100 CZK before tip. We agreed we did not like very much about the dinner. We didn't feel like having dessert.

This restaurant is still quite new, and I hope they get their act together.It's a nice looking place, with good service when we were there.

But there are a lot of Italian restaurants in Prague, and a quite a few of them are not far away. That means the competition is going to be tough.

If they want to succeed, they are going to have to think harder about the quality of Sapori and what it should mean.

And one of the meanings of "sapori" is Italian is "flavor."

Ristorante Sapori
Americká 20
Prague 2 - Vinohrady
Tel: (+420) 222 523 533

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Baang! Restaurant and Club

"There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it." Alfred Hitchcock

I hear things. Sometimes, I even listen.

Lots of tips come in, and I can't act on a lot of them. But when several regular readers told me Baang! is a favorite spot in Nusle, I put it on my list.Recently, I gave it a try.

The restaurant is not so hard to get to. The 11 tram, as well as the 139 and 124 buses, stop nearby.

The main restaurant is not large, with only about six or seven tables.There's also a small bar area.The photo is a bit blurry because I had to be fast and didn't use a flash. I didn't want the barman to catch me snapping the picture.

Next door, they've just opened what they call "the second door," a separate restaurant and coffee shop that operates Monday to Friday. It was closed both times I went, so I didn't get a picture. It's non-smoking, and they serve breakfast starting from 8 a.m.

On the first solo visit, I started off with a half-liter of Pilsner Urquell (40 CZK).The first one was not as cold as I'd like. Perhaps it was because I was dining quite early. The second one was better.

I was in the mood for something decadent, so I ordered the dried plums wrapped in bacon (75 CZK).The fruit was marinated in port wine, and a walnut was included with each. The bacon was thick, meaty, fresh, and smoky. The plums were tender. It was a generous portion. I've had this dish a few places around town, and this was one of the best.

The only thing I didn't need was the sweet strawberry syrup or dressing that covered the salad in the middle. That was overkill.

For a main course, I went for the Royal Skewer or Špíz Royal (245 CZK).The hot iron skewer, with a mix of beef, chicken, and pork, was delivered to the table standing vertical. On the side were a cold tomato sauce, a cold garlic cream sauce, and a baked potato with sour cream.

All the meats were tender and freshly prepared.The beef picked up good flavor from the grill. The chicken had a tandoori paste coating, which I wasn't expecting, but was a nice surprise. And the pork was actually thick, smoky, soft, bacon-like pieces without too much fat, depending on how you define "too much." I have a high threshold.

The meat was separated by red, green, and yellow peppers and onions. The baked potato was also very good.

A word of warning: the skewer is quite hot, and when you take it out of the holder, the thin paper napkin at the top doesn't protect your fingers so well from the heat.

The service was always efficient and friendly. The bill for this filling meal was 400 CZK before tip.

V agreed to join me for a second visit.She liked that they have a fish tank built into one of the walls.I was driving, so I ordered a virgin mojito (75 CZK).It was excellent -- not too sweet, and well-mixed with just the right levels of lime and mint. Refreshing.

For a starter, I ordered the chicken wings (125 CZK).The ten pieces had a good, crispy, salty skin. They were piping hot, and only a bit oily.

The wings came with garlic cream sauce and, oddly, tomato sauce. The menu said they came with barbecue sauce, which I preferred. I asked the waiter/barman about it, but he said they come with tomato sauce now.

V tried the shrimp in coconut milk with fresh thyme (125 CZK).The shrimp were small, but cooked perfectly, with a delicate texture. She said she tasted shallots and shrimp paste, but could not detect the thyme.

There was also dried coconut mixed into the sauce. Both of us thought that should have been left out.

For a main course, V got the Penne Picante (125 CZK).The pasta is made with spicy Ventricina salami, red onion, and a cream sauce. The huge portion was properly cooked, and V said she liked it. The Italian salami was too salty for my taste. But she said she enjoyed it again the next day for lunch.

I went for the strip steak "Dijon" (275 CZK).The steak was thin, but large, and very tender. The menu said it was Uruguayan beef, and you can tell that it is a quality steak.

I asked for it medium-rare, and perhaps it was closer to rare, but I didn't mind.The creamy mustard sauce was OK, but I wished it was more to the side instead of drowning the beef. Also on top were four homemade onion rings. They were not completely crispy, and they were too salty.

The steak fries were good, but could have been hotter. Perhaps it was because the chef took the time to build them into a lattice structure on the plate.We found it amusing, but I also wondered how long it took to get them stacked up like that.

I was almost bursting at the seams from so much food, so I could not try a dessert. But they have tiramisu (65 CZK), chocolate "souffle" (75 CZK), and a few other desserts with fruit.

The positive comments about Baang! certainly raised my expectations. And though it's a modest place, I'd say it met them.

The little restaurant has big portions, low prices, good service, and usually tasty, freshly prepared, if not authentic interpretations of international dishes.

It does remind me of Neklid, a favorite place near my flat that I'd describe in almost exactly the same way. And like Neklid, I'd anticipate you'll also appreciate a meal there if you're in the area.

Baang! Restaurant & Club
Nuselská 46
Prague 4 - Nusle
Tel. (+420) 241 000 666

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