"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact than a drunken man is happier than a sober one." George Bernard Shaw
I'm a regular reader of the New York Times. Occasionally, the "paper of record" records an article about a Prague restaurant for its travel section.
Last summer, the newspaper published a brief review of Nota Bene, the new restaurant not far from I.P. Pavlova.
The story mentioned the restaurant's "great beer" and "good food" prepared with "a playful blend of contemporary recipes and traditional flavors."
Although I'm not a passionate connoisseur of Czech cuisine, I have eaten a lot of it over the years, and I do love Czech beer. The quality combination mentioned in the article piqued my interest.
Then I heard and read stories about the restaurant's popularity making it hard to get a table and tales of sometimes surly service. I put the idea of a visit on my back burner.
I finally got around to giving it a try. I visited three times in the last few weeks.
For those who either can't get a table upstairs or just want to drink their interesting and tasty brews, there is their Beerpoint pub.
Walk through a passage and down some stairs and you'll find six regional Czech beers on tap, many of which you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in this town. They also have some small meat and cheese snacks to go with the beers.
The restaurant, which is non-smoking, is upstairs. It's a smart-looking space with hardwood floors, brick walls, mirrors, and black and white photos on the walls.
There are only about 15 tables and usually fill up fast or have reservation signs on them. I have one criticism of the design. The iron supports under the tables hit me in the knees, and I had to sit with my legs off to the side.
There are also six beers on tap upstairs and the offerings are listed on chalkboards on the wall. Most are usually different from what is served downstairs.
The kitchen prints up a new menu each day, usually with five main courses, a starter, a soup, and a dessert. Some but not all of the meats they serve come from The Real Meat Society. An earlier article on this site notes that they only sell free range meat from local farmers.
On my first visit, I started off with a .4 liter of Nomad Gentlemen (48 CZK). This 11 degree ale had a light, crisp finish that reminded me of ginger.
You do pay a premium for these rare beers, but I wish they were served in half-liter glasses. I didn't get a chance to sample some of the more exotic options like the De Molen Amarillo Imperial IPA from the Netherlands, which was 60 CZK for a .2 liter glass.
For my meal, I saw one of my favorite Czech classics on the menu, the svíčková na smetaně, which basically translates as beef tenderloin on cream sauce (185 CZK). This was one of the better ones I've had.
This dish is rarely, if ever, made with tenderloin and this one wasn't either. But it was a thick, slow-cooked, fork-tender and flavorful cut decadently studded with plenty of pork fat.
All too often, the sauce is too sweet, too creamy, or both. This one was just right, with just a hint of sweetness and an inviting brown color indicating the rich base of vegetables. It was drizzled with a sweet cranberry sauce.
I'm not a big dumpling fan, partly because I've had way too many stale ones in my life. These "Palffy" dumplings were the best I can remember in a long, long time. They were supremely fresh, delicate things full of flavor. These were the rare dumplings I could eat unadorned, but it was just so much better to coat them in sauce.
It took a while for my dinner to arrive, but I understood that quality food can take time to prepare. This visit cost me 233 CZK and it felt like a bargain.
On my second visit, I noticed the music playing lightly in the background: The Beatles, Beck, and "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" by B.J. Thomas. Quite a mix.
I arrived just as they opened at 6 p.m. because I didn't reserve. I got one of the last unreserved tables. Due to some "technical problem," the menus for the evening were not printed for more than 30 minutes.
A .4 liter glass of Matuska Winterbock (52 CZK) kept me busy while I waited.
This 16 degree German Kellerbock packed a big, complex punch, but with only a lightly bitter finish. I later had a Nomad Gentleman.
When the menu arrived, I quickly knew what I wanted. I ordered the lamb shank on red wine with mushrooms, vegetables, and mashed potatoes (345 CZK).
As one would expect, the slow-cooked meat fell off the bone.
After that, it was not as tender as I expected. The sauce was OK, but rather simple and one-dimensional. The mushrooms were dull and ordinary. The carrots, onions, parsley, and mashed potatoes were commendable.
My impression was that this was a good, but not great dish. I had no big problem with it. But I expected better given the restaurant's reputation and the not insubstantial price tag. The whole meal was 445 CZK. I wasn't thrilled.
A friend joined me on my last visit. She had a French Cabernet (65 CZK/.1 liter), and said it was heavy and pretty good.
I had a .4 liter glass of Nomad Blackhawk 17 degree black IPA (52 CZK).
My impressions -- blond head, great body, bitter, and alcoholic -- one of the few times you can appreciate this mix.
I got the smoked trout starter (125 CZK).
The dense, cold fish was certainly smoky, but also a little dry. It was topped with tartar sauce made with chives. What really stood out was the cool, red lentils simply mixed with parsley and onions. That was delicious.
For a main course, my friend got the pork tenderloin (265 CZK).
The meat was silky, tender, and tasty and sat on a good gravy made with the pan drippings. The green beans were fine, but the scalloped potatoes were dry and lackluster.
I ordered the flank steak (325 CZK). This was a major disappointment.
I asked for it to be cooked medium rare, though it came out straight-up rare. That didn't bother me at all.
What really let me down was that the meat was both bland and incredibly tough. I added a fair amount of salt, but I got tired of chewing it. My friend had a bite and didn't want another one.
The spinach, carrots, and onions on the side were fresh and on the salty side. They balanced the beef out when combined on a fork. The mashed potatoes were good and creamy and I liked the gravy, which reminded me of a demi-glace.
The bill for this meal was 994 CZK. Overall, the service was friendly to neutral and certainly not as rough as I was led to believe. I did get something of a cold reception when I showed up to dine solo without a reservation. The kitchen can be slow, but it's clear they are putting more effort into the cooking that the standard Czech pub.
However, I think there should be better results for that effort, not to mention the higher prices. Yes, I went in with high expectations about the food and, for the most part, they were not met.
Note well: the food will not draw me back.
I should be more skeptical about what I read in the newspaper. But I'd be more than happy to get drunk at Nota Bene. They have many fantastic beers to choose from.
Nota Bene
Mikovcova 605/4
Prague 2 - Vinohrady
Tel. (+420) 721 299 131
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Nota Bene
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Dish {fine burger bistro}
"The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star." Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
As some of you know, every year, I compile the much-read list of my favorite burgers.
For the 2012 survey, I ranked 23 of them. When the late November deadline approached, I did a lot of cramming. There were great burgers I wanted to retaste and a few well-known places I needed to get back to.
By early December, I was burgered out. I needed a ground beef break. But one place kept calling me back.
Dish {fine burger bistro} was a last minute inclusion on the Brewsta's Burgers list because they opened the week before my deadline and the Facebook pictures of their kitchen and burgers looked great. They did surprisingly well in my assessment, placing fifth out of the 23 burgers I tried. For a brand new place, I was impressed. I felt it could be better, but then again, I feel that way about everything.
I thought I'd wait a while to do a full review. That time is now.
The restaurant is located on Římská, between Náměstí Míru and Vinohradská.
It's especially easy to get there if you live on the 135 bus line, which stops almost in front. The 11 tram also passes nearby.Dish is not a big place. It has an open kitchen by the entrance, with a shiny, new grill and a few stools.
There is also a large table that people sometimes share.
The back room is also cramped, with about seven tables, including some right by the bathroom door.
They did a decent job converting the old Italian shop that used to have the location.There is very nice wood flooring, solid wood and cast-iron tables, and cute, black and white retro photos on the walls. They use thick, high-quality paper napkins.
They picked wonderful beers to serve on tap. Dish gets its brews from Únětický pivovar. I love the 10 degree (28 CZK/half-liter), which for me has a crisp, bready flavor.
I also love the price. Únětický's hoppy unfiltered 12 degree (38 CZK) is also available, which is a more assertive and bitter brew.I was at Dish their opening night. I tried the Dish Burger (179 CZK) that night and about nine times since then.
The first thing you notice is the brioche-style bun. The bread was toasted and had a light sweetness I like, but it was too much for a British friend. One drawback with this bun is that the exterior can become brittle and a lot of it can flake off while you are eating.On the bun, there was leafy lettuce, somewhat bland homemade ketchup, quite garlicky aioli, great sliced, sweet pickles, white cheddar, and relatively soft bacon.
It was well-put-together and fine-looking burger.The patty is the most important part of any burger, and this 120 gram version comes close to greatness, with one caveat. They were almost always cooked to a perfect medium, with one coming out rare.
The coarseness of the grind was just right. Too many places in Prague over-grind their meat into a beef paste that give the patty the wrong consistency.The grill sears a wonderful crust on the patty that seals in the juices and gives it a terrific charred flavor even though it never touches a flame. Salt is added just before cooking and the levels are just right.
I have just one criticism of the patty. In just about every burger I tried, the ground beef had tough, chewy bits in it and, in a couple of cases, gristle. I noticed it the first night, and I haven't stopped noticing it. I can only speculate that the meat has not been properly trimmed before grinding or that there are some lesser cuts in the mix.
That said, it still tasted wonderful and there are not many burgers in town that can come close in terms of flavor.
Fries are not included. Their regular fries (39 CZK) were wrapped in brown paper and served in a jar.
I worked in a restaurant did homemade fries, and they are tough to do well. Getting them to be crispy can be a laborious, time-consuming process. These thin-cut, partially-skinned potatoes achieved only semi-crispness so I wasn't fully satisfied. Even so, I like them enough that I usually order them. For a counterpoint, I have a fellow American friend who raves about them.
They also offer homemade steak fries (45 CZK).
These were thicker versions of their regular fries. They were soft, with almost no crunch. I would not get them again.I ordered a dish of their homemade ketchup (26 CZK). As mentioned above, the flavor fell short for me. It tasted of tomatoes, but needed a stronger vinegary-sweet kick. The portion was also disappointingly small for the steep price. I'd much prefer a bottle of Heinz.
Dish does 10 styles of burger, including two that are vegetarian, and they often have burger specials using various types of meat. Despite all the choices, the classic Dish Burger is probably my favorite. I'll run through some of the variations in the order I liked them.
The Savory Burger (159 CZK) comes with Dish ketchup, portobello mushroom slices, caramelized onions, baked tomato, and Parmesan cheese chips.
I wished for more than three meager mushroom slices, but the sweet grilled onion, hot tomato, and somewhat unique, crunchy cheese made an excellent combination.The Olomouc & Porto Burger (149 CZK) has Moravian Olomouc-style cheese and caramelized onion with Port.
I didn't taste the wine clearly, but the tart notes of the onion balanced well with the very creamy, but not too strong cheese. Please forgive the grainy iPhone photos I shot on some of my visits. I often stopped by spontaneously and didn't always have my good camera.I tried the Lamb Burger (165 CZK) and expected a ground lamb patty. However, theirs is made with tender slow-cooked chunks of meat mixed with onion that lend a hint of sweetness and a savory sauce.
This is topped with fresh, raw spinach leaves and their garlic mayo. It was not as filling as a regular burger, which aren't gut-busting either, but I liked it a lot.I'm not a vegetarian by any means, but I enjoyed the Caponata Burger (129 CZK). The very tasty caponata, dominated by aubergine has a great combination of onion and vinegar that give it sweet and tart notes.
One problem here was that it was vaguely warm on the outside and cold in the middle. But I really liked how it tasted, and the warm, baked tomato and smoky cheese worked well with it.The Bůček Burger (159 CZK) is a hefty-feeling 150 grams of slow-roasted pork belly with cheddar cheese, horseradish-chive sauce, and red cabbage.
The salty meat reminded me more of a pulled pork shoulder sandwich. It was drowning under the yogurt-like sauce and the whole thing turned into an unholy mess in my hands.The Pampa Burger (149 CZK) was my least favorite combination of the beef patty offerings.
The tangy sauce, Manchego cheese and vinegary raw onions made for a very sour burger.The Falafel Burger (139 CZK) was another vegetarian option, but in my opinion, much less successful than the Caponata Burger.
The hot patty was studded with crunchy chickpeas, but overall, it was a mushy mess that oozed out of the bun when bitten. It came with a good tahini sauce, pickled red onion, baked tomato, and lettuce.There are other things on the menu beside burgers. On one visit, I had the fried goat cheese (59 CZK), which is a regular chalkboard special.
The lightly-battered cheese balls were fried and drizzled with honey. They were warm and crispy outside and soft and creamy inside. There was rucola and chopped radicchio in the middle. It was small but good.They do a couple of other salads. There's rucola with smashed red beet, ricotta, and baked garlic (109 CZK) and lettuce with sliced pear, fennel, walnuts, and bacon (115 CZK).
Of course, I had to try a dessert. On one visit, I ordered the chocolate cake (70 CZK), which came with salted caramel ice cream.
The cake was rich and fondant-like, but served cold. Warming it up would have doubled the pleasure. The soft ice cream, which seemed to be homemade, had a good balance of salty and sweet. Just be aware the menu says the cake comes with a pistachio ice cream.
The service at Dish was generally good and friendly. I'd recommend reservations. I stopped by one Friday night just after they opened at 6 p.m. and was apologetically turned away. The small restaurant was still relatively empty, but not even a stool at the bar remained unreserved.
For people who want a burger, fries, and a beer, perhaps a side of ketchup, the average tab will run about 250 CZK per person.
That's not a cheap meal for some people. But the burger fanatic in me says it's worth the money. Though not huge, there is a lot of quality and care in those burgers. I think it is among of the best in Prague.Dish is dangerously easy for me to get to, and I've become something of a regular. The list of places where I am a regular is not that long, which tells you something.
And what it tells you is I am more than happy I discovered Dish {fine burger bistro}.
Dish {fine burger bistro}
Římská 29
Prague 2 - Vinohrady
Tel: (+420) 222 511 032
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Fine Cafe
** I've been told this restaurant has closed - November 2013
"The pleasure of criticizing robs us of the pleasure of being moved by some very fine things." Jean de la BruyereI've been watching Prague's restaurant scene for more than 10 years.
I've seen chefs come. I've seen them go. I've seen them come back.
I've watched restaurant locations that fail. And fail. And then succeed.
The most recent example of this is the return of chef Jean-Paul Manzac with his opening of Bistrot M at La Boucherie Moderne in Smíchov.
His return reminded me of the location for his previous effort, Brasserie M, which I wrote about back in 2007. A great deal was invested in fitting out that restaurant with an ultra-modern, open kitchen, custom-made furniture, and interesting copper accents.
That restaurant closed and was replaced by the unremarkable Fama Grand. Now it has been replaced by the more remarkable Fine Café.
But a glance at Fine Café's enticing and creative online menu inspired me to return once again to this spot. The inside is not dramatically different than it was during the Brasserie M days.
The smoking area is up front. The nonsmoking section is the slightly raised area across from the kitchen.
I drank a very pleasant Pinot Grigio (62 CZK/.1 liter).
One thing I like about Fine Café's menu is that everything is available in half portions. It is easier and cheaper to sample a number of different dishes. We started off ordering the ricotta gnocchetti. (165 CZK/small).
Another choice in the "From the Garden" section was the pumpkin risotto (85 CZK/small).
The next menu to sample was "From the Sea." I got the soft-shell crab with saffron risotto (195 CZK/large).
Actually, there was a second problem. I told the waitress I wanted small portions of everything. I even repeated it in Czech. When it was delivered, the crab portion looked large, so I asked about it.
"What size portion of crab is that?" I asked.
"That's a large portion," she replied.
"But I ordered all small dishes."
"No, you didn't. You ordered a large."
I always appreciate it when told that my memory of very recent events diverges sharply from reality. Thankfully, there are plenty of servers in this town willing to help me with this.
"From the Land" we ordered the pork tenderloin (155 CZK/small). The silky, tender meat was cooked to medium, which I consider perfect. I do not fear pink pork.
I ordered the corn-fed chicken with pistachio pesto and polenta (125 CZK/small).
The bill for this meal, which included two .2 liter glass of wine came to 1117 CZK before tip. We were very full and thought it was very fair for how much we ate.
I returned a week later with another friend.
JK had the Jerusalem artichoke soup (55 CZK/small).
I went for the beef tartare (175 CZK). The meat by itself was rather bland. But it was topped with avruga caviar and an almost butter-like sour cream mixed with wasabi.
JK was interested in the goat cheese ravioli with raisins and maple syrup (85 CZK/small). This she loved.
I ordered the linguini with squid, spicy salami, and pine nuts (105 CZK/small).
I tried the veal cheeks (155 CZK/small). The meat came apart easily on the fork, with a beautifully savory sauce.
JK had the sea bass with artichokes and chili jam (170 CZK/small).
We both went for dessert. I had the chocolate souffle, which was really more like a fondant (105 CZK).
JK had the banana bread (78 CZK). I admit, I had low expectations, but it was the best banana bread I've ever had.
The bill for this second large feast was 1271 CZK. I thought it would be more, considering all the food we had. My overall feeling is that the value and quality at Fine Café more than make up for its imperfections.
Yes, the service was inept at times. But it was also mostly friendly. I was told by JK that "the ladies room smelled like a men's room." From my point of view, the lights are too bright and that, along with the poor music choices hurt the atmosphere. I think the name of the place itself is bland and doesn't clearly evoke what kind of restaurant this is.
I take no pleasure in criticizing these small things. The food is what counts to me, and I would like to see this place succeed. This type of cooking, especially at these price points, needs to be nurtured. We left both times feeling like it was a good deal for a good meal.
That is a very fine thing, indeed.
Fine Café
Vladislavova 17
Prague 1
Te. (+420) 224 054 070
(+420) 725 605 040
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
