Since I started this blog on Prague, I've been taking snapshots here and there of places I've been. I think I'll devote this particular story to the tastes I've had in Prague - from just hanging out in a cafe while reading The Little Prince, to great Czech eats at a resto, or what to chow down on with a Czech beer.
Right then. First snapshot is of one of my favorite day-time hangouts - the coffee shop. Or more precisely, one that's called Coffee Heaven. I hear it's a Polish brand, and I've seen it pop around in Prague as well as in Krakow, so it seems like a pretty successful, European version of Starbucks. That cup you see in front of you is cup of either Orca or Turtle Latte, a member of their series of Orientalni Lattes, really delicious, kind of like a Chai Tea Latte meets a Cafe au Lait. Nice. It's a great place to spend hours in while reading, thinking, planning the rest of your life in a new location, or waiting for your hubby. The wait staff's pretty nice, they clean up after you, and don't wonder why you're still there hours later, since it really seems to be a place welcome for long conversations, or study sessions.
Next photo was taken in a place called Colore Kavárna, as the photo suggests. It was a place my husband and I stumbled upon while walking away from Václavské Náméstí (Wenceslas Square), and it looked so inviting and just what we wanted for the evening. Now, being a newbie in Europeanland, I have to say cafes such as these are a great novelty for me. In Manila, I have tried and tried to find a place just like this, but to no avail. I'm talking about cafes that are quiet, laid-back, but also serve alcoholic beverages, even alocohol-infused coffee. What if I want my latte with a hint of Irish Cream, after all, right?
I've tried suggesting this to Filipino baristas who work at Seattle's Best or Starbucks, and they just stare at me funny.
You'll forgive for not remembering precisely what we ordered, but I believe that is a cinnamon latte to the left, and a glass of Hot Apple with Rum on the right.
Ahh, now below is a place I well remember, and my husband and I have decided that it's definitely one of our favorites. So much so that we've been there twice in two weeks already! The photo below was taken in a charming little pub called U Maleho Glena, which means "By the little glen."
Check out their webpage at http://malyglen.cz/en.
Anyhoo, the photo below shows our first two glasses of tmavé pivo, or dark beer, from Czech brand Bernard. Now, it's not as sweet as my favorite dark Kozel, but it goes down nice, easy, and subtle, and still is full of that caramel scent that all dark lagers are known to have, which is why we order them time and again.
What else will go with your dark lager but a traditional Czech sausage? This is one of my favorites, which the Czechs call Klobása s horčící a křenem. In plain English, that's a spicy Czech sausage with mustard and horseradish sauce. Nice and simple, it's a Czech favorite, and also distinctly Czech a dish, if you ask me, so better try some. Another must-try on the menu is another characteristically Czech dish - the Smažený sýr, or Fried Cheese, usually served with a side dish of potatoes made any way you like. My Czech husband prefers your good ol' hranolky, or simply put in English, French fries.
The thing with ordering the klobasa though is that that might not be enough, and you'll be hungry again shortly after. We tried this baguette below that they had on their menu with olives and cheese on top. Another nice, simple, but great choice. Sometimes, it's just gotta be that way.
In fact, I think that's why we liked U maleho Glena so much - everything was just so laid back and simple, from the food, the vibe of the place, the surroundings. The pub is just the right size, not too small and not too large. I know that sounds rather vague, but I don't want to get into technicalities, like how many people can fit there. We just really liked the place, how there were couples and small groups of people huddled over their beers or smažený sýrs, there was a relaxed atmosphere, and the place was clean, made of wood and slightly old-fashioned. Just the right mix, not to mention the music was great. If only my husband and I weren't so boring, we'd stay up till past midnight to see the jazz show that goes on below. For now, we enjoy coming back to our favorite pub every weekend, just watching the people, enjoying our klobása, and drinking our dark lagers to celebrate our health.
Well, my next photos say that we have to move along and talk about other things, so shall we?
You can see that these are daytime snapshots, and I thought it would be funny to show you my Czech Step by Step book, along with my script for Charlie Brown, all on the same table with my favorite drink of all time - just a plain Káva s medem, or just simply, "Coffee with Honey."
We're at my favorite Illy Cafe in Prague, and I've found that all Illy cafes differ from one another, since all they have in common is the technology and the coffee, but that's it. It's not like your Starbucks, Coffee Heaven, or even McDonald's, where everything is standardized and exactly the same no matter where you go. This particular Illy branch is my favorite, because of the way the place is laid out. I dig the lighting here, the windows, and especially what's on their menu.
So you see above, how my favorite Illy Cafe looks like. Charming, isn't it? Again, another of those plentiful European cafes that serve alcohol together with their coffee, if that is your preference. I've noticed the Starbuckses and Coffee Heavens probably won't do this, which is why I like these non-standardized, almost independent cafes for the charm they lend to the notion of sitting quietly at a cafe, with Bailey's Irish Cream and latte in hand.
I feel like this food and drink story is getting lengthy, so let's move on to capping off so we can both go off to eat! All this talk of food is making me hungry.
The photo at the top was taken at a resto called Hybernia. You can check them out on their webpage - http://www.hybernia.cz/. Just click on the English flag to view the page in English! In the photo above you can see our delicious bread basket, my order of Kachna s červeným a bílým zelím a s bramborovými knedlíky. In English, that's "Duck with red and white cabbage and potato dumplings." On the right is an order of spicy potatoes and chicken on a skewer, the skewered dishes being their specialty. I'm not sure why I couldn't find it online, but you'll see it on their real-life menu when you go there.
We were really happy that weekend, so we had rose wine to go with the rest of our meal!
Last weekend, the spring weather was really amazing, so we set out for the park next to the water, and ate at this charming little resto where they served tomato soup in a bread pocket. You might say it's a much lighter version of soup in a bread bowl. Charming little dish, and washing it down with a glass of wine, or our favorite Toma pear juice, gazing out at the perfect spring weather, was just heaven.
Wasn't I just talking about smaženy sýr awhile ago? Here's a snapshot of one of them with potato wedges! A total classic and favorite if you want to sample Czech cuisine, you better have one of these if you've only got a few days in Prague. If you have as much time as I do, you get to sample everything else, of course. But for now, you can head to U Jindřišske véžé, stare at the Alfons Mucha art on the walls (he's one of my favorite Czech artists), and order yourself one! Bon Apetit! Or as they say in Czech, Dobrou chut!
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