In this week's post, it's all about Prague and not one but two food and booze establishments!
A Note on This Blog. I acknowledge that a lot of people don’t read blogs anymore. People consume this stuff through videos, reels, and posts on social media. I may need to keep up with times and modify this blog. But I do like to write....
More to follow.
Prague. Let’s take a trip to Prague, shall we? Not to worry – food and booze will come up.
Prague largely escaped bombing during WWII. It was a ‘secondary’ target, which meant it had no real strategic value.
Why do you care about this little history lesson? Because most majestic old buildings in the City center remain, and they are stunning. Some of the old buildings look like they should be at Disneyland. But they’re larger. And real. Check it:
Is this place real?! Is it a green screen?! Check out the selfie I took at night. Behind us are 3 or 4 castles. You know – just like your home town. Castles seemingly everywhere.
Prague is also an odd combination of Western European and former Soviet bloc. The remnants of communism still haunt this country like the Nazgul stalking hobbits in the night. Really hideous buildings here, an abandoned train station entrance there, some odd statutes there.
Trust me. If you’ve never seen former Soviet public works, you would know them if you saw them. Absolutely utilitarian with zero thought given to form (as opposed to function). They’re also often crumbling since they weren’t exactly built well.
Memories of the Soviet times also remain with the people. Our food tour guide told us that under communist rule, all restaurants served the same food with the same state-mandated recipes. Truly a culinary delight.
The food today? In the land of goulash and pork, it would be very difficult to be a vegetarian. But, damn the goulash is good. There is a blossoming food scene in Prague, which we learned about during a food tour. Some examples:
Speaking of meat, check out these smoked hams in the central square in Prague. You buy slices by weight. Yes please.
Restaurant Zvonice, Prague. Ok ambiance sluts. I've got one for you. This restaurant is located in a real medieval tower!
Yes. We dined under a huge multi-ton bell! Felt a little like a medieval re-creation of the Sword of Damocles. Whatever. Sacrifices had to be made!
That tome I'm holding wasn't the original King James bible. It was the menu.
Such a cool place!
Lokál Dlouhááá, Prague. Lokal is exactly what I expected a Czech beer house to look like. A long rectangle with tables down either side. It might not have everything the ambiance sluts crave, but I loved it! Very much a locals place. Note the lack of TVs.
You may not know this, but the Czechs take their beer very seriously. It’s akin to how the Irish treat Guinness. Almost fanatical. The beer truck shows up and fills the massive kegs that look like this:
Looks like a bloated metallic pig to me. Or the Czech version of the pig bank from Squid Games, but full of golden deliciousness. Not money.
That beer must be served within a specific timeframe, or it must be thrown out. Serve it right, or don’t serve it all. I like it.
When you sit down, they put this piece of paper on the table. They mark you for every large or small beer you order. Naturally, I didn’t get small beers. That would just make my thirst angry! The Red did, but she's clearly got commitment issues.
If these look like a beers from Germany, there’s a reason. A lot of the original beer expertise came from Bavarian beer makers. And oh boy is the beer delicious!
But, there was also food. Check out this fried cheese (called Smazeny syr) and potatoes. Tangy friend cheese with potatoes cooked in butter. What’s not to like?! I mean, except for the potential heart attack. Whatever. Nobody wants to read about a platter of tofu.
Were There Irish Pubs in Prague? Of course! Many, and we went to a number of them. Note - we were there on St. Patrick's day. Also, note her small beer. See "commitment issues," supra.
PS – Yes. I made it to Pilsner Urquell. Yes it was awesome, but it deserves its own discussion.
Happy cooking (and traveling).
WF
