Prague – a Fairytale City with Glorious Beer.

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

You Love Japanese Baseball. You Just Don't Know It.

In this week's post, we'll discuss Japanese baseball, some truth about proper pints of Guinness, and a review of McMullan's Irish Pub in Las Vegas.

Japanese Baseball – Add it to your List.  Thing 2 (kids are Thing 1 and 2) fled the nest and did a semester abroad in Japan.  Just outside Osaka.  When I visited, I insisted that we go to a baseball game.  So we made a pilgrimage to see the Hansin Tigers play at home. 

When I entered the stadium, I felt like an Amish kid at Best Buy.  It was a Sunday afternoon and the stadium was absolutely packed.  The stands were filled with flags and signs everywhere. 

Yes.  It was hat giveaway day.  The Red pilfered mine when I got back.  She looks better in it anyway.

To say the fans were into the game would be a gross understatement.  Like me saying I kinda married out of league.  Each home player had their own song that the fans knew!  When he came up to the plate, thousands of fans would sing to him!

When the Tigers were on defense you’d kinda expect it to quiet down, right?  Wrong.  The other team’s crazy fans and band (yes – a band) would fire up.

And the people all around us were friendly and wildly happy.  I’m 6’2” 230 lbs.  They see me navigating my way back to my seats with two beers in my hands and think I must be some sort of deranged gaijin Godzilla.  You’d think they might be a little taken aback. 

But, you’d be wrong.  They couldn’t have been friendlier.  Many didn’t speak English, but it didn’t matter.  It’s baseball.  Check out Thing 2 at the game.  Suffice it to say they were fascinated with the ginger.

Maybe the best part of the game – there are vendors walking the stands that will pour you an ice-cold Asahi draft and send it down the aisle to you.  And this lovely nectar on a warm day cost about $5!  You know what you get an MLB game for $5?   Nothing.  Check it:

An absolutely incredible experience.  Can’t wait to go to another game.

Side note – Japan is not expensive to visit.  You can make it expensive, but you don’t have to. The $5 beers at a professional sporting event are just one example. 

Can you get a Proper Guinness Outside of the Holy Land (Irish version)?  There are people like me who have been to Ireland and enjoyed Guinness from the source (literally).  There is a smaller segment of those people that will swear that you can only get a proper Guinness in Ireland. 

That, as an Irishman might say, is fooking shite.  And it sounds boujee as hell!  No.  The irony of that statement is not lost on me. 

I will grant you that the majority of bars and pubs in the U.S. don’t take the time to serve Guinness correctly.  It comes out very black with odd looking foam on top (if any), and it tastes bitter and gross. Dirty beer lines and sheer laziness.

It is also true that Guinness is great at virtually any pub in Ireland.  No bartender there would dare mail it in like they do here.  I think it might be illegal to do so.  It’s…. beautiful. 

But there are places near you that are doing the Lord’s work and serving Guinness properly, and one of those is McMullan's.  

McMullan’s Irish Pub, Las Vegas.   McMullan’s is about 2 miles west of the Strip just off of Tropicana.  The outside is very nondescript.  Like “Am I at the right place?!” nondescript. 

But feast your eyes on the inside.  The entire inside is warm wood with accumulated knick knacks everywhere.  There are also these semiprivate nooks and crannies where you can sit.  No snug in this place, but they do have separate little rooms you can go into. The ambience sluts should flock to this place!  I know two that already have.

Yes.  I see the TV’s.  It’s America.  We Americans have the attention span of Dori in Finding Nemo.  We must be allowed to look at our phones, watch TV, drink a beer, and attempt to have a conversation.  All at once.

Plus, there are other rooms and spaces where you don’t see the TV’s.

Most importantly, the Guinness is wonderful.  In my ever so humble opinion, this might be the best Guinness I’ve had outside of Ireland.  Check out the beer porn.

Those are homemade crisps (chips) with curry dipping sauce.  You don’t know you love those, but you do.  Wait.  That last line sounded like Anthony Bourdain.  I’ll take it.

Normally, I would do a food review because I usually love the food at McMullan’s.  But, the last time I went, it simply was not up to par.  I love this place, so I’ll chock it up to a bad day.  I’ll report back.

One more for ambience sluts.  Check out the hostess station.   Looks like a church pew. 

Next time you’re in Vegas, go to McMullan’s.  It’s a welcome respite from the craziness of the Strip and a place to enjoy the nectar of the gods as it’s supposed to be served.    

Happy cooking.

WF

 

Roy Choi is My Best Friend

This week I present to you a spectacular restaurant in Las Vegas.  I know some of you just got on your scornful holier than thou high horse and thought “Eww.  I hate Vegas.”  To which I say, “careful not to fall off that high horse.  It’s a long way up there.” 

Vegas is what you make of it and it offers food options that are nothing less than world class.  And I’m here for the food.

Fun fact – there are lots of outdoor activities around Vegas that would surprise many.  One example is Red Rock Canyon west of the valley.  Beautiful.

But, I digress.  Let’s do a restaurant review.

Restaurant Review – Best Friend.  For those of you who are unaware of Roy Choi, he’s a classically trained chef who made his name with food trucks in LA.  These food trucks weren’t your average food truck Friday food trucks.  They have a near cult following. 

The signature item?  Kogi short rib tacos.  More on those later.  Choi now has a number of brick and mortar locations and the flagship location is Best Friend in the Park MGM in Las Vegas. Think Korean-Mexican fusion.  

Ok, you ambiance sluts.  Check this out.  Here’s the front. 

 

Here’s where you check in.  It’s designed to look like a Korean bodega in LA.  And it definitely does!  You can eat out here, if there’s room. 

But, the real ambiance is in the restaurant itself.  You walk through plastic freezer curtains (think industrial walk-in cooler) to get inside. 

 

It’s all unabashedly L.A. themed.  Photos and murals everywhere.  Very cool.  Ambiance sluts rejoice!

My friend B and I settle in and make the easy choice – the Chef’s Menu.  Banchan (all the little side dishes), Kogi Taco, Slippery Shrimp, Kimchi Fried Ric, Garlic Chicken (bbq), Kalbi (beef bbq), and date cake or strawberry cheese cake thing.  

We added lumpia because who doesn’t love lumpia?!  Yes.  I know lumpia isn’t Korean.  Whatever.  If Roy Choi’s making it, I’m eating it!

Once you order the Chef's menu, you better buckle up butter cup because the food is coming.  Banchan was naturally first.  Kimchi cucumbers?  Yes please.  Shortly after that is the star of the show – the humble Kogi Tacos.  Here they are.

They’re not fancy.  Just bbq short rib meat in a sweet and spicy sauce, salsa verde, and Korean style tangy slaw.  These may not be life changing tacos, but they are at least life affirming tacos.  Wow! 

Then the slippery shrimp (definitely low calorie sauce on those), kimchi fried rice, and the bbq beef and chicken.

 

I think the kimchi fried rice is the other star of the show.  You may have had this before, but you haven’t had Roy Choi’s kimchi fried rice!  This hit a lot of buttons for me.  Tangy, slightly salty, a little spicy, and behind all that the warm embrace of the kimchi.  Funky umami.  Funky umami – put that on a great t-shirt!

Oh, the date cake was great, but I could only have a bite. I already felt like a middle aged dad at Thanksgiving.  Where are my stretchy pants?!

This is truly a spectacular restaurant and absolutely one of my favorites.  Put it on your list.  

What am I cooking?  Recently I made all-belly Porchetta.  What the heck is that?  Well, it’s pork belly rolled up.  Before rolling, you score the meat and rub it fresh black pepper, crushed fennel seeds, garlic, salt and fresh herb.

After you roll up the belly, you tie it up and rub baking powder and salt.  The former helps the skin dry out.  More on that later.  Roll it up in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for a day or two. 

You roast it at 300 degrees until the meat is tender when you puncture it, basting occasionally.  Then blast it at 500 degrees for 20-30 minutes until the skin bubbles and crisps up.  When it came out it was super crispy.  You could hear a thunk when you tapped on it!  Think haute cuisine chicharrones. 

 

I served it with a tangy chimichurri of sorts.  The review?   Delicious, but certainly very rich.  The skin was amazing.  Thanks to my friend P for helping make it even better the second time.

The World is full of amazing places.  Go see them.  This is the Wicklow mountains south of Dublin.  I’m not sure that fairies and pixies exist.  But, I am sure that if they do, they live there!

Fun fact – the Wicklow Mountains are the source of water for Guinness.

Happy cooking.

WF   

The GOAT of Irish Pubs

Where have I been the last eight years?  Well, I changed jobs.  As it turns out, when I became happier, the snarkiness that came out in my blog seemed to go away.  That and having two teenagers takes a lot of time!

But, not to fear.  I and my best friend sarcasm are back. 

What’s changed?  I’ll still do restaurant reviews and write about food I’m cooking and places I've traveled. But, I’ve got a new twist.  For those of you that don’t know me, I have a love affair bordering on an obsession with Irish pubs and I'm going to share some with you.  

Why Irish pubs? Well, it started with my first trip to Ireland.  I had been in many many pubs before then (I know you’re shocked), but nothing prepared me for some of the pubs in Ireland.  They’re often quiet, but often not.  When they’re loud, it’s from the loads of people actually talking to each other!

Side note – Irish people will talk your ear off in the pub.  I often meet my new best friend every day that I’m in Ireland.  I challenge anyone to find friendlier people than the Irish. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Back to the noise in a good Irish pub.  As noted above, people are actually having conversations!  That’s partially because, by and large, they don’t have TVs.  Simple interaction with other humans beings over a pint (or 6).  Such a shocking concept. 

Other elements of a proper Irish pub – A beautiful back bar with hundreds of whiskeys, warm wood on the walls and elsewhere, and lots of knickknacks on the walls and shelves that look like they’ve taken a lifetime or more to accumulate.  Probably because they have. 

And, most importantly, you can get a properly poured pint of the best beer in the world.  This:

There.  I said it.  A properly poured pint of Guinness may be evidence that there is a god (he or she is Irish, by the way) and it is the best beer in the world.  Proceed to argue amongst yourselves.  A properly poured Czech pilsner in Prague is second in my mind, but it’s not really close.  When you drink a properly poured pint of Guinness, you cry a little, you hear the angels sing, and the day seems brighter.  After a few, it’s a lot brighter.  Or is it darker because you’ve been there all day? 

Doesn’t matter.  220.. 221… whatever it takes.  Yes.  That’s a Mr. Mom reference.  If you don’t get it, I can’t help you.

But I digress.  Back to pubs.  Irish pubs are literally in every country.  I’ve been to Irish pubs in Ireland, England, Scotland, Amsterdam, Greece, Italy, the Czech Republic, and, one of my favorites, Japan!  I must drive the Red (a.k.a. – the Mrs.) nuts with this obsession.  There isn’t a vacation where I don’t find an Irish pub! Literally.

Don't believe? Here we are at one in Tokyo.

 So, I’m going to write about this.  Mostly to entertain myself. 

Might as well start with the Holy Grail ….. the Mecca …. the GOAT of Irish pubs – the Palace Bar in Dublin.  Got a little emotional writing that.  Shut up!  I’m not crying!  You’re crying!

The Palace Bar is right on the edge of the Temple Bar area of Dublin.  There are a number of great bars and pubs in the Temple Bar area, but they’re usually gob smacked with tourists. 

Oddly, the tourists don’t seem to find the Palace Bar as much as other establishments.  No idea why.  I also find it odd that Irish people do find this bar.  A lot.  And oh boy do they love to chat!  That is one of the reasons I love this bar.  Great opportunities to chat with interesting Irish people.

Side note # 2 – the Irish are far more interested in American politics than most Americans are. 

Back to the bar.  If you’re an ambience whore (you know who you are), this is your place.  Check it out. 

Arguably the coolest part of the Palace Bar – the snug. What is a snug?  Well, I’m glad you asked. 

The snug is a little enclosed wood paneled room off the side of the bar.  They usually have frosted glass and actually have a door. They are also literally connected to the bar itself.  In the 19^th century and well into the 20th century, they existed for women to drink without being seen.  Antiquated misogyny, I’ll grant you.

But, we now have these wonderful little spaces remaining in some Irish pubs.  Many were removed in the 70’s, but some remain, including the one at the Palace Bar.  You simply ask the bartender if the snug is available.  If it is, you and 3-5 other people will have your own little pub..

Here's the snug at the Palace Bar:

 

Most important of all – they pour a perfect Guinness at the Palace Bar.   Enough to make a grown man (and me) cry.  Sniff.

So, there you have it.  Your snarky Wannabe Foodie is back.  More Irish pub and restaurant reviews to come.  And, of course, things I’m cooking. 

Here’s a sneak peak of a future blog. It’s all belly porchetta!