Good Restaurant in Budapest

Well, on our travels we had planned to spend 5 nights in Budapest, but, due to unforeseen circumstances, that portion was sadly dwindled to one night.  So, with only one shot to make it count, I asked our host where his favorite place to eat a good traditional Hungarian meal was.  His answer was St. Jupat.

ST. JUPAT

Located at 1024 Budapest, Dékán street 3, in the Castle District, St. Jupat was exactly what I was looking for.  First off, it seemed to have the right sort of feel to it.  Lots of exposed wood, booth seating, good, yet laid back energy, and lots of locals in it.  Right up my alley.  It managed to have all of that without feeling like some cheesy, mountain themed restaurant.  Next up, draft beers...full liter mugs.  Another point in their favor.  I tried a local beer called Dreher, and it was quite nice.  Not amazing, not the most flavorful, but a good example of a Pilsner in the Eastern European style.  Also, it cost about $5, so a pretty good deal if you ask me.  My wife was still not feeling 100% from her recent ummm....ailment, so she ordered, very simply, the Újházi, which is basically chicken noodle soup.  It was a good example, made with homemade stock, and little homemade snailshell noodles.  Again, not amazing, but a well made soup.  

I started with the Tomato Salad.  I have to say this far exceeded expectations.  First off, the tomatoes were perfectly ripe.  Delicious, sweet, perfect texture....everything.  Second, they were marinated perfectly.  They had enough marinade on them to actually accept the flavor, but hadn't been soaked in it so long that it broke down their texture.  Hard to say if I just arrived at the perfect time of the evening or if they have a system for this, but either way, it worked for me.  The marinade I can only describe as being the sharp, vinaigrette version of Peter Lugers Sauce.  This is the sauce they put on the tomato salad at famous Peter Luger's Steakhouse in NYC. Wonderful.  The only other ingredient was some finely chopped red onions, which added a nice flavor without being too strong.  That is probably the most I will ever write on a tomato salad, but it deserved it.

For my entree, I had the "red wine braised shin of beef with farm style egg barley".  Once again, a success.  It was perfectly braised beef, in a nicely flavored and seasoned sauce that was surely made of reduced braising liquid.  The farm style egg barley that it came with was great too.  Perfect texture, well seasoned (something that is commonly lacking in grain sides for me), with bits of onions, carrot, and other fun little surprises throughout.  If I had to venture a guess, I would say that this was definitely cooked in some sort of housemade broth because it had a nice flavor of stock to it.  The portion would have fed myself, my wife, the three small children at

the table next to me, and probably even my basset hound for a few days, but there is nothing wrong with that.  That last sentence obviously precluded me from having dessert, so that is far as I can take you, but the whole experience...ambiance, food, service, etc. was great and just makes me want to go back to Budapest in the near future.  Appetizers were about $8-10, entrees from $10-18.  

www.stjupat.hu

Don't miss this one if you are in Buda, probably even worth the trip from Pest.

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” ~Jawaharial Nehru

 

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7 Things to Love About Poland

Poland is a wonderful country in Eastern Europe filled with scenic countrysides, lively cities and great shopping. Yet, for a country that is roughly the size of of Georgia and Florida combined, it is so sadly unappreciated. Until now at least...Here is a list of 7 things that make Poland well worth a visit:

ICE CREAM 

Mmm...Swiderki

Poland has Swiderkis, delicious chocolate and vanilla ice cream cones where the ice cream is piled so high that you wonder how gravity has not won the battle. This may not seem like a big deal to some of your, but for anyone who has a sweet tooth that may even remotely rival mine, this will make your entire trip to Poland well worth it. It is next to impossible to not instantly purge all of your grown-up manners and attitudes and let yourself slip back into childhood whileeating one of these. Luckily, swiderkis are available on nearly every street corner for around $2, and the hot summer days are a good excuse to negate any guilty feelings that you may have about eating them.

St. Mary's Basilica

ST. MARY'S BASILICA 
Standing 262 feet tall, this Gothic church in the middle of the Old  Town in Krakow, is absolutely mind blowing. Much to my husband's   disdain, I feel the need to enter every single church that I stumble upon. That being said, I would argue that St. Mary's rivals St. Peter's at the Vatican. How did I not know that this extraordinary church existed before? Oh ya, Poland...it is unappreciated and often overlooked...even by me.

SHOE SHOPPING
Despite having a astronomical unemployment rate of 9%, retail analysts indicates that the clothing and shoe industry in Poland is expected to grow by 6% this year. In other words...Polish women like to shop, and the number of stores lining the downtown streets are clear evidence of this. As a woman, I know how important the perfect pair of shoes is, and as a former retail employee, I love to see how other stores do it. Needless to say, I spent ample time roaming the streets of Krakow and Warsaw scouting the stores. Not only did I find a range of shops, from luxury to inexpensive, but the favorable currency conversion made my husband much happier, too. So, if you like to shop, I would suggest converting some of those American dollars into Polish Zloty and heading out for a fun girls trip to Eastern Europe.

STREET FOOD

Mort eating a kebab in Krakow

As the wife of a Chef, food is always an important part of our day. Actually, that last sentence was a gross understatement. Food is often how we PLAN our day. So trying local cuisine is always first priority when entering a new city, and the easiest way to do that is stop at a stand and indulge in some down right delicious street food. Luckily, the Polish street food did not disappoint. It is comforting, filling, and it makes you long for the winter time. When in Poland, join the locals in standing alongside a concrete building while eating your spicy beef kebab. Yumm....

NOWY SWIAT 
This cobblestone pedestrian street (and it's off-shoots) is far and away the best part of Warsaw. Although the Old Town is beautiful, it is chock full of tourists and tourist traps. Nowy Swiat, meaning "New World" is a charming street full of shops, restaurants and far less tourists. Better yet, Nowy Swiat, also has Poles! If visiting Warsaw, search for your lodging near this street. You will still be able to walk to the Old Town when you want to, but you will have a far better chance of interacting with the locals in this area. And, although I hate to admit it, there is still a Starbuck's close by if you are feeling homesick.

Lazienki Palace, Warsaw

LAZIENKI PARK  
About a twenty minute walk south from the Old Town in Warsaw lies Lazienki Park, one of the most picturesque parks that I have ever laid eyes on. From lush green nature trails to perfectly manicured lawns, this park is well worth devoting a full day of travel to. The park is the largest in Warsaw, covering 188 acres and oddly enough, is home to many wild peacocks. Housed in the park are many sculptures, beautiful marble buildings, and lakes. Most famously, the 17th century Lazienki Palace is located here. The former royal palace is truly a sight to behold as it seems as if it is floating atop of the river. If you forgot your picnic, there is at least one charming restaurant inside the park.

NOT A MCDONALD'S IN SIGHT 
There are over 31,000 McDonald's worldwide, and frankly, I am sick of looking at them.   According to internet research McDonald's does exist in Poland, however, I was absolutely delighted that I did not come across one of them.  For comparison, there are roughly 1,200 McDonald's in France and only about 250 in Poland.  I consider this an amazing triumph for this country. Thank you Poles, for offering something else on my plate.

For more information on visiting Poland check out these sites:

http://www.cracow-life.com/

http://www.warsaw-life.com/

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Lokrum Island: Sea, Sun and....Peacocks?

If, while visiting the "Pearl of the Adriatic", otherwise known as Dubrovnik, you find yourself wanting a little time away from the city, I would certainly suggest a quick sojourn off to lovely, little Lokrum Island. The island, which was once the holiday home of Austrian Archduke Maximillian, and is also rumored to be the site where Richard the Lionheart was shipwrecked during his return from the crusades, now serves as a nature and wildlife preserve.

First of all, it is extremely affordable to get to, compared to the other "island tours" and "fish picnics" on offer. Round trip cost runs about $9. Ferries leave roughly every thirty minutes from the main marina in Old Town. After a fifteen minute ferry ride, you will find yourself  in the little bay of Lokrum.

There are actually quite a few options for how to entertain yourself on the island. I will only list the highlights, but there are things such as the Black Oak Forest, a deserted Benedictine monastery, a former Ranger House on the island, and a nudist beach in the southeast corner, if that tickles your fancy. 

BOTANICAL GARDEN
There is a very interesting Botanical Garden, on the island that houses imported plants from places such as Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, & California. The garden was originally founded to study how well plants from these regions would do in a Mediterranean climate. There are huge cacti, beautiful old trees, and all sorts of interesting bushes and shrubs. It's not exactly a day-filler, but it does make for a pleasant half-hour stroll.

THE DEAD SEA

There is a gorgeous "Dead Sea" (aka high salt density) lagoon on the island. It really does look like a scene from Blue Lagoon as approach it. It has a few little areas of pebble beach surrounding it, and is actually a very refreshing swim. The first little bit that you walk out on is a bit slippery FYI, so watch your step. There is a small cliff on the edge (about 35-40 feet up) that you can do some cliff diving from if you feel up to it....the pool is plenty deep on that side. As a word of advice, walk over to the showers after getting out as the salt does tend to dry on you after a little while. There is also a little bar/cafe with lounge seats overlooking it. I didn't personally frequent it, but it looked nice enough, other than the bad techno music. That last part is more Croatia as a whole, than this little bar, however.

FORT ROYALE
There is an old fort on the high point of the island (about 91 meters high) that is supposed to have some beautiful views back to Dubrovnik, as well as out to sea. I say "supposed to" because the trail was actually closed when I was there. Saved the wife a bit of a hike though, which I guess probably saved me a bit of a headache, so.......In case you are planning a trek up the hill, just keep in mind that may be closed if it is really dry and there is the possibility of a forest fire.

PEACOCKS
Peacocks. That's right peacocks. The island is inhabited by HUNDREDS of peacocks. They are beautiful, plentiful, and completely unconcerned by your presence on their island. My wife woke from a little seaside nap to literally be having a staring contest with one hovering over her. It really is quite a magical little addition to the island. They will eat right from your hand if you try.

As a few words of advice, bring a picnic. There are some cafes/bars on the island, but, to put it nicely, they look like they do better pouring beers than cooking if you follow my drift. Just stop BEFORE you get to Old Town (Old Town grocery prices are a touch ridiculous, and the fruit/veg market there is a bit weak) and pick up some supplies. We went with salami, cheese, crackers, fruit, water, and yes beer. They will let you bring anything as far as I know. The other piece of advice would be to swim in the bay that they bring you to. The "beach" on the other side of the island, while gorgeous (it looks out to the open ocean), is brutal to walk on. The rocks are like little daggers trying to turn your feet into chum, and the water is rougher, so it makes it harder to snorkel, etc. The bay on the land side has a lot smoother rock to sit/walk on, much easier ways into the ocean, and offers some great spots for fish-watching.

All in all, it is a lovely way to spend a day and a great change of pace compared to the hectic nature of the city itself.

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About Us

In Laguardia, Spain

We are Nick and Danielle Leahy, a young married couple from Atlanta, who recently quit our jobs, sold all that we owned, left home to travel the world for a while, and eventually settle abroad in London.  Now, we will each write a little about the other.

On Nick

Nick is a chef.  Actually, the world's greatest chef if you ask me, and this coming from someone who is a regular beneficiary of his skills.  His greatest strength is that he can cook anything you would like, from sushi to curry, from bouillabaisse to frogs legs (though I don't request those too often), and cook it well.  I attribute this to two factors: 

1)He was born to be a chef, and it is as simple as that.  His profession is truly his calling and this fact is so evident each morning when he wakes up and immediately heads for the kitchen to start cooking (sometimes I am not quite sure if he is even fully awake!).

2)He's a voracious reader particularly on the subject of food, including the history of,  its' preparation, and cultural differences, and therefore knows more than just the technique behind a food, but also the "why" of it.  This may not seem like an important trait, but in the predominately seedy world of restaurants, most chefs are busy dividing their time between the kitchen and the bottle.  Nick's passion and devotion to cooking goes so much further than the kitchen, and it shows in every dish.

To know Nick, is to know that he will eat absolutely anything (although he is slightly obsessed with pork) and then he will want to discuss it...in detail.  He gets more excited over local produce markets than national monuments, putters around in his head a lot (I just assume he is thinking of new recipes), and most importantly (and very simply) just loves to eat.  He is a loving husband, great friend, and a fantastic person to dine with.

On Danielle

Danielle always complains that she lacks an easily identifiable identity (such as, Nick is a chef), to which I always reply "it's a good thing to be a deep and complex enough person to not be defined by just one word".  She is, all at once, sweet and shy, and hard-nosed and assertive.  She is aggressively entrepreneurial and self-confident, yet is sometimes maddeningly in-need of reassurance.  She drives me crazy and keeps me sane.  She loves chocolate, dogs, and dancing in kitchens, and hates....very little (I think the only thing she actually hates might be cumin, but I am working on that one).  She has been an event coordinator, a marketing head, a director of operations, a general manager, a waitress, and a retail manager.  I say this to mean that no matter what she puts her mind to, she succeeds at.  She is a photographer by training, a multi-talented artist by passion, and possesses a sharp mind for business that the two types mentioned earlier in this sentence usually lack.  In short, I may be easily defined as a "chef", but I don't think there is ONE word that could do the same for my wife.

We all arrive in Ireland (dogs, too!)

I guess this brings us to the US part of Nick and Danielle.  We actually met for the first time in the third grade and went to elementary and high school together, but, to our recollection, did so without exchanging more that 20 words with each other.  Then one day, while I was working at a restaurant in Atlanta, the hostess came in and said "Hey chef, some girl that knows you is interviewing out there".  So, warily, I stuck my head around the corner, recognized her, said hello, and promptly went back into the kitchen to inform my cooks that I had dibs on the new girl.  We went out for drinks soon after that and soon enough she was part of the "test".  I love food, so I have to be with someone who does as well.  They also must be open minded about new foods.  So, with this in mind, I took her to my favorite sushi bar in Atlanta, and ordered every weird food they had.  We had abalone, lobster tartare, surf clams, eel, and about everything else you can imagine.  She dove straight in with me headfirst, and I knew that I had a special one when she popped sea urchin roe, topped with a raw quail egg into her mouth without blinking, and then asked if I was going to eat the last one.  So began our life together, which soon enough (although I should point out that the male and female interpretation of those words is apparently quite different) led to marriage, dogs (a cute, but maybe slightly slow basset hound named Tater, and a hyper, but uber-loyal corgi mix named Lily Bean), a condo together.....and leaving all that behind (we took the dogs with us) to explore the world a bit.

We will probably refer to each other by our nicknames more often than not, which are respectively Mort(me) and Noods(her).  The story of these is actually quite simple.  She kept calling me a "silly bologna," (a phrase she is still insisting actually exists) which as a chef I had to object to, since bologna is the world's worst meat.  I said, at least call me mortadella, which is a good Italian version of it, and it stuck.  It stuck so much in fact that I have even heard my own father refer to me as Mort.  As for Noods, she just gets struck by odd moods, which cause her to dance like a toddler in the kitchen, crave popsicles, ask obscure questions, and in many other ways, act "noodley", which I simply shortened to Noods.

We created Caperz to express Nick's love of food, and Danielle's love of travel.  The word "caper" is a salty delicious little food, as well as, an adventure, such as a world tour or a bank robbery (only one of the two planned so far).  We thought it fit.  Also, featured in Caperz is Herman, the traveling plastic orangutan who was born a potato peeler in Ireland and has since broken free of the kitchen to hike the Kenyan outbacks, climb St. Peter's Basilica, walk the Royal Road in Warsaw, and much more (see link on homepage).  

Hope you enjoy! Happy reading! 

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Arrabiatta Sauce

Well, since I am in Italy for this post, I find it most fitting to write about pasta.  We have been eating numerous plates of pastas, from Sugo al Amatriciana to delightful Carbonaras, but some of the most delightful, and simplest, have been the Arrabiattas.  Literally translated, the name means "angry sauce" and this is obviously derived from the liberal use of chiles in the sauce....it has a kick!!!!  That being said, you can tone in down, or ramp it up to whatever spice level you like, and as I said, it is a very tasty, very easy, very affordable sauce to make.  Enough rambling.....on to the food.

Peperoncini secchi pic

INGREDIENTS FOR ARRABIATTA SAUCE

1 medium onion, diced small

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 anchovy filets, chopped 

6 peperoncini secchi picante, chopped fine (these are just those little, fiery hot dried chiles that are readily available)

2 cans whole peeled tomatoes

1 red bell pepper, diced small

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup Pecorino cheese

1 bunch Italian Parsley, chopped rough

2 tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

STEPS

1) Heat oil in pan over medium heat.  Saute onions until soft and just starting to get some color on them, add peppers and garlic, and cook till softened

2)Add dried chiles and anchovy filets and cook one more minute, stirring constantly.

3)Deglaze pan with white wine, scrub up any bits of caramelized scrap off the pan up into the liquid

4)Add tomatoes, crush with potato masher, and reduce heat to simmer

5)Cook until sauce thickens lightly.  This is a fairly light sauce from a density point of view, so don't reduce it too much.

6)Stir in half of you Pecorino cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

7)Toss whatever pasta you have cooked (this sauce is best with spaghetti, bucantini, or penne rigate) in the pan.  Transfer to serving bowls, sprinkle with remaining parsley and pecorino.  Serve....I would recommend having a nice glass of wine prepoured for this one because, as I said, she's got a kick!!!

  

WINE PAIRINGS

Since it is spicy, you could pair it with a Valpolicella, or a Barbera if you felt like a red.  If your mood is leaning towards white, and since it isn't the heaviest of sauces, I would probably suggest an Orvieto.  

"Life is too short, and I'm Italian. I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0. " ~Sofia Bush

"If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?"  ~Author Unknown

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Eating in Prague

Well, suprisingly so, the food in the Czech Republic was actually one of the highlights of visiting that city.  Yes, as in much of eastern Europe, most of the menus featured heavily on the protein and starch side of things and light on the vegetables.  But, it was delicious and I've never been one to shy away from a few dumplings.  As a side note, z knedliki on a menu means with dumplings, so if you are trying to decipher a menu, learn the words for the meats and I guarantee that you will find it with z knedliki following it.

RESTAURANT MATYLDE

On our first night, luckily, we found restaurant Matylde on Belehradska street, one block away from the IP Pavlova tram/metro if anyone is actually trying to find this place someday.  It was exactly what we needed.  First off, they have a very nice house wine, both red and white, from Moravia and they pour you a cup FULL for about $1.40.  So, off to a good start already. Danielle, as is her way, went straight for the pizza section of the menu, but I will have to say, found one of the best pizzas I've had in my life.  First off, great crust, which is the most important part of any pizza, but also a great assortment of toppings: blue cheese, caramelized onion, salami, and potatoes.  Divine. I had a ridiculous bargain of a meal...half of a roasted duck, perfectly crispy skin, delightfully moist interior, seasoned right, served with traditional bread dumplings (surprisingly light), and red cabbage.  It was, as fans of Gavin and Stacey will appreciate, IMMENSE.  On top of that, it cost me $12.  We were both too stuffed for dessert, but they did have a blueberry tiramisu that looked pretty solid for you sweettooths out there.  www.restaurant-matylda.cz/

ZVORNAKA

Steak Tartare

On our second night, we ate at a restaurant called Zvonarka.  I had ordered a traditional appetizer called (in translation anyway) "pickled cheese."  It is supposed to be slices of camembert marinated in oil, garlic, chiles, & spices, served with pickled peppers, shaved onions, and greens.   As we were tourists, our waiter instead brought us just a "cheese tasting" which while good, was not anything I haven't eaten 1000 times. Also, his attitude was basically "well I bought this, so.....".   I have heard this attitude is common in restaurants in Prague, from Praugians (maybe not a word, but ah well).  Either way, we ate it and moved on to the main course. I had traditional potato dumplings, with bacon, caramelized onions, and sauerkraut.  The dumplings were akin to very large spaetzle, cooked in brown butter, and were delicious.  They also came out to about $5 a plate.  My wife had the steak tartare, which was very traditionally prepared with onions, mustard, and all the usual condiment suspects with the somewhat bizarre addition of ketchup.  It was tasty, but I don't think that it will be remembered fondly. It was tartare made with ground beef, which as we all know, is the only type of beef that can cause E.Coli poisoning. Well, in fairness, I cannot 100% say that this was the cause, as the symptoms take a while to set in, but my wife spent a few (5) miserable days stuck in the apartment while I scoured the city for pharmacies open on the weekends. We actually had to stay in Prague an extra three nights for this and, unfortunately, had to spend only one night in Budapest (although we did try a great restaurant there which I will let you in on soon).  For all concerned, if your steak tartare is chopped, not ground, it is 100% safe to eat.  For the record, I have safely eaten ground steak tartare many times, but contracting E.Coli is a risk if you do.  www.restauracezvonarka.cz

KOLKOVNA

Next up was lunch at a great traditional Czech restaurant, Kolkovna, on (fittingly) Kolkovne Street, which was recommended by both our friend Dave, a native of the city, and Daniel, from whom we were renting the apartment.  It is just a few blocks away from the main square with the astronomy clock et al, but is just far enough away that the locals will go there, and you won't get ripped off by eating in a tourist trap. There is a fun looking market/food stand area in the square that smelled great, but after doing some currency conversion, I realized that I would be asked to pay $20 for some roast pork and potato salad, so we moved on.  We finally got to try the pickled cheese dish here, and I have to say, it was well worth the wait.  The cheese is as I said, more marianted than pickled, but it was delicious.  The creamy camembert, fresh shaved onion, and pickled/spicy peppers were a great combo.  We also tried a very simple tomato & onion salad.  It was nice, if unremarkable.  At the very least, they were nice fresh tomatoes.  Sticking to more traditional dishes, we ordered, and thankfully split, the svitchkova for our main course.  It is sort of akin to Czech pot roast, and was recommended by our pescetarian local friend as the only meat dish he misses from his childhood.  The meat is cooked in a creamy mushroom gravy, topped with cranberry chutney, and topped again with a pastry-garnish-like swirl of savory whipped cream.  You mix it all together as soon as it hits the table, so this is all for presentation, but it was.....unique.  It is served with, you guessed it, dumplings.  The meat was tender, juicy, and well seasoned, the sauce good, the cranberries a pleasant surprise, and the dumplings yet again pleasingly light (for dumplings).  Not the lightest lunch ever, but a very good one.  The only real negative would be that the bartender poured the worst beer I have had in recent memory.  It arrived at the table only 3/4 full and 1/2 of that was foam.  Thankfully they're cheap, but still.  If you're a PROfessional bartender, learn to pour a freaking beer.  www.kolkovna.cz

Fried cheese deliciousness

Since this was around the time when my wife became violently ill, this is where my sit-down restaurant experiences in the city ended, but I did try quite a few items of street food while searching for the aforementioned pharmacies.  Don't worry, all of the street food was "en route" so to speak, so I didn't abandon my wife so I could eat fried cheese....for too long anyway.  While there are many choices for streetfood, only two really stuck out as something "Czech" or original.  The first would be "parek v rohliku", which would simply be a hot dog.  It is larger than it's street cousins in the US, and a bit more spicy, both of which are good.  It also either comes with fresh brown bread, or wrapped in a sort of pastry dough, both of which beat the wonderbread buns of the US.  As always, spicy brown mustard, NO KETCHUP, and away I went.  Quite delicious for about $1.25.  Second up, would definitely be "smazeny syr".  Smazeny, I believe, means "fried," and syr means "cheese" (well either cheese, or this particular kind of cheese).  That pretty much sums it up.  Imagine mozzarella sticks, just with a little more flavor, and made into a 4 inch wide patty, deep fried, smothered in tartarski (tartar sauce) and served on a big thick roll.  It is a delicious, greasy, guilty, ball of fried wonder....and is also about the heaviest thing I have ever eaten.  I am not skinny, not a small eater, and have never counted a calorie in my life, but about 3/4 of the way through this thing I think one of my arteries closed and I started thinking about the fact that I had just eaten about 1/2 lb of cheese...fried.  So I took a few more bites and admitted happy, sated defeat.

Herman with the real deal

The only additional piece of gastronomic info I have about Prague is that apparently evil Americans stole the name Budweiser from local Czech brewers.  The story I got was a little hard to follow as it was in semi-English, and seems to really raise passions (read voices) about the subject, but it goes something like this.  There is a town somewhere called Bud (or Budvar, the var might mean valley, not really sure) and there they make Bud-veis-er, which somehow translates to beer from the area around Bud.  Anyway, American beer execs went there way back in the day, liked the beer, liked the name, and according to local legend stole it all.  Apparently, you cannot buy the two beers in the same country (except England) as everywhere has chosen a side in this battle.  I, myself, would have to say that the story doesn't quite wash with me, but the beer does exist here and is MUCH better than its' American counterpart.  However, it is not one of the best Czech beers; Urquell, Starompramen, Kruskovice, and Gambrinus are all better, and the beer here is CHEAP. 

Anyway, that about sums up my culianry adventures in Prague.  Overall, a great city for food and drink if you stay away from the tourist traps...and the steak tartare.  Happy travels.

"In Prague, pork is king.  Welcome to Porkopolis, the land that vegetables forgot" ~Anthony Bourdain

"Prague is the Paris of the ’90s" ~Marion Ross

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