 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Traditional Czech pub disappoints Posted
July 23, 2004
By TARLIKA NUNEZ PRAGUE— Novoméstský Pivovar is a “foreigner’s perfect dream” of Prague, boasted the Lonely Planet Prague guidebook. Don’t believe everything you read in those guidebooks.
One of the only two microbreweries in the city centre (the other is U Flekú); Novoméstský Pivovar is considered one of the finest restaurants of the genre, serving up all the Bohemian hits in a festive pub atmosphere. My dining partner and I decided to try this place out for one of our last dinners in the city well-known for lively pubs. Throughout the duration of our stay here, we had yet to experience a true Czech dinner with good beer in a traditional atmosphere. When we read about Novoméstský Pivovar whose boisterous cellar, decorated with Czech kitsch and populated with locals, served huge portions of Czech comfort food and massive quantities of home-brewed beer; it didn’t take us long to hop on tram number nine destined to stop Vodičkova. As we entered, the pub was boisterous all right, crowded with rowdy Italians whose tour bus had just plopped them off for another “traditional Czech meal.” We were sat right in the middle of the traveling Italians who were all dining on the same beer, the same meal and the same dessert.
Unfortunate for them, we thought as we glanced at the over extensive choices of Bohemia dishes, that the menu offered in more than 20 languages. From combination plates offering roast duck, smoked meats, sausages and, of course, dumplings, to drippings in fat, garnished with onion and green salad, the menu did offer an array of local traditional dishes. Oh, and not to be left out, the local Koleno— pork knee, served on a cutting board and stabbed with a steak knife. Judging by my neighbor’s Koleno, branded a house specialty, the dish appeared to be just one step removed from caveman. Although, once he carved through the thick top layer of fat, the meat looked sublimely tender. While waiting for our two dark beers, said to be brewed in house for eight to ten hours, you would have thought we were waiting for the actual process to begin and end. A giant, oversized basket of bread sat as a center piece on our table for our enjoyment, but once bitten into, was clear the bread had been sitting and rotating from table to table all day long. “Do you think someone has bitten off this?” My dining partner asked questionably as she picked up, what appeared to be a half bitten piece of bread.
Our uncertainties were answered later on in the meal, when our bread basket was taken and placed on a fellow diners table who had just sat down next to us. I couldn’t help but notice the M&M playing in the background— this is a traditional Czech pub?— as I ordered a traditional goulash meal served with potato dumplings, a side order of broccoli, which cost as much as a meal and the soup of the day (potato soup). The potato soup was served in a small bowl filled with cauliflower, carrots, onions, mushrooms and a hint of dill. It was a pleasant surprise to my palate and gave me hope for the meal to come. The traditional goulash meal was anything but hearty, the bland tasting dish was served with four small chunks of tough beef and three potato dumplings, and I felt as if I had ordered off the children’s menu. Much, much better is the broccoli drenched in a rich, creamy cheese sauce. But then again how can you go wrong with a creamy, cheese sauce? My dining partner ordered the spicy chicken breasts, which was described on the menu as a breast of chicken, corn on the cob, fried potato logs and cheese sauce.
To her disappointment, her “corn on the cob” turned out to be the baby corns you find at your local Chinese restaurant, and her breast of chicken was cooked long enough to hang it out and call it jerky. Of course, the rich, creamy cheese sauce (the same one that topped the broccoli) made everything taste a slight bit better. After seeing our fellow diners turn their nose up at what appeared to be the apple strudel, we opted on skipping desert and searching elsewhere for our sweet tooth. On a lighter note, towards the end of our meal, Frantisek, a famous accordionist known throughout Europe relieved M&M, and performed for us; thus, making our “Czech dream meal” just a notch below average.
Novoméstský Restaranční Pivovar Vodi ckova 20, Praha 1 New Town Brewer's Goulash stewed in black beer, 110 kč
|
||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
