My views do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
When I was touring Europe in 2017 I had savings but no future employment. I was trying to travel as frugally as possible so I could make my money last, while still allowing a few decadences as a treat. My biggest splurge was on a food tour in Barcelona. It felt a little uncomfortable to spend so much money, but I love food and it seemed like a great way to learn about the area. I absolutely loved it. It was also a great choice for me because I’d spent the last few days wandering, going into restaurants and being unable to decipher the menu. In English speaking countries, the menu was easy to figure out. In Italy I could easily interpret pizza and pasta, and I was often accompanied by people who would point out the local delicacies. I was surprised to be so disoriented with the food choices in Barcelona. I wished I’d done the food tour earlier in the trip so I would know where to go and what to order.
Lesson learned, I signed up for a walking food tour right in the beginning. The tour met just around the corner from my apartment. Nikola, our guide, grew up in Prague and had personally designed this tour. We were joined by a couple from Chicago and a man from Wisconsin.
Our first stop was near the Flying Stag. Nikola said that the Flying Stag was recommended, but isn’t on the tour.
We started with dessert because the places with sweets wouldn’t be open by the time we’d finished our main course. Our first stop was Cukrář Skála:
We were asked to choose between caramel and chocolate. We all agreed that the best choice was both! We all went for chocolate except for the couple who got one of each.
There was a thin layer of dark chocolate on the outside, a chocolate cake, with an ‘eggnog’ gooey center, and a soft cookie on the bottom. It wasn’t overly sweet. Nikola said that Czech desserts weren’t as sugary as American desserts. I thought it was delicious.
Our next stop was at Sisters Cafe, which was started by, you guessed it, sisters.
Nikola said that Czech food has only had about thirty years to figure out what makes it unique. Under communism (which ended in the 1990’s) there wasn’t much choice or variety. Everyone was given the same food. The restaurants had no incentive to provide good service or to stand out. So good food and international food is relatively new to Prague.
At this stop we had a taste of what would be served as a midmorning or mid-afternoon snack. It’s a little too hearty to be an appetizer, so it would be served on its own.
These are slices of bread with potato salad, some meat, bits of vegetable and hard boiled egg. Nikola said you can basically put what you have extra in the fridge on the bread when company comes over so it’s very convenient.
Next we wandered around the corner and I found myself back in Old Town Square (with the Astronomical clock). Nikola said that most of the restaurants in the square were pretty touristy and overpriced, but there were a couple that she recommends, including this one:
She asked if we wanted the Czech version of coke (which she says is less bubbly, and supposedly tastes more like root beer, but she couldn’t verify that since they don’t have root beer here), light beer, dark beer or a mix. I got the combo.
We learned how to say Cheers in Czech (which Nikola said you can remember by thinking Nice Driveway) it sounds like: Naz Drah VEE
Here we had our first main course:
The dish on the left, Brynza, was like Gnocchi with mushrooms, crispy onions and sheep cheese. It was my favorite.
As we walked through the old town weaving our way through the other tourists, Nikola pointed out the few items that were actually from the area. Most of the souvenirs had nothing to do with Prague. They did have lots of their own version of things we had in the US. This mouse is the Czech version of Mickey Mouse:
When we arrived at the Charles Bridge, we were serenaded by horns. Nikola guided us around to the side of the entrance. I had walked across the bridge earlier in the day, and like most people, had completely missed these tulips!
The weather was very mild. Nikola said we were very lucky because she had done the same tour the night before and it was raining. It was much nicer this evening and we had a smaller group.
As we crossed the bridge Nikola told us how the artists on the bridge had to apply to sell things there and if they were denied, they would have to wait three years to apply again. It was a great honor to get a spot on the bridge. All of the jewelry and pictures were actually made by local artists.
Just shortly up the street on the other side, we arrived at our next destination: Pork’s.
Nikola pointed out that you knew it was a good place because we were surrounded by locals. I still can’t differentiate between locals and tourists. I just know that there definitely aren’t as many Americans in Prague as there were when I visited Florence!
The pork knuckle was cooked to perfection: the outside was crackly and the inside melted in your mouth. The potato salad was also very nice and light.
As the sun set, the buildings lit up in the dark. Nikola pulled us into a corridor on the street and looked around to make sure we were alone. She pulled out some travel shot glasses and gave us each a shot of local pear brandy.
Our final stop was at a wine bar for some wine tasting.
The wine was nice and smooth, but the crystal glasses stole the show:
The glass for the red wine was practically a decanter! Nikola said it could hold more than a bottle of wine!
The wife of the couple from Chicago was in love with the glasses. Her husband adamantly argued that they wouldn’t survive the journey home in their suitcases. There is quite a bit of Czech wine that is very good, but they don’t make enough of it to export it. Nikola joked that they were just being greedy and keeping it all to themselves.
Well that was officially the end of the tour. However, nearby there was a garden that was staying open late to celebrate the start of the season. It was usually open during the day, but tonight only it would be open until 10pm. Nikola wanted to go anyway, so she came along with us and gave us a bonus tour of the garden.
This statue is meant to bless a good harvest. It made me think of Cameron and Stu, the farmers in the family.
The garden is built on terraces on a hill. The higher we climbed, the better the view:
We climbed these stairs to the very top
Behind us we found the American Embassy.
And before us rolled the hills of Prague!
As we wove our way back to the Charles Bridge, we passed by the Lennon Wall. This late at night I could see the whole thing- we were the only tourists there!
The tour company was called Prague City Adventures. It was intimate and personalized. I liked that we got to have a little walk between courses, and were given a bit of a tour of the city as well as the stories behind the traditional foods. The best part was that later that night, my friend Erich started giving suggestions of food I needed to try in Prague. He said, if you go to a restaurant that has pork knuckle on the menu you HAVE to try it! I had been assured that I had tasted the best pork knuckle in the city. Then he said he forgot the name of the dish, but it’s beef with cranberries and whipped cream. Done! Plus I have the list Nikola sent of recommendations of recipes, cafes, and other sights to see around Prague.