OK, technically not a vacation but a guidebook assignment in Prague for a major German conglomerate. Still, you get the idea. Here are some awards now that I'm back, free from the tyranny of the weak dollar, shelf toilets, and breakfast beer.
Best Beer: Primator English Pale Ale at Prvni Pivni Tramvaj. I was predisposed to like this bar all the way at the end of the 11 line in Sporilov for personal reasons--I spent a lot of time at that tram stop one summer, OK?--but this particular Primator was delicious. Creamy, fresh, crisp; more ethereal than the Pale Ales that I've tasted here in the US, which tend to have a vegetal flavor, in my opinion. Alas, no pic, but here's a tram, decked out with flags for Jan Hus day. Go Hus! Or whatever one says on Jan Hus day.
The bar itself is "tram-themed", which is what you'd expect given that the tram's door opens at the entrance to the bar. While I was drinking at there, a tram driver made a to-go food order to be picked up an hour hence, when she finished her loop. While she was making it, I noticed she left the tram unattended, and I had fantasies of making a break for it. Of course, high speed races on rails have a way of ending predictably, thanks to the whole "you're on rails, stupid" aspect.
They also have a tram bell at the bar which they ring for regulars/whenever the desire strikes them. I stood right next to it, and shot about 10 feet in the air when the bartender rang the damn thing for the first time. They also rang it for me on my way out. I was honored.
Best Meal: Angel. I was not expecting to find good Asian food on this swing through town, but it's significantly improved from the circa-2002 Orange Moon days. Sofia Smith has an extra gear that the other cooks in town simply don't, not when cooking Asian food anyway. The service, the downfall of nigh every restaurant in the city, is perfectly calibrated, the space is modern without being showy or inefficient. Here's the duck salad with basil and red pepper:
Best Beer Development: Tankové Pivo, or Tank Beer. It's delivered in a tanker truck, pumped in via hose to the tanks which are pressurized, squeezing the beer out and through the taps. Tank beer is unpasteurized, and the difference in flavor profile noticeable; beer doesn't travel well as it is, especially Czech beer, but this makes even lesser brews palatable. They even have tank Gambrinus, the workingman's quaff in CR (I'm not counting any beers that come in plastic bottles). Sure, tank Gambac is a direct relation of the "natural" Cheetos here in the US, but it's stil awesome. While it was a gimmick a few years ago now it's everywhere by comparison. And I just love that it comes in trucks. Here's a blurry photo of the tanks at Zlaty Klas, near Andel:
Best Bathroom: Starbucks. Yes, the new eyesore on Malostrankse Namesti. It's ugly as sin, but the bathroom in the basement has Gothic arched stone walls and is free, unlike many other bathrooms in town. As a side note, I'd pay for like, an awesome clean bathroom given the option in NYC, but the pay bathrooms in Prague are not ever described as "impressive". Nonetheless, it may be the nicest Starbucks bathroom ever.
Ugliest Menu Photo: Has to be the roasted piglet at Budvarka. It may very well be delicious, as pork fat flows through the veins of Czechs (it's a medical condition) but this photo, somehow, doesn't do suckling pig the justice it deserves:
Prettiest Moment: My first night.
Confirmation that Prague is still weird, given the chance: The Prague Food Festival VIP Party, wherein these ladies were handing out champagne at the entrance:
Apparently, they were the physical embodiment of coasters, which I presume was to remind people they should hold onto their drinks, not set them down willy nilly. Meanwhile, in the main tent, a parade of models sashayed down the runway wearing paper dresses that were smeared using paint brushes (with what I hope to God was tomato sauce and chocolate) by the festival organizers. Oh, and for the grand finale, a model wearing a table with a silver dome on her head walked up and was uncovered by the other models. Sure, getting some heavy hitters from the Prague restaurant scene was great, but I prefer any events with women dressed as furniture.
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