MEDITE - Tapas Restaurant & Wine Bar - Marianske Lazne

Okay, I am coming around the bend of my time in Marianske Lazne. As promised I have saved the best for last! When I set out on this journey 2 months ago I had hoped at least once to find what I found on this evening. The whole evening was Magical! I was able to tour the kitchen and sit with the incredibly educated owner and my new dear friend. Course after course offered something special and new. I was again skeptical of this place because, really, how good can Spanish Tapas be in a small town in Czech republic near the German Border??? It makes me chuckle out loud to even think of the irony!

So we first decided on the wine! If you know me well you know I was smiling already:) It was so very delicious and definitely lends to the idea that fine wine is worth the price. I felt like you could bite it, it was so chewy and rich. I love how it gets you in that place right below the ear on your neck! Next a series of meats (Jamon Serrano, Chorizzo Iberico, Lomo Iberico and Salchichon Iberico) and cheese and a truly amazing Bruschetta. This is where I find such an important quality in the owner of a restaurant. Owner David Bohm is well educated in food. He understands what he is serving. Although he is Czech he has spent much time traveling in Spain and learning about food and why this ham has a certain layer of fat and why this cheese is sharper than that cheese. Especially in a town where he not only has to educate his consumer but also his staff. The staff is phenomenal!

The Most Amazing Assortment of Food was to follow...

Stuffed Zucchini with Tomato Bechamel and Sheeps Cheese au Gratin

Fried Aubergines Topped with tomato sauce and Camembert. No words for how amazing!

Seafood Paella - Traditional and perfect!

Calamar a la Plancha - This dish blew me away. The Calamrie was so tender and delicious!

Garlic Butter Shrimp - Perfectly cooked, it was perfect!

Perfectly seared duck breast over wild mushrooms with a balsamic reduction...Like Butter!!!

Finished off with 2 desserts...One I will share and one I shall keep near and dear to my own heart...But I will say it was AWESOME.

The dessert I will share was Crema Catalana served in a traditional style it was so beautiful!

I cannot thank the staff and owner David Brohm and his girlfriend enough for their hospitality! This was truly an amazing dining experience. I have not had this pleasure in a very long time. I hope I have done some kind of justice with my writing! Really it was an experience I will never forget! Check out the website at www.medite.cz

Chodovar Brewery - Chodova Plana CR

I was able to do a tour of this brewery while I was in Marianske Lazne. It is such a charming brewery, I really enjoyed my time there, as well as my time tasting at the end of the tour:) Following is a short description from the Brewery! Also, check out their website www.chodovar.cz

"The family brewery in Chodova Plana was built on ancient cellars cut in granite massif. The origin of the cellars is connected with the beginning of a little local castle. That time is also linked with a tale about the dog Albi, which found a well with a plentiful spring of water in the neighborhood of the castle. Dog Albi has been considered a good spirit of the local brewery cellars for centuries. Thus the dog's picture was also decorating the emblem of the local malting guild for a long time. Based on an old brewery tradition, the end of work in the cellars was always accompanied by a traditional ritual. When leaving, the youngest apprentice had to prepare a jug of beer and pour it into Albi's bowl. This should have ensured the dog's favour so as to bring good luck and protect the old ale brewers.

After the Cheb region had been annexed to the Czech Kingdom by Jan Lucembursky in 1322, the little castle lost its importance and gradually expired. The abandoned rocky area and the spring became an impulse for brewing. The oldest written document about the local brewery dates back to 1573 when the brewery was owned by aristocratic family of the Sliks.

After the Second World War the ancient history of the brewery almost fell into oblivion and the emblem of the town of Chodova Plana (a white lion with a royal banner on a red field) was used in the emblem of the brewery for many years instead.

Since May 2000 the unique brewery premises of rock cellars have been opened up. There is a traditional beerhouse and a museum. On this occasion, the symbol of the patron of local brewery, white dog Albi, returned to the emblem of the brewery."

I have to say I loved this tour so much. You can see what a rich history the location has and the beer itself is wonderful! I think being a beer maker is my next calling... You never know!

Caffe Express - Marianske Lazne

Pizza. Who doesn't like pizza? I love pizza! I have not had much since I arrived in Europe. The pizza that I have had has not been great, hence, this is the first post you will see about it. The pizza here in Europe has a decidedly thinner crust, and for me a much different dough texture. You can ask for thin crust in the US. It is still pizza crust. This crust for me has a different texture. Kind of like a cracker.

Needless to say, when I heard from more than one person that I should try this pizza place I was skeptical. It looks like a fancy cafe that serves only coffee. Check out the website, you can see what I mean... www.caffeexpress.cz

The pizza I had, pictured here was absolutely delicious!!! Just the right amount of ingredients so nothing overpowered anything else. Most importantly it was HOT. Most of the pizza I have had so far is cold by the time I get my first bite. This pizza had Blue Cheese, Green Olives, Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Mushrooms and Bacon! I have to say it is a good marriage for pizza! As always, served with an icy cold Pilsner Urquell!!

Filip I. Restaurace - Marianske Lazne

It is fair to say upon my visit to Marianske Lazne that I had certain expectations. One of which was that since it is a tourist area it would be very expensive with little to offer. I guessed that I would find typical Czech cuisine but on a scale not necessary for Czech Cuisine and at a price to match.

Filip Restaurace has an amazing inviting atmosphere, also with a gold medal staff. I enjoyed every moment spent there. The food was terrific! I broke my own travel rule again and ate there 3 times!! First day, Schnitzel and mashed potatoes. Delicious! Day two, Braised Rabbit Leg with Sauerkraut and Dumplings. Amazing! Day three, Goulash soup and fried cheese. Wonderful!

Of course all three meals were washed down with delicious beer:)

I am again impressed by the culinary ability to cook things such as rabbit and not completely destroy them! It takes a lot of no how to cook any kind of game really well and on top of that to serve it hot. I have not been disappointed!

For more information all I have is an e-mail address: martina.stetkova@seznam.cz

Dobro Chut!

Breakfast in Marianske Lazne

It is going to take a while to get all my posts in from Marianske lazne so please be patient! I'm saving the best for last:) You don't want to miss it!

Since we know that I love breakfast, I will show you the breakfast spread offered by the hotel every morning. As you can see from the picture it was huge! A perfect way to start a day of hiking and strolling and doing whatever it is you love.

As I mentioned in previous posts typically breakfast in Europe has an assortment of hams and salamis, cheeses, spreads and breads. This place also offered a nice salad which I was super happy to see! I was also able to get various forms of pastry, a nice big cup of coffee they offered scrambled eggs every day. Since I adore eggs I can be very particular in how they are prepared. You may be able to see from the picture that the hardboiled eggs are cooked perfectly. So I went ahead and tried the scrambled eggs. They were absolutely delicious, laden with butter, undercooked as they should be and perfectly amazing! Poached eggs are still my favorite. But many congratulations for not ruining scrambled!

It is also important to add, like my many other experiences in this town. The people were wonderful! Good service is not everywhere and therefore deserves a Gold Medal when it happens:)

Marianske Lazne

This trip to Europe has proved to be an amazing life experience. I have been away for over 2 months now. I have met people who will stay in my heart forever. I have learned about food that will stay in my heart forever.

I have just returned from a short visit to Marianske Lazne, 5 days total. Person after person, landscape after landscape I adored this little town and was brought to tears at pulling away yesterday from the train station. I am no travel guide but it is important to share this information. The history here is rich and full of culture. The towns history was born from a swampy landscape covered with hundreds of natural springs. The first spring water analyses were done in the 18th century. Within the actual town of Marianske Lazne there are 7 curative springs. Each spring differs in chemical composition and thus treat a variety of diseases such as kidney and urinary tract disorders, neurological disorders organic nervous diseases and countless others.

The area is filled with mountains and parks and a Royal Golf Course, and countless other activities! My hotel was amazing and I am not the only one who has stayed here, "La Provence" is a genuine family favorite. www.apartma-marienbad.com Owner Jan Ficenec is very knowledgeable about the area and a tremendous resource. If it's possible, I highly recommend a visit.

Oh...Last but certainly NOT least...This is a food blog. I didn't have one bad bite my entire stay! Information to follow!

Staropramen Gulas

Staropramen Gulas is one of those dishes like “sweet and sour meatballs” that is interesting because of the ingredients. Nothing major, nothing fancy, no culinary education required and yet, delicious! You can see from the photo that I could hardly get a picture before it was gone! The most similar sausage I can think of for this dish is kielbasa. In a baking dish layer onions and the sausages. Cover the top with ketchup and dark beer. And cook, and cook, and cook. Enjoy. That’s it! I have a favorite restaurant in Prague and I order this there all the time. Serve with bread for all the delicious sauce, or maybe with mashed potatoes would be good too, or even french fries! Perfect for a Sunday Football Day!

A side note is that "Staropramen" is the SECOND largest brewery in Czech Republic! I won't even begin to bother telling you what the largest brewery is...P.S. Its Not Pilsner Urquell :)

Another side note: If you don't know the recipe for Sweet and Sour meatballs, google it, it's delicious!

OMG Topinky!!!

I have been in Europe for over a month now. Although I am certain I have not seen everything, I will say I have seen/eaten a lot! I was thrilled to come across this Czech treat. I have recollections of my father grating raw garlic on toasted bread but I have no recollection of this! In the Czech Republic they have a special type of bread. I've found the most accurate description to be part sourdough part rye. It's delicious and very dense. The bread is served with many dishes here! I imagine you would have to make your own in the US in order to get it, I can't think of anything remotely similar.

Topinky – by definition is just toast. This is what my dad says. But, I daresay if you go to a restaurant expecting toast from a toaster, you will be surprised by what is delivered. The aforementioned bread is fried until super crispy and served with pieces of raw garlic. The consumer rubs the pieces of garlic on the toast, I like a pinch of salt too, and traditionally that’s it.

This particular version (my first experience) was served as seen in the picture. The traditional “toast” with raw garlic, tomatoes, cabbage (raw), and chicken with spicy tomato sauce. What an amazing combination! There are many different serving options but this is the one we had and it caught my eye. Kutna Hora (the town where the restaurant was) is a small town. I love the explanation of the soup portion of the menu too! "According to the cooks inspiration"

Halušky - National dish of Slovakia

Halusky is one of the national dishes of Slovakia. It is a small dumpling similar to the Italian gnocchi or I would even say the German spatzle. The cooking process in the latter is especially similar. So Halusky, typically a potato dumpling served in a cream sauce topped with crispy bacon or Pancetta. There are several recipes each differing on a few minor points. Although extremely heavy it is delicious!

The base of the cream sauce uses a special cheese known as Bryndza, this is an essential component and difficult to substitute. The following description comes to you thanks to "University of Pittsburgh" and the help of a friend:) since it is such an important part of this dish I thought I would add it.

“Traditional bryndza is sharp, salty, grayish, grated and pin-rolled, crumbly, semi-spreadable 100% sheep cheese. There is no close equivalent in taste and texture among sheep, cow, or goat cheeses. Most modern commercially available bryndza is milder, bleached creamy white, and two of its three varieties can legally contain up to 49% cow cheese. The European Commission registered the latter as Slovenská bryndza on its food list of Protected Geographical Indications on 16 July 2008.

Although the European Protected Geographical Indications treat it and the bryndza of the Polish Podhale region adjacent to northern Slovakia as separate products, the traditional variety differs little. It stems from the Wallachian shepherding culture that gradually spread counter-clockwise from the south-east along the main ridge of the Carpathians and had reached their western ranges in the Slovak majority counties by the 15th century.”