Local Czech food with locals!

When it came time for a final Czech meal, I really wanted to try out a more decidedly local restaurant. Oh boy, everyone had the same idea.

U Parlamentu is a favorite among locals and now travelers alike for they serve authentic Czech food with local beers at bargain prices.

Service is fast for what it is. There were only two waitresses I saw servicing the entire floor and it was very packed!

We started off with the crispy garlic bread - normally you think toasted bread with butter and garlic minced - baked to a buttery goodness, no?

Czech garlic bread

Not according to the Czechs. Their bread is browned and very crispy. You get garlic cloves - 3 of them - 1 for each slice of crispy bread. The garlic has to be mashed against the toast until you feel there is enough garlic flavor. There is no butter with it. Once you get the garlic juice onto it though, it tastes pretty good.

Pork medallions with sauerkraut and bread dumplings

The best part of this simple Czech meal was its pork, which is really good in Prague. Very moist, tender and  the sauce's blandness is matched by the sauerkraut's pickled taste. The bread dumplings were just like montau - chinese steamed bread! I found it reminiscent of home.

Marinated beef in creamy sauce

Barb was not too impressed with this dish at all. It was too bland for her and there was nothing to cut that - not even sauerkraut.

Service was a bit short but we got cheap, traditional Czech fare fast. 

U Parlamentu

Valentinska 8, Prague 110 00, Czech Republic (Praha 1)

tel. 420 721 415 747

Barok

The first night we were in Prague was a lovely one. We walked around, admiring all the lovely buildings and passed by very old synagogues and churches. 

Barock is across from the New-Old Jewish Synagogue and an intriguing little building one block over from the synagogue.

They have live music at night and we decided after going away to come back and have dinner there. And boy, was it a bit interesting.

We ordered drinks first and I forgot what Barb had but it's not on the menu on the website - just on the menu we had when we went in. The long task of picking out food was next.

Raspberry Mojito yum.

Another drink

Barb finally picked a pasta dish...Again as she never contributes - I can not attest to how good the food was!

A pasta dish

I believe it was Spaghetti Pomodoro and I remember she enjoyed the tomatoes.

Spaghetti Pomodoro

I opted for the traditional Czech menu and got a lovely pork tenderloin in creamy mushroom sauce with pancakes. The mushroom sauce was too delicious. I dipped everything in it! It was lighter than I thought it would be considering that it is a cream sauce. It reminded me of another sauce but the bites of mushroom really were a treat. The pancakes were light - more like a crepe and paired perfectly with a bit of tenderloin and sauce.

Pork Tenderloin with mushroom sauce and pancakes!

I do recommend getting something from the traditional menu when you go to Prague. It's almost always better than eating other types of food there and usually the flavors are not typical of home so it would be a missed opportunity.

Up close with my food

For dessert, which took a while because of a huge table that came in - all American men, I might add, toasting their brotherly love, we got the three flavors of flan - coconut, passionfruit and vanilla.

Coconut, Vanilla and Passionfruit Flan

Barb ate the vanilla flan - I had to taste all three before figuring out that one. Passionfruit was a bit sour but still enjoyable. I think the natural sweetness of the passionfruit got lost in the real sugar and that's why it was a bit sour. The coconut had delicate taste of coconut in it so the coconut wasn't pronounced enough in the taste. The vanilla was very good. They obviously used a good vanilla flavor in it but I did not see specs of bean so it must have been an extract - possibly even a Madagascar vanilla.

All in all, all three were not overly sweet - they balanced the top crust of sugar with the flan underneath so you are left with a nice tasting but not overly sweet trio.

The music was live and they took requests so someone asked and got a Sinatra song! Otherwise, they sang a bunch of American songs...from at what we heard.

However, it was still quite enjoyable and wait staff was very nice. The restaurant was a nice atmosphere too even if it was catering to the tourist crowd.

Barock
Pařížská 24, 110 00 Praha 1
tel. 420 222 329 221
Opening hours: Mo - Sun 10.00 am - 1.00 am

Overkill at Sofrito's!!

I heard about this Puerto Rican spot from several sources and fortunately, my bff decided that it was the place to go to last evening!

Hostess was nice and the place feels more like a lounge when you enter. It seemed like a date place but other duos were also women so it is just a nice place to eat. They pull out the table when you arrive at the table for the one sitting in the booth and the chair for you if you are on the other side. They also put the napkin on your lap. The napkins are true linen although they do line the table with paper.

They have a four course special for around $45 per person but it is limited to what is on the menu. We opted for a la carte.

Sofrito Mojito - so pretty with real sugar cane!

At the recommendation of the waitress, we got the Sofrito mojito, made with passion fruit and real sugar cane. Yes folks, some places still use real cane for their mojitos. It was absolutely divine and I drank 3 over the course of the meal. I could not help myself. Not too sweet with underlying flavors of the passion fruit and mint infusing with the rum and sugar cane.

Sofrito Mojito - passionfruit makes this heavenly!! It has also been instagrammed!

They even served bread seared on both sides with garlic and oil. I nibbled a bit to taste and it was good. I just didn't gobble it down like usual!

Complimentary carbs - Jane says no!

We decided on the shrimp and beef empanadas: overstuffed and sliced in half for us.

Two types of filling...one sweet sauce.

The shrimp was very, very good. It was a lot of shrimp filling which was chopped up shrimp with a blend of herbs. In a phrase, it was yummy! Of course, we love the chimichurri sauce and asked for it on the side!

Beef in the background, shrimp in the front...just plain TASTY!

The beef was just as overstuffed - the shredded beef filling was overflowing and even so, the crispy empanada shell was still full!! It was divinely tasty with the same blend of herbs.

Ropa viella fajita

We also had the ropa viella fajita, a skirt steak that has been shredded into a fajita with a guacamole on lettuce and tomato on the side. It was absolutely one of the best fajitas I have ever tasted with a guacamole that was insanely fresh. I can not even begin to dissect the flavors which was probably lemon or lime which I never associated with guacamole. I suppose none of the other places made it this fresh?

Just as we finished our appetizers, leaving virtually no room left for the entree, out comes this ginormous, Flintstone sized pernil...I knew something was up because bff's eyes were popping out of their sockets. However, let's take a moment to look at her order of churrasco with garlic mashed potatoes.

It's been instagrammed so it looks like this. A dinosaur's rib. Lol.

BFF could not eat it all - it was super big but it was delicious and she said it was enough for 2 days of dinners. I wholeheartedly agreed. Super HUGE portions.

Pernil with 3 maduros, and arroz gandules

The picture doesn't do this monster justice. This roast pork portion could feed a family of 6 comfortably! Trust me, it was very a la Flintstone!

Another side of the pernil

So, I did not finish it. I could only eat about a 1/14th of it. They also give you a knife and you do not need it. The pork was so moist, it fell off the bone. Yes, there is bone in that there mountainous hunk of meat. It was perfectly seasoned with a sprig of rosemary for decoration. It is an big portion of pork shoulder with the fatty, crispy skin carmelized. The rather delicate meat was moist, flavorful and a piece of pig heaven. The sweet plantains were absolutely delicious and the arroz gandules was moist, flavorful and absolutely delicious.

And yes, it was doggy bagged home because, like I said before, you can't tell but this was fit for a family of six!!!

And then the moment of truth - can we have dessert? Well well, no dessert menu! It's not because Sofrito's has no dessert menu but because BFF likes to embarrass me so tada!

Tres leches cake with whipped cream and a candle

Yes, the waitress sang, staff sang, it was quite embarrassing. But it was so delicious - this cake. Lovely sponge cake drenched in three types of milk. Soft, moist and sweet!

Thank you BFF for a yummy, 3 drink dinner. :3 I hope you got your paper done - because I was out like a light by 10:30 pm.

Sofrito's is a great lounge and restaurant. It's worth a trip up 1st ave for all types of events. And the staff are all really nice!!



Sofrito's NYC
400 East 57th Street
New York, NY 10022
tel. 212.754.5999
Reservations - via Opentable only or by phone for special occasions.
Hours:
Sundays: 4 pm to Midnight
Mon - Thurs: 5 pm to Midnight
Friday & Saturdays: 5 pm to 2 am (Lounge open until 4 am)

Brunch at Luna

Okay this post is out of sync because I had technical difficulties uploading the pics via iPhone app. Apparently, if you don't hit publish, they will no longer save the pics?! Methinks some writing will be done to the app devs.

Our last morning in DC, we opted for late check out and went to look for brunch. As there was nothing close by, we went off to Dupont Circle and scored at Luna, a kitschy looking place next to the Mad Hatter (I would have chosen this place because I like the name but they were pricier than Luna).

As it turns out, Barb remembered that she ate there before - a while back. And she only remembered once we stepped through the doors...

So upfront - there are no meat substitutions. If you don't like pork or are allergic to pork, then you can't have meat here. 

So that said, they have a small brunch menu full of hearty pork filled meat breakfasts or french toast or omelets.

Waffle with egg and cheese

Barb ordered their waffles with egg and cheese. They did not have meat subs so the pork filled menu was not a good choice for her. However, the waffle looked nice and fluffy and delicious.

A nice hearty platter

Since I am more likely to eat a pork product, I choose their platter - toast with eggs (I like mine over easy) which they served perfectly done and their maple syrup sausage. It was very delicious. My eggs were actually over easy!! Some places overcook them. And the sausage was very tasty - seasoned but with a lovely taste of maple!

Overall, I find this place to be friendly yet fast - a good place to grab a quick bite - just don't come here if you can't eat pork but want meat for breakfast.

Luna Bar & Diner
1301 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
tel. 202.835.2280
Hours:
Sunday -Thursday

8:00 am – 11:00pm
Friday & Saturday

8:00am – 12 midnight

 Brunch on Sat & Sun Only

Mio - Hit & Miss

Mio was right by the Westin, where we were staying. It was even on the list of restaurants that the concierge gave us even though I went online to check it out. Then I made OpenTable reservations after learning about the Hamilton...reservations for dinner in DC are a must if you do not want to wait more than an hour or so for food.

The place was very nice and spacious, with a lounge at the front and a bar to the left of the entryway.
Decor was sleek and modern with interesting lighting and a very open atmosphere. I would venture to say that it was quite relaxing and service was superb.

Spicy Machu Pisco

After perusing the menu, we decided on the drinks first, of course - Spicy Machu Pisco, made of Machu Pisco, Aji Amarillo (yes the same peppers in the green sauce), Passion Fruit & Lime Sour for Barb and the Pasion Urbana made of Banana & Pineapple Cruzan rum, Passion Fruit and Guava!

Pasion Urbana

Barb said hers was really really good. That was saying something since she is not much of an alchy. :)  I think she is in love with Pisco. I loved mine and if I didn't have 2 more bottles of Mike's Hard Lemonade in the hotel, I would have gone for a 2nd. It had not a huge wallop in the alchy department but I love guava and this drink had alot of it. In fact, if you did not like guava, you might not want this drink. It was sweet and deliciously refreshing.

Complimentary Bread

The bread was awesome. Barb did not take a piece but I did and let me tell you, it was some good bread.  It was quite soft but had good texture and some crunch from the crust on top. They did not have fresh butter but the bread made up for it.

Pollo a la Braza Mio con Yuquitas

After debating between the large and  whole fish and chicken, Barb chose the chicken, roasted with yucca, otherwise known as Pollo a la Braza Mio con Yuquitas. In hindsight, she probably should have gotten the fish... When it came, she was all excited until she took a bite. Apparently, it was not seasoned well or marinated long enough because it was very bland. She had to ask for salt and pepper and the waitress asked her how it was and she said it was bad. So the waitress spoke to the Chef and offered to take away the plate and dish something else up. And so, Barb decided to take her up on it and got the Ceasar Salad with real anchovy and the Filete de Salmón a la Plancha con Salsa de Piña or aka the Plancha Seared Salmon, Pineapple Salsa.

Caesar Salad

This she liked because it had real anchovies in it. Weird. And the croutons were made from Yucca! Yum.  I was just glad she found something else to eat!

Filete de Salmón a la Plancha con Salsa de Piña

Then she got the seared salmon and they forgot to not serve the squid ink rice with it. But she wasn't too happy because she didn't really dig into everything. You could totally tell by her face!!! I digress though because I never tried it since I do not like salmon because it's just too fishy for me. So round 2 was not so much of a success which is why I think she should have just gotten the Chillo Frito con Purée de Batata Dulce y Mojito Isleño which is Fried Whole Red Snapper, Sweet Potato, Island Mojito, and Avocado-Papaya Crudo. The lady next to us seemed to really enjoy it, despite having the head still on it.

Filete de Cerdo con Manchego Frito y Salsa de Guayaba

I however,  had long debated the quail stuffed with foie gras because I never had quail stuffed with foie gras! Uhhhh, liver paste...lol. However, it is a small appetizer. I went opposite. Yep, grilled pork tenderloin with fried manchego cheese in guava/red wine reduction. Do you see a theme here? Guava. Yum.

Up close and personal with pork..delicious pork

Despite having just devoured a whole crepe only 2 hours prior...I tucked into this big juicy slab of meat. Manchego cheese, one of my most favorite cheeses was gloriously melted over the entire slab which was grilled to perfection and had a melt in your mouth quality like a fine steak.

And let me just reiterate that this was one *very* good pork tenderloin. It was finely seasoned, perfectly grilled and had Manchego cheese melted all over it... What is not to like or enjoy?! I just had to mention it again because I did leave a lot left...

Remains of the battle with the huge slab.

This is not because it was not good but because it was too big. You could totally feed 2-3 people on this alone and still be full. Note that the salad and potatoes went virtually untouched. o(*^o^*)o  To quote Adam Richman - Food won this time...food won...

If you enjoy pork, the next time you are in DC - go to Mio and try this. You will not be disappointed by it or the service!

Mio Restaurant
1110 Vermont Ave NW,
Washington DC 20005
Tel. (202) 955-0075
Hours:
Lunch:  Monday – Friday 11:30am – 2:30pm
Dinner: Monday – Thursday 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Friday and Saturday 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Bar/Lounge: Monday – Thursday 5:00pm – 12:00am, Friday and Saturday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am
Happy Hour: Bar: Monday – Friday 4:00pm – 7:00pm, Selected House Drinks, Wine and Draft Beers
Happy Hour: Lounge: Friday and Saturday 11:00pm – 2:00am, Selected House Drinks and Draft Beers

Banh mi from Foodie

Banh mi Pork Meat Balls

I live for banh mi. There is just something about toasted bread filled with meat and veggies. Today we ordered from Foodie and we all got something different. However, I decided to go for the banh mi (which just translate to bread in vietnamese) pork meat balls. The #6 banh mi is filled with julienned pickled carrots and daikon, seasoned cooked pork meat (they're more like a soft pate than meat balls), cilantro and drizzled with a hot sauce (sriracha hot sauce). 

The carrots and daikon radish is julienned and then left to pickle in fish sauce, sugar and water. They become really tasty and even I, who does not like veggies too much, eat this mix happily. But in a sandwich, it makes the sammich way way better!!! The pork meat balls are made of pork and seasoning - however, these are so soft, that they are mushed in the sammich! Add just a bit of cilantro, cucumber, and hot sauce and there you have it. The best tasting pork 'meat ball' sammich ever!

So good - up close look.

You have to just try it. It is absolutely delicious! Unless of course, you are allergic to pork or any of the ingredients in the sammich!

Foodie is part of the Boi empire but it is the East Side counterpart. They deliver with a $10 minimum and any first orders online come with a 15% off the total. They also have a frequent eater program where 6 points (1 point per delivery) means $5 off your next order.

Foodie

246 East 44th Street
bet. 2nd & 3rd Avenues

New York, NY 10017

Tel: 212.681.6541

And that was my lunch for today!