Viva the people. The cars. The culture. The food. The cigars. The rum.
Have you dreamed about going to Cuba before the island changes forever?
This video is compiled from photos I shot on the incredible trip we took to Cuba this March. Hopefully it will inspire you to experience this unique place that everyone says is stuck in time.
I’m ready to go back!!
And we are!!! Our next trip will be on Southwest Airlines first flight from Ft Lauderdale to Havana this December!! So looking forward to a whole new experience in Cuba around the holidays!!
Would you like to go to Cuba in 2017? We may try to get a group together to go back. Contact me at val110358@aol.com for more info. Meanwhile, enjoy our last trip…
We had worried about the rain forecasted on our spring Saturday in Prague. It actually turned out to be a beautiful sunny day for a foodie walk through Old Town and the surrounding area. Our guide lead us through small, out of the way streets, passages and gardens on our quest for some of the best local foods of the Czech Republic.
Our merry band of foodies on the Eating Prague Tour
Our meeting place at 12:30 was at a very Bohemian chocolate shop on Klimentska Street. Our small group of four couples were an international mix which all spoke English. We were joined by couples from England and Italy and a young US couple that are living in Spain while she attends and he teaches at a university in Barcelona. We find a unique commonality that we all love food!
Our own Pied Piper who led us through the streets of Prague in front of the rather hidden entrance to Styl & Interier
Our guide, Jan is from Prague but has lived in Seattle and San Francisco while working for Microsoft. As we got to know him, we learned that he is an aspiring artist with a young family that obviously loves the ins and outs of food. He bakes too. His speciality is cheesecake. Quite the diversified businessman, along with setting up and guiding the Eating Prague Tours, he also guides photo tours around Prague.
We learned from our guide that Eating Prague Tours was founded and is owned by an American now living in Rome. His ‘Eating’ dynasty now includes Rome, London, Amsterdam and of course Prague.
Horice rolled wafers filled with cream dipped in chocolate at Choco Cafe
Eat Dessert First
Our tasting began with dessert! Great way to begin I think! The sugar will help with all the walking we will be doing during our next four hours. Choco Cafe is a family owned small chocolate shop in a quaint setting on an off street. The decor is a mixture of funky, mixed-matched tables and chairs with the walls covered with posters celebrating Chocolate. The smells in the air are intoxicating!
Light, flaky Horice rolled wafers filled with a lovely cream which you dip in a warm, rich, thick chocolate sauce. This pastry was made legendary by Napoleon and is served in only a few restaurants. Absolutely heavenly way to begin the tour!
Open faced sandwiches from Sisters in Prague
Sandwiches and meat
We then began our walk on small streets through the Jewish Quarter to a pair of businesses only separated by a narrow passage on Dlouha Street. Our first offering was a trio of gourmet open faced sandwiches from Sisters. We began with a lovely beet spread with a chunk of goat cheese and a beet leaf. Then came a lovely slaw made of celery root and finally a mixture of cod. These were served with a lovely elderberry flavored lemonade.
Sausages, spicy mustard and pickles at Nase Maso
Just across the passage way is Nase Maso, a meat market that offers some of the best meats in Prague. Their reputation of using local, high quality meats has caught the attention of Prague chefs who purchase their offerings for service at their restaurants. The line at their counter proves they are loved by the locals as well. We tasted three sliced meats including ham and salami. Their traditional sausage, mustard and gherkin pickles were my personal favorite.
Naso Maso is more than just a butcher shop. They will grill the meats you choose from their counter and offer plates that include traditional artisan bread baked locally. A young man who was attempting to enjoy his lunch while our group basically surrounded him and his table, declared that his pork cheek was the best that he had ever tasted. He noted that it was flavorful and fork tender.
Unique setting at the cozy Zvonice Restaurant in Prague
Tucked in a Bell Tower
I must say that I was excited that our next restaurant was on our tour! I had inadvertently found this charming place while searching for places to eat in Prague. It’s setting in a bell tower offers the ambience that would be appreciated by young lovers (ask for the table for two tucked between the bell and window) and history buffs alike. It is not obvious there is a dining establishment on the upper floor from the outside, so it is frequented mainly by locals. Though it is located in a tourist area, people just walk right by.
Sauerkraut Soup inside a bell tower at Restaurant Zvonice in Prague
Our guide refused to tell us what we would be tasting even after the wait staff placed a bowl in front of each of us. It seams that a lot of people are put off by sauerkraut. Sauerkraut in Eastern Europe does not have a bold vinegar taste like the jars we buy in our American grocery stores. It has a much smoother taste when made from scratch. This chef is said to make the best Old Bohemian Sauerkraut soup in the world. The cabbage is sliced razor thinly in a velvety sauce with a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of basil cream sauce. Absolutely fabulous!
Don’t let the ‘S’ word scare you! Look for Restaurant Zvonice on Jindrisska Vez the next time you are in Prague. You will not be disappointed.
Pate and hand crafted black currant wine at Styl & Interier in Prague
Handcrafted wine
The well hidden little coffee shop, Styl & Interier on Vodickova is down a passage just off Wenceslas Square. It is an interior decor shop turned cafe due to their unique wine and pate offerings. This mom and daughter duo have began to be so popular that they are now expanding and installing a full kitchen. At this stop we were offered a lovely pate with a hint of bacon along with a slightly spicy celery salad with cranberries that I would definitely love to have the recipe for!
Their handcrafted wine was made with fresh black currants. Quite smooth and a nice fragrance. I thought it was really lovely! Bottles are available for purchase as our young Italian tour-mates found to be a nice souvenir. A glass or two would be especially nice while enjoying the sunshine in their adjacent garden patio.
Cafe Louvre’s Svickova: Braised Beef
Traditional Braised Beef
Café Louvre was also on my radar for a visit! So happy this was an included stop! This is the place for people watching. I’m told that prominent Europeans choose to come here to see and be seen.
Located a flight or so up in a historic building this jewel offers traditional dishes like theSvíčková or Braised Beef that we were served. Tender beef in a vegetable cream sauce with bread dumplings and cranberries. Load your fork with all the components for that perfect bite! Had the room not have been full of patrons, I would have given more serious thought to licking my plate. We were given an abbreviated serving for our tasting. I can’t imagine what a full entrée would do to me!! My diet was suffering. I had tried to be ‘good’ up until this point. Then they brought out dessert!
Ahhh. The Louvre’s custard cream sauce!
The Louvre’s apple strudel was special. Why? It was the creamy vanilla custard sauce that they paired with their flakey, apple goodness. That sauce is amazing! I’m definitely trying this at home!
Just book it!
All in all, I would recommend Eating Prague Tours to anyone. It’s a nice mix of food, good conversation and a nice informative walk through some of the back streets around the tourist areas of Prague that you may not see otherwise. Our guide did a nice job of showing us some historic places along with some that were a bit off beat. A nice mix. A lovely day. Come hungry. Leave satisfied. Don’t make dinner plans.
*** I was not compensated for this review. They had no idea who I even was. The opinions are truly my own. I’d happily go on any of this companies tours. Looking forward to seeking them out. Hope they expand! May I suggest Florence?
Thought I’d share an old recipe that you don’t see baked anymore. The cereal box has a microwave version that may be quicker but I don’t think is as good. My husband’s mom always served a close version of this every Christmas. Hers was always so good and she would send a bit of it home with everyone.
I made this for my snack loving granddaughter and happily, she approved! I’m going to keep this in my kid friendly arsenal for when they visit and maybe even continue my MIL’s tradition.
My snack lovin’ granddaughter approves! Thanks for the picture, mom!
Yep, I’ve made a few changes from the old recipe, adding more butter, spices and Texas pecans instead of mixed nuts. I like wheat and rice cereal but you can use 3 cups each of rice, corn and wheat. That’s the fun of recipes.. To change them up and make them your own!
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or large, deep casserole dish in the oven. Remove from oven. Add spices and worsechishier sauce to melted butter and mix well. Add cereal and remaining items and toss well in butter mixture.
Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir well. Repeat 3 more times baking a total of one hour. Remove from oven and spread evenly on two paper towel lined cookie sheets to cool. Store in air tight containers. Makes about 12 cups.
I may be known for baking some of the best made from scratch pies in the state of Texas, but did you know I've been a professional photographer for about 40 years now? Yikes!! That's a long time!! This blog is about combining my love of food, photos and traveling. I invite you to come along on my journey!
Pie Lady Life 