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Off-center stage

Theatro does just enough to please an audience
Restaurant Review | Search restaurants | Archives

By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
February 28th, 2007 issue

Jan Přerovský/THE PRAGUE POST
There's something stylish about this new Prague 8 venue. Well, except for industrial flooring and frosted glass.
There’s a story told about a young boy watching his neighbor idle away time with a basketball, shooting from one spot until he can sink 10 straight shots then moving over a few steps. The kid begs his mother for a chance to skip homework and run outside for a little one-on-one, but his mother quickly ends the debate: “That Havlicek kid will never amount to anything.”
For those unfamiliar with the name, John Havlicek holds the Boston Celtics’ record for most points scored, as well as a spot in the basketball Hall of Fame. The point of the story is that greatness lies out there where a few intrepid folks refuse to compromise. But greatness is also fleeting — more so in the restaurant world, perhaps, than anywhere else.
Theatro

Křižíkova 10
Prague 8–Karlín
Tel. 221 868 509
Open Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–midnight, Sat.–Sun. noon–midnight

Food
Service
Atmosphere
Overall
Popularity over the long haul exists somewhere in the upper reaches of the troposphere. Restaurants inhabiting this space strive for modest goals, such as consistency, and dishes that sound vaguely exotic without straying from the familiar: baked goat cheese, for example, or anything with pine nuts.
So there’s a certain genius behind Theatro, the new spot filling a wing of Hudební divadlo Karlín and sibling to Prague 3’s Infinity. Everything the kitchen prepares, from soups to desserts, seems to be aimed at an entry-level upscale crowd, novice foodies just gaining a foothold on the culinary high ground. The menu is weighty with things easily understood, such as pasta, but with a few twists providing the illusion of adventure.
Spaghetti with walnut sauce and pine nuts is an interesting combination reminiscent of a walnut-infused dulce de leche. Pine nuts soften the natural bitterness of the walnuts, and add a sweetly smoky taste. The pasta itself — the menu claims it’s made in-house — is quite good, although boiled beyond al dente (a recurrent problem in Prague, where much of the pasta is either marginally or wildly overcooked). It’s a pleasing dish, but monotonous: The flavors are so complementary they turn toward blandness. Still, for a quick lunch or pre-theater meal, it beats most of the competition.
From the Menu
  • Chicken strips 90 Kč
  • Cream chicken and mushroom soup 30 Kč
  • Spaghetti with walnut sauce 95 Kč
  • Marinated tuna 280 Kč
  • Fried cinnamon apples 65 Kč
  • 0.3 L Pilsner Urquell 29 Kč
The tuna marinated in herbs shows off the curing process with a liquid texture and dominant flavors of saline and dill. Any remaining essence of fish reveals itself in fleeting form, dying quickly under the briny marinade. The serving barely holds on to a pale, rose petal-colored center, encircled by foggy gray meat. It’s ringed on the plate by an interesting arrangement of newborn carrots so swelled by an extended soak in orange juice they taste like some exotic fruit.
In general, food service here approaches a crescendo then backs off, leaving you no expectation of a coda, the kind of finish that turns good food into something cerebral. Cream of chicken and mushroom soup, for instance, could exploit the deep, musty flavors of fungi. Instead, it’s just nice, creamy and flat — good ingredients and solid execution, but only worth a C+ (or, with grade inflation, B-). A dessert item, fried cinnamon apples, neatly balances natural sugars with dried spice before killing the experience with a dose of whipped topping.
One curiosity on the menu is an American sports bar classic, chicken fingers — not very original, but nicely played. They are light and crispy, with a textured crust and hardy seasoning, accompanied by two distinct dipping sauces. The first is sweet and temperamental, an Eddie Haskell–style chili concoction hiding its cantankerous side behind a pleasant facade. The other, an aioli studded with garlic and chives, seems more interesting but takes a dive when pressed to the chicken.
All in all, Theatro presents what should be a winning formula: exacting to the point where it surpasses the main, pleasing for those looking to expand their horizons by a few meters, and reliable compared to Prague’s standard of iffy establishments.
The chefs don’t go out and practice until perfect. But they do just enough to beat the average.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (28/02/2007):

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