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Photo finish

Getting it wrong, a few right turns and sights along the way

By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
April 11th, 2007 issue

Hela Balínová/The Prague Post
Hiding in The Bunkr: Bluesrock Club in Smíchov finally gets camera time.
Some things could only happen in fiction — or in Prague. Over a recent two-week period, for instance, I visited a restaurant designed to change stripes every four months that hasn’t changed anything much in almost a year (120 Days), a pub bearing an English name and Czech-language menu (The Brother’s) and a place that proclaims itself “Bissli” in a flourescent sign outside but “Dinitz” everywhere else.
This time, however, we had to laugh at ourselves.
Not long ago, I visited with music club legend Richard Nemčok to discuss his new Bluesrock Club. The space is known colloquially as “The Bunkr” in deference to his ’90s destination, shut down long ago by bureaucrats and annoyed neighbors. Back at the office, one of my colleagues mentioned that he had taken some photographs at The Bunkr. We compared notes about the subterranean labyrinth, with its dingy rooms and long, narrow stage area, for quite some time. Then he filed a shot for publication.
However, Bluesrock Club (The Bunkr) is an underground cave lined in brick, not far from Anděl in Smíchov. Bunkr Parukářka, also called “The Bunkr,” is a steel vault under one of Žižkov’s sketchy hills. In other words, we were talking about two different bunkers. As a result, we ran a photo of the latter, identifying it as the former.
Oh, well. Every once in awhile, Dewey actually defeats Truman.
Something new
It’s all too easy to become a creature of habit, dropping by one place for cheap beer, another for burgers and a third for their famous yellow-fin tuna tartare. Sometimes you just gotta try something different. Well, chefs get tired of smažený-ing the same old syr over and over, too, and periodically freshen their menus. Cases in point: Le Patio, the interesting but oft-forgotten restaurant/home-furnishings boutique on Národní, changed about half the items on its menu recently (but kept the quiche lineup, fortunately). And the folks at Kampa Park tweaked several dishes and added a tasting menu, paired with wine.
Hard core
If you’re a fan of caffeinated sludge, stop by the Radisson’s La Rotonde or Be Bop Bar for a cup of espesso. Nope, not another grievous error (see above), but a new style of coffee — a thick and flavorful brew meant to be spooned up by the bleary-eyed brunch crowd. The stuff was first created by caffeine pioneer Lavazza and big-name Spanish chef (and insomniac) Ferran Adria.
Hands on
Have a few jars of coriander seed and ginger lying around? Maybe an unused tandoor out on the balcony? No problem. Culinaria offers cooking classes with Indian chef Narinder Singh. Call 775 314 955 for more information.
Artificial intelligence
Speaking of Culinaria, the shop recently filled a few shelves with 48 boxes of Kraft’s deluxe mac and cheese. The entire shipment was snapped up in one day, apparently by a swarm of homesick pre-teens.
Shake and bake
Will Ferrell’s character in Talladega Nights loves Baby Jesus, cheesy slogans and all things French — especially the crepes. Well, perhaps I’ve overstated his Francophile tendencies, but the good ol’ boy at least enjoys thin pancakes like the ones just added to the menu at La Provence. Yep, for 195 Kč ($9.30), staffers at the Old Town brasserie will trot out a cart, flame up the Grand Marnier and present guests with a plate of crepes Suzette.
Final (slurred) words
Kudos to the folks at Mandarin Oriental. When Audi approached them about a party, they refused to shut down Barego entirely. Instead, they worked a unique arrangement: People who walked in just looking to drink could pound them down on the automaker’s tab — as long as they didn’t order the expensive stuff. A few more of these events are in the works.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (11/04/2007):

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