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December 5th, 2008
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A running start

A first-ever health food fest and other dining curiosities

By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
May 21st, 2008 issue

KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST
Some work it off the hard way; others can now stay slim by eating well.
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Standing curbside for an hour or two just to watch marathon runners sweep down a few meters of asphalt on their way to a distant finish line has been compared to suffering through Titanic, begging for the moment to come when Leonardo Di Caprio plunges to his doom.
Nevertheless, that kind of excitement lures thousands to the Prague International Marathon each year. And CTE Group Travel and Kazak Communications are hoping that the spirit of watching wafer-thin athletes zip past will spur an interest in healthy dining.
If anything, most spectators probably work up a powerful thirst for a beer rather than a taste for vegetables. Still, the organizers managed to convince 15 restaurants to participate in the Health Food Festival by creating special menus, available through the end of June.
It’s not a bad idea, really. The reputation of “health food” soured in the days when granola and Birkenstocks defined things. Supermarket rice cakes didn’t add any luster to the concept, either.
But, as smart diners know, professional athletes rarely pound down smažený syr and a few liters of Gambrinus before a big game — unless, of course, sumo is their sport of choice. They also know that eating right is not always a matter of abandoning flavor, especially when top chefs have a say in the matter.
Some of the restaurants participating in this first-ever Health Food Festival include Sushi Bar, Amici Miei, Pálffy Palác, Sovovy Mlýny, Brasserie M, Fluidum, L’Ardoise and Oliva. The latter is offering grilled squid on a cake of polenta, red snapper filet with grilled vegetables and pistachios. L’Ardoise starts lightly — a “velvet” vegetable soup — but then takes things in an unexpected direction, serving pasta with foie gras.
Guess it’s the French way to better living.
See Healthfoodfestival.com for a complete list of restaurants, menus and prices. Or look for establishments sporting a Health Food Festival 2008 sticker on their door.
Rites of spring
Chef Ari Munander of Essensia must have a little bit of the old seasonal fever. He’s created a “flower menu” available through the end of May, along with a special asparagus menu, available until the fresh stuff withers sometime toward the end of June. In the flower menu, edible petals add color and flavor to various dishes. All this is in addition to his standard springtime offerings.
Zlatá Praha in the InterContinental also has a spring menu in place, designed by chefs Jan Horký and Miroslav Kubec. Czech seasonal specialties share space with international dishes — and both come with the restaurant’s stunning panoramic view. Don’t worry, you can’t see the InterContinental’s facade (or Hotel President’s, for that matter) from the rooftop perch.
Another establishment joining the asparagus slaughter: Il Giardino in Smichov’s Movenpick Hotel, which has just opened a renovated and enlarged terrace space. Look for chef Reinhard Danzinger to switch out his menu every three weeks or so as new fresh ingredients become available.
With the return of warm weather, Park opened up its patio and children’s play area, complete with a playhouse, toys and the occasional waiter dressed in clown garb. The restaurant is kinda hidden, but peer behind a newish shop and apartment complex on Vršovicka at the foot of Havličkovy sady.
Forget Paris
Jean-Paul Manzac is contemplating shutting down his New Town Brasserie M, despite international recognition and a well-kept space. The office complex setting provides plenty of lunchtime business, but nothing at night. And the street doesn’t send much foot traffic his way. He says he’ll take a loss — he knows that. But if he could find something a hundred meters away, near the busy Tesco corridor … if not, leaving Prague is an option.
And, after much promise in the form of signage and other indications of reconstructive activity, Mr. Sushi finally opened behind Old Town Square.
Final (slurred) words
Ah, the joys of dining out on a Czech holiday. Local servers have a reputation to start with, but with the “top line” staff chugging pivo at the cottage (or annoyed that they must work while their friends partake), merely placing an order requires some persistence. At least that was our experience at Le Patio May 8. The scenario: Servers huddled upstairs, assuring each other of their unjust imprisonment on such a beautiful drinking day, while the bartender pointedly flipped through a magazine, ignoring guests leaning inches from his face until they blurted something in protest. But the burger was good.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


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