The meat factory

Based on what's coming out of the kitchen at Bosna Grill, Bosnian cuisine is meat, meat and more meat - easy on the vegetables. There are so many grilled meat options, in fact, it's not easy to distinguish the difference between them.

I'm hard-pressed to put my finger on exactly what's charming about this humble eatery, which faces Havlíčkovo námesti, a quiet little park in Žižkov, but there is definitely something that makes it so. The restaurant itself is cozy, mainly because it's small and heated. There are fewer than 10 tables in the front smoking room, and the television in the corner is usually on and being watched by one of the workers. A counter behind the bar sells what appears to be homemade ajvar, a red pepper sauce, and a refrigerator with a glass door displays several trays of desserts. In most instances, the prices of the dishes are low enough to excuse their imperfections.

The cevapi, however, were clearly of the frozen variety and were Bosna Grill's biggest stumble in all the dishes we tried. The meat was simply too processed and took on a rubbery consistency that didn't taste horrible, but wasn't worth leaving the house for.

A better option was the pljeskavica, a minced beef patty that's not unlike a griddled hamburger. Nearly all the grilled meat options here come on a wonderful bread typical of Balkan cuisine. Similar to a pita in function and design, the bread has a more substantive interior, glutinous and chewy, and is perfect for tearing by hand, scooping up pieces of meat and dipping in the wonderful ajvar sauce, which comes separately.

Bosna Grill can feel like eating in someone's kitchen, especially with the daily specials that are modest yet tasty. On a Wednesday, we sampled a stuffed pepper dish with a side of mashed potatoes and a light tomato sauce. Minced meat and rice were encased in green peppers, but the dish suffered from a lack of seasoning and required a couple shakes of salt.

Other daily specials include baked lamb, burek - flaky pastries served with savory meats and cheeses - and spit-roasted meats. With any of the options, it's worth asking for a shot of the homemade rakije, an infused brandy with a walnut-like quality that was poured out of a Mattoni bottle.

A shish kabob grilled meat option came as one would have expected the cevapi to be: fingersize patties of rolled minced beef, grilled and mixed with onions. In any case, it is a fine choice, but be sure to order a side of ajvar, as the grilled meats come with bread and white onions - nothing else.

Bosna Grill's desserts also make a good companion to the rakije. A slice of krempita brought a light custard sandwiched between two slices of cake similar in texture to lady fingers. Baklava was a bit soggy, but wonderfully balanced in taste, not overly sweet, and with a strong hint of walnuts.

That many of Bosna Grill's specials are available only on certain nights bodes well - the burek are likely to be better if they're the main attraction only one day a week. For 50 Kč a pop, it's not a big deal if they turn out to be duds, either.

Bosna Grill isn't a destination restaurant. But if you're in the neighborhood, and tired of the usual hospoda offerings, it's worth sitting down for a hearty meal and a couple shots of bracing brandy, especially on the cold nights that are headed our way.

Claire Compton can be reached at
ccompton@praguepost.com