Beroun's Blackdog

Would you make a culinary pilgrimage to Beroun? It certainly depends on what the prize is, but plenty of Czechs are making just that trip to get a taste of authentic Tex-Mex from the Blackdog Cantina, which features menu items like the Infarkt (heart attack) hamburger, according to owner Scott Van Wagenen.

The cantina in fact started out as a stánek, a small stand turning out quick Mexican fast-food, but in November, the Blackdog opened in a solid space and expanded its menu.

"We chose Mexican-style street food - tacos, burritos - and burgers and wraps because the ingredients are readily available, and they can be easily done in a good-size stánek. We also wanted to show that fast-food does not have to be crap," Van Wagenen told The Prague Post.

Once in the bigger digs, Van Wagenen knew he wanted to keep the original menu that had earned regular customers but also saw an opportunity to add new items.

"We also saw a big gap in the market for midrange eateries with high-quality, creative food and friendly service, so we began offering daily specials and seasonal menus, which are simply good European and Latin American country-style cooking and showcase the ingredients we have access to," he said. "For example, we do game from the local forests once a week."

Originally from New York, Van Wagenen came to the Czech Republic in 1994. Beroun may seem like an odd place to open a restaurant, but it was a calculated move by Van Wagenen, who lives with his family in nearby Olešná.

"[Beroun] has limited options concerning restaurants, so there wasn't much competition. It is also a growing satellite city of Prague. Many young professionals and their families have bought property there, so the market has a lot of potential," he said.

While Van Wagenen has informally discussed expanding to Prague, he said he's more interested in exploring smaller markets - for example, Plzeň, Brno or Olomouc.

"But we would be happy to open one in Prague," he added. "Our primary concern right now is getting Beroun right, making great food consistently, getting the level of service where we want it and refining the systems."

Go East, young woman

In truth, I have had some apprehensions about stepping off such a nice title and challenging job into the unknown - I've been the business editor at The Prague Post for three years, and now, I'm moving to Istanbul, where I'll maybe be an English teacher. I still don't know what and who I'll be, actually, beyond someone living in Turkey. It's my ego talking, sure, but I'm proud of The Prague Post and of my time here, which has been a big sentimental part of my youth that I will never get over.

But what I'm really going to miss in the short term - and will likely never again have in my life - is a job that compels me to sample and critique restaurants, on someone else's dime. Being a restaurant critic is often described as a dream job, and I got to live it for two years.

Criticism is not for the faint of heart, however, and I'll admit part of me is glad to be done with it. I do not want to ever have to write a tough review about a restaurant into which someone has poured their heart, soul, savings account and every waking minute. I just want to enjoy a meal without dissecting it or suffering guilt when I have to honestly write about why it's not up to snuff.

What I did love was the platform food writing gave me to talk to a lot of you about food, cuisine, restaurants in Prague and share in the excitement with each new success or discovery. I talk about food far too much - a social affliction I picked up from my dad - and this was a great outlet for me. I hope there are more outlets created for all of you with similar passions in Prague. There has been some progress on that front, with the recently-launched Scuk.cz website, created by Czech food blogger Pan Cuketka. The Prague Post also launched its own food blog, Čau Down, which has been faithfully updated by Fiona Gaze, who takes over all food-writing duties at the newspaper.

Czech Please's Brewsta has unflaggingly maintained both this enthusiasm and output at his blog, even as other food bloggers around him have lost theirs. I would second his wish that more expats jump into food writing and blogging. The more, the merrier - and the better-informed.

And there is so much to discuss, now! Exciting things, like the Ambiente Group, who have reclaimed Czech cuisine and traditions with earnest hard work and innovation. Their Lokál outposts have taken up the cause for homier Czech recipes, while Čestr is bringing some of the haute ideas from La Degustation Boheme Bourgeois to the table at a more accessible price, all the while trying to make a name for Czech beef. And now, Hospoda, their new restaurant in New York City, is bringing about Czech cuisine's debut stateside. I hope it works, and I can't wait to enjoy a meal there, one that will surely transport me to the happy times I spent in Prague.

Claire Compton can be reached at
ccompton@praguepost.com