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A taste of the tropics

To Rio de Štěpánská and other destinations

By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
April 18th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Unique presentation and intriguing flavors: Radisson's festival of Brazilian food.
As spring arrives in Prague, our thoughts naturally turn to, um, cassava, ground manioc root and guarana, all washed down with a cold caipirinha.
Jiří Štift hopes so, anyway. The Radisson chef teamed up with connoisseur-of-all-things-Brazilian Roman Vaněk to create a special South American menu, available through April 29. The post-Carnival bash draws from just about every region of Brazil: fruits common to the Amazon, seafood from Santa Catarina, cachaca distilled in northern climes and so on. Pricing is by the course. Appetizers such as scallop ceviche with coconut milk, cashews and pineapple run 390 Kč ($18.70), as do soups. Entrees are set at 590 Kč and include dolled-up favorites such as roast beef with caramelized mango. Desserts — papaya mousse, for example — will set guests back another 290 Kč.
Seems like the only staples missing are sausages and other hearty dishes introduced by … I’m drawing a blank. Who were those boys from Brazil?
The hotel’s deep pockets allow Štift and his crew to (on occasion) chase down exotic recipes and ingredients. For this adventure, they are working with dende oil (originally imported to the country by African slaves and now a common feature of Brazilian cuisine), the aforementioned manioc root (known in its ground and toasted form as farofa) and a hefty amount of South American beef.
Štift’s menu is available at Radisson’s La Rotonde restaurant, with a truncated bar menu for the
Be Bop crowd. Call 222 820 000 for more information.
Wine and dine
Don’t fancy dende oil and papaya? Then perhaps a plate of chicken livers drenched in … hey, they’re considered a delicacy in places such as France and Arkansas. Fortunately for those who recoil from the sight of organ meats but enjoy a good foodie event, Atelier provides a nonoffal alternative to start its “Harmony of Food and Wine” dinner April 19. Each course is paired with wine selected by the folks from wine importer Dobrá vína, in consultation with the chef. The evening of culinary consonance runs 800 Kč per person. Call 271 721 866 for details.
Seeing the sights
Some expats perked up when they noticed a “coming soon” banner outside Palác Flora announcing the imminent arrival of Sbarro, an Italian pizza chain reputed to serve a pretty decent pie at a pretty decent price. We’ll see what happens to the vaunted quality/cost equation when local factors kick in.
Sovovy Mlýny sent out invitations for a media event, complete with a band and wine tastings and such to announce the following: a new family menu.
No press conference for this unveiling, but Hergetova Cihelna recently joined the growing list of Sunday brunch destinations. This one is styled “family brunch.”
Recently opened in New Town: Jet Set, a cool lounge/restaurant (like the original in Smíchov) attached to the new Icon hotel on V Jámě.
And, popping up at expat hangouts: a photocopied casting call for extras who look American. Guess that means no faux-hawks or camouflage Capri pants. Anyway, those with the proper Supercuts and Tommy Bahamas get to mill about in the background as producers of Wanted turn the city into a Chicago look-alike for a few weeks.
Final (slurred) words
Stag parties bottomed out, so to speak, on Easter weekend. A very wobbly and quite expressive group of Brits hit town, led by a groom-to-be wearing chaps and women’s underwear — more specifically, a thong. Feel free to use your imagination, for if I described the scene further, one of those writer-editor conferences would be in the offing.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (18/04/2007):

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