Jídlo

Things have been pretty quiet in Prague. But I can’t leave my faithful readers blogless for too long. So I have decided to embark on a weeklong series about all things Prague. That is right, 5 entries in 5 days. Topics will be food, drink, nightlife, school, and a collection of random thoughts that are just pooling in my head.

Today’s topic: Food

Anyone who knows me knows that I am one of the pickiest eaters on Earth. I have always been that way, as a youngin I would eat certain chicken nuggets and not others (and only McDonalds nuggets), I used to refuse to eat anything with grill lines, to my absolute fear of any condiments (still a very prevalent issue). Although I am better than I used to be, I am still pretty picky. So when deciding that I will leave America to go live in Europe for four months, the food was an obvious concern. Would I live Czech food? Would I find food that I liked? Would I be forced to live on McDonalds? Well the good news is that I am not living on McDonalds. So, strap on your seat belts and prepare for a cuisine trip through my eyes.

Eating Out: Back home eating out is always fun. I get to hop in the car and drive to my favorite destination. Eating out in Prague is just as fun. I have some favorite restaurants here and I definitely have some favorite dishes. My favorite dish is obviously Chicken in a Jacket which can be found in the restaurant in my dorm. A quick refresher, Chicken in a Jacket is two breasts of chicken coated in whole cornflakes and fried to perfection. It is so good and even though I always say that I am going to try something new, I have yet to be successful. Another very popular establishment is “The Restaurant in the Circle”. Does this place have a real name? I am sure, but it is down the street from my dorm, and it is in a circle, hence the name. Though pricier than other establishments, this authentic Czech restaurant offers some delicious menu items, including chicken noodle soup. Another very popular cuisine offered in the Czech Republic is Italian food, mainly pizza. There are literally Pizza and Italian restaurants everywhere in the city. The pizza here is consistently good and I have yet to be let down. I have ventured to one Mexican restaurant and will just have to wait until I get home for the good stuff. I also have not had red meat since I landed in London back in January.

In my life I have also never really had pork. Jewish Alex has never been able to sit down and order a pork chop, bacon, sausage and other pork items. This has never been a problem. While it isn’t a problem in the Czech Republic, it is an obstacle. Pork is by far the most favored and common meat here and can sometimes limit my options when dining out.

Fast Food: Back in College Station, I eat a lot of fast food, way too much fast food. But Freebirds, Wendy’s, Blue Baker, Taco Bell and others cook much faster than I do, and for the most part much better. If you were to walk around Prague, especially in Prague 1 (main area of town) you are bound to see a KFC at almost every turn. Don’t worry there are still plenty of McDonalds to be found as well. So, are these two staples of the American fast food scene the same in Prague? Yes and no. McDonalds is basically the same way it is at home. They have a dollar menu with very similar items, they have Big Macs and even chicken nuggets. In my life I have never had a burger in a fast food restaurant, so I have only had 2 items on the McDonalds menu, nuggets and a chicken sandwich. Both of which were equal to their American counterparts. I have only had McDonalds 3 times since my arrival. KFC is the prevalent fast food chain. Again I have only had twice, but I have observed some considerable difference from KFC back home. Pro- The chicken here is much spicier than home. Con- No potato wedges. Pro- It is dirt cheap. Con- Biscuits, non-existent. Then there is Czech fast food. If you were to take a quick walk around Wenceslas square (one of the main areas in town) you will see 8-10 “fast food” stands. These feature Czech favorites like sausage, sausage, sausage, fried cheese, sausage and hot dogs, all of which are smothered in delicious condiments. Again, not being a pork eater or a condiment man I have some issues at these stands. The fried cheese sandwiches are pretty good, but they don’t compare to their counterparts that you find at sit down restaurants. Of course there are also places like Paneria which is a pastry, coffee, sandwich place that is pretty good and ubiquitous. The most important thing about these fast food places and stands are all open late, later than clubs, which makes them invaluable in the late evening/ early morning.

Cooking: I am no chef. I can boil up a mean pot of pasta, throw anything on a grill, add water to many types of soup mixes, microwave anything, and put together a sandwich. Well in my dorm room I have no microwave, no oven, and no real stove. I have a hot plate. So when it is time to cook my options are very limited. Luckily I love plain chicken, because I often find my self pan frying chicken. I am starting to get a little more creative in my preparations. Of course I also make a lot of pasta. At school I make a turkey sandwich almost everyday. I love the stuff. Here, 90% of deli meats are pork products and the turkey just leaves a lot to be desired. My sandwich consumption is down probably 75-80%. BUT Prague has rekindled my love of peanut butter. There isn’t much I haven’t slathered peanut butter on. Basic staples like crackers, pretzels, chips are all the same. Tonight I am going to attempt to make a chicken-Philly… wish me luck.

Join me tomorrow for my musings on all things drink related.