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Winnipeg Free Press

Eat & drink your way through Prague

True to his word, Zach drags us through the city and feeds us. You see, it's a full-circle experience with Zach McMahon, our guide for Eating Europe's Prague Food & Beer Tour. At the start of the afternoon, as we quaff light beer paired with marinated hermelin cheese at a floating brewery called Lod Pivovar, Zach boldly declared: 'I'm going to drag you through Prague and introduce you to Czech cuisine.' STEVE MACNAULL / FREE PRESS Lod Pivovar, a floating brewery and pub, is tethered on the right bank of the Vltava River. STEVE MACNAULL / FREE PRESS Lod Pivovar, a floating brewery and pub, is tethered on the right bank of the Vltava River. Sated and satisfied at our final stop — No. 5, at Café Louvre — Zach again piped up and smugly concluded: 'See, I told you so.' Not that there was a lot of dragging involved. Our group of 12 tourists were willing participants, led from stop to stop in Old Town and New Town alike, eating and drinking whatever was put in front of us as Zach kept up a running commentary. Now, let's fill in the blanks between the floating brewery and the elegant Café Louvre. The meeting point on the Vltava River was inspired — a novel way to launch our foodie frenzy. Lod Pivovar translated from Czech is literally 'boat brewery,' describing exactly what this beermaker-pub-restaurant-patio-events venue serves up while tethered to the right bank of the river. It's also where Zach told us 'cheers' in Czech is 'na zdravi,' which sounds like 'nice driveway' if you say it quickly with conviction and a slight mumble. A short walk took us to Pernickuv Sen, a gingerbread bakery decorated exactly how you'd imagine an Old World gingerbread house to be. The Czechs love gingerbread year-round, not just the frosting-coated man associated with Christmas, but other cookies, squares, treats and candy. Zach told us there's no actual ginger in gingerbread, but a proprietary blend of other spices. The revelation doesn't shock us. We devour our treats and move on. STEVE MACNAULL / FREE PRESS Pernickuv Sen is a charming bakery that makes traditional gingerbread in Prague. STEVE MACNAULL / FREE PRESS Pernickuv Sen is a charming bakery that makes traditional gingerbread in Prague. Stop No. 3 is modern quick-service eatery, Tauris in New Town, where some of us ordered Pilsner Urquell (Czechia's best selling beer and top export) and others tried the Kofola. Kofola was communist Czechoslovakia's answer to free-market Coca-Cola — a strange replica that tastes like medicinal Dr. Pepper-meets-anise. It's still wildly popular in Czechia and is on tap in most bars and restaurants — usually side-by-side with Pilsner Urquell. Both drinks pair nicely with the 'chlebicek' — open-faced sandwiches — we are served. Culinary tip: Chlebicek forgoes butter and tasks potato salad with the job of sandwich spread. STEVE MACNAULL / FREE PRESS Delectable open-faced sandwiches — chlebicek — at Tauris bistro. STEVE MACNAULL / FREE PRESS Delectable open-faced sandwiches — chlebicek — at Tauris bistro. It's Kolacherie back in Old Town, specializing in 'kolace' — the traditional, round Czech pastry generally full of poppy seeds. However, we get a contemporary version with strawberry and rhubarb, scarfing them down as we stand on the busy sidewalk, crumbles tumbling down our chins. Before we officially arrive at the fifth and final stop, Zach runs us into the square in front of the Quadrio shopping centre to be awed by the 30-ton head of Czech writer and hero Franz Kafka. It's massive, and the layered metal components of the sculpture by David Cerny spin in a play of movement and light. We thought Zack took us there simply for visual delight, but alas, there's a tie-in to Café Louvre just around the corner. As we tuck into 'svickova' — bacon fat-injected beef tenderloin in a cream sauce — paired with Czech Merlot, Zach explains Kafka was a regular at Café Louvre in the early 1900s, the height of café society. Albert Einstein also frequented Café Louvre. Maybe they also ordered the apple strudel we had for dessert. STEVE MACNAULL / FREE PRESS Waiter Jan Pacak brings serves svickova and Czech merlot at Café Louvre in Prague. STEVE MACNAULL / FREE PRESS Waiter Jan Pacak brings serves svickova and Czech merlot at Café Louvre in Prague. smacnaull@