I went to this restaurant with a group a good while back, as can be seen from Andie's old review…read more This is one of two Czech restaurants in the city, along with Bohemian Spirit, located in the Bohemian National Hall, and the food here reminded me much more closely of what I had in the Czech Republic, or rather, now, Czechia. The inside looks and feels like a tavern, and there was the typical no-nonsense staff you find in Central and Southern European restaurants. They have a very reasonably priced beer menu, especially on tap, and I got a BrouCzech Dark for $7 for half a liter, with a 1/3 liter option for $5, with the other tap options being the pilsners Czechvar and the more standard Urquel. They gave us some free bread to start, before our very heavy shared meal.
The first thing to arrive was the Boiled Perogies, consisting of 12 pieces for $25, topped with bacon and sour cream. I usually slightly prefer the fried version, but these were very tasty. It wasn't super doughy compared to most spots, and it had a nice filling. As per usual, the dumplings, which were a bit rich, were balanced by the sour cream. In short, I preferred these over the boiled pierogi from Karczma, among other spots.
While we were eating, another smaller plate arrived, the Broiled Klobasa for $13, served with horseradish sauce. I am very particular about sausage quality, as my old hometown has a butcher shop that makes 25/30 homemade products, including many sausages, and this was very tasty. The klobasa had a good smoky flavor and had a good snap. The horseradish, mustard, and pickles on the side helped with the richness. I would recommend this also.
For most people, their favorite dish of the evening was the Halusky for $27, or potatoes spaetzle with sheep cheese, topped with bacon. As per the other dishes, the portion size was very generous. The spaetzle had a good texture, and the dish was quite rich, creamy, and salty from the cheese and bacon. This version was comparable, if not better than, the excellent versions at the various Eastern European spots in Manhattan, and I would recommend this as well.
Our least favorite dish by a lot was the Pork Schnitzel for $28, made with a potato pancake batter and topped with cheese. This came with a salad and a side item of our choice. The salad was very plain but fresh, with some potatoes and pickled vegetables on the side. The schnitzel lacked a bit of flavor and salt compared to the other dishes. This was the only miss of the evening, but it was still decent as the chicken had a nice breading.
Next time, I would probably try their Svíčková, or in other words, beef and cream sauce, to compare it to Spirit and other dishes, such as the roast duck, if it's hopefully available as one of the specials. This was an above-average spot serving a less common cuisine, and I would recommend it.