Porkfest this Weekend at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

One of my very favorite neighborhood food events is back this year, which is Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden's Pork Fest.  Taking place around this time of year, the staff at the Beer Garden create an entire menu, consisting of delicious pork delicacies that originate from the Czech Republic and Slovakia (my mother country!)

I promise you'll fulfill your heart's desire with amazing pork specialties such as pork and dumplings, pork goulash, fried pork cutlet and more!

This tasty pig feast takes place all weekend, starting this Friday at 5 p.m. and goes til Sunday evening at 10 p.m.

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden - 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102
718.274.4925
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

bohemianhall.com

The Czech and Slovak Festival is Coming this Weekend

For those of you who know me personally, you can vouch for how proud I am of my Slovak heritage.  Although I've lived here most of my life, I stay very true to my roots and visit my relatives in my Mother country at least once a year.

A big part of my culture is of course the food, and that's why I love frequenting the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden.  Although this place has changed a lot since I first started living in Astoria, it's still wonderful and nostalgic to me.  It's exciting to me when they throw their annual Czech & Slovak festival, but unfortunately this year, I won't be in town to enjoy it.  But hopefully you will be, and I can live vicariously through you guys.  Here are the deets:

Annual Czech & Slovak Festival at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden
Saturday, May 25th - Sunday, May 26th from 12:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Enjoy authentic Czech & Slovak food, drink and festive folk music.  Wear comfy shoes and get ready to boogie (just like my cousin, Camryn pictured above).

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden - 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102
718.274.4925
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd 
www.bohemianhall.com

Koliba Turns Up the Heat with their Fall Dishes

Image by Koliba

As the weather gets chillier this week, there's nothing like indulging in some comforting, warm, and rich food. One of my favorite places to find this in Astoria is of course at my beloved Koliba Slovak Restaurant, which has been a staple in the community for years.  

Recently noticing some of their weekend specials on Facebook such as this roasted pork with sauerkraut (note - it's slightly sweet) with luscious gravy on top, or this beautiful stuffed chicken with an also sweet red cabbage, it's the perfect way to ring in fall.  You'll also notice foods such as a warm cabbage soup, all sorts of stews made of beef, pork and chicken, as well as their homemade desserts such as a traditional honey cake and apple strudel.  

These are the kinds of foods that say fall to me.  What do you think?

Koliba - 31-11 23rd Avenue, Astoria, NY 11105
718.626.0430
N/Q Train to Ditmars
www.kolibarestaurant.com

My 15 Minutes of Fame at Koliba

As mentioned to you earlier in the week, this past Friday was a big day for my beloved Koliba Slovak & Czech restaurant.  Reason being is that they were being taped for a segment of a new Food Network pilot, hosted by no other than Aarti Sequeira of the Next Food Network Star and her show, Aarti Party.  My mom was the first one to recognize Aarti, and quickly struck up a conversation with her (as did I).  Long story short, just a few minutes later, we found Aarti sitting at our table, chatting with us and interviewing all three of us, Mami, Oci and me.

Naturally, we were pretty excited, as we let all our enthusiasm and love for Koliba and the Slovak culture pour out of us, answering all of Aarti's questions with a lot of elaboration and gusto.  She was loving it, I can tell, as toward the end of the interview she remarked at just how proud we are to be Slovak. It's true - no secret there, now let's let it spread to other eager foodies too! I hope we make the show.

Besides chatting with Aarti and enjoying all the hooplah of the taping, we also sat down to a delicious dinner of homemade Slovak cuisine that we simply never tire of.  While I'm notorious for always getting spaetzle with sheep's milk cheese and bacon, this time I opted for something ligther...

Chicken in Natural Gravy with Mushrooms - Even though this dish sounded really simple, I knew it would be flavorful and interesting - and quite frankly, anything with mushrooms is always an easy sell for me.  When it arrived, I was happy, as it was a beautifully browned piece of meat, topped with chunky mushrooms and plenty of gravy.  Gravy that I knew would be awesome for dipping the knedlik or bread dumplings that we ordered on the side.  As you can see here, the portion was quite large, and I took half of it home for Dan to devour.

Vepro Knedlo Zelo (Pork with Cabbage and Dumplings) - This is my dad's favorite meal in any Slovak or Czech restaurant, so naturally he ordered it again.  A few new things that were thrown into the mix was a combination of red and white cabbage - usually you can only get one variety, but they've now mixed the two which is innovative (it's still served separately but you now get the best of both worlds).  The other new thing is that you can also get a side of smoked ham as your second protein, so again, another combination platter option, which we all enjoyed.  I had a bite of the ham, and it was slightly sweet but with a smoky aftertaste. YUM!

Palacinky with Nutella and Bananas - As we were waiting and waiting for the Food Network peeps to arrive, we had to get dessert to keep the meal going and went for the palacinky (or crepes). Traditionally stuffed with jam, we chose the Nutella banana variety this time, which was indulgent and delicious.  The palacinka differs from a traditional French crepe in that the batter is a bit thicker and fluffier, giving it that distinct Slovakness.

Service and Cost:
We couldn't sing our praises louder for the outstanding service that night, even more so given that the restaurant was completely packed and we were being taped.  Our waitress was sweet and very attentive - after we told her that we were interested in staying to check out the Food Network activities, she was happy to let us linger as long as we wanted.  The gesture didn't go unnoticed and we tried to tip generously to show our gratitude.

For the above mentioned meal, including a round of beer and coffee, the bill came out to $90 including tax and tip.

Oh and one more lovely thing I must mention - I ran into one of my readers and her boyfriend as we were leaving.  It was such a pleasant surprise, and I was happy to chat with her about our mutual Astorian food experience. Thank you for introducing yourself!

3 Bready and Delicious Mmmms

Koliba - 31-11 23rd Avenue, Astoria, NY 11105
718.626.0430
N/Q Train to Ditmars
www.kolibarestaurant.com

Porkfest at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden is Back

It's been quite a while since Porkfest has come around to Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, but it's officially back this weekend and I wanted to tell you all about it.  Attending this event a while back, and loving it, I recommend it to all you hard core pork lovers who will relish in a special pork enhanced menu.  Expect Eastern European specialties such as pork & barley soup, pork goulash, a breaded and fried pork cutlet and more.  Dessert will not be porky but still delicious.  Here's more info:

Friday, February 17th - 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. (featuring a live band)
Saturday, February 18th - noon to 11 p.m.
Sunday, February 19th - noon to 10 p.m.

If you choose to order ahead of time and take stuff home, you can get:

Jiternice/white sausage...$5/piece
Kroupova Jelita/blood sausage and barley...$5/piece
Tlacenka/head cheese...$10/lb

Hope to see you there!

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden - 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102
718.274.4925
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd 
www.bohemianhall.com

Unlimited Sunday Brunch at The Beer Garden

Always on the hunt for a good brunch deal, I noticed a really sweet and unexpected brunch special at The Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden that I wanted to share.  Extremely popular in the warm spring and summer months, "The Beer Garden" as many of us still call it, chills out a bit during the wintertime when their outdoor garden isn't exactly the draw.  For this reason, I see they're working on a couple of interesting specials (including drinks and food deals during sporting events) but also this fabulous all-you-can-eat brunch option on Sundays.  Here goes...

Every Sunday from noon - 2 p.m. enjoy an all-you-can eat breakfast buffet for just $10.95.  What's even better is that this comes with your choice of 2 mimosas or 2 bloody Marys.  How great is that?!

Note that this special is very much seasonal, so when spring and summer arrive, expect that it may not stay put.  But in the meantime, go ahead and enjoy it!

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden - 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102

718.274.4925

N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

www.bohemianhall.com

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden - Still My Favorite of its Kind

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden - 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102

718.274.4925

N/W Train to Astoria Blvd

www.bohemianhall.com

Despite new competition from the Studio Square Beer Garden, Bohemian is still my favorite, mostly because of its Eastern European heritage and the food they serve. My cousins, brother and I went there recently and despite the rain, we had a blast. I sampled a couple of new things, spotlighting them below:

Halusky (Spaetzle) with Sauerkraut - One of my favorite Slovak dishes, I prefer to eat them with "bryndza" or sheep's milk cheese but they ran out. The sauerkraut version was just as good and the spaetzle were bite sized and quite light. They could sometimes feel too bready and heavy but that wasn't the case. Sprinkling this dish with bacon is traditional and while I liked it, it didn't stand a chance next to the thick-cut bacon at Koliba.

Classic Beef Goulash - This was Matt's choice and I'm so glad that he insisted on it. Served with knedle (bread dumplings), it was incredibly hearty and comforting. I loved how the slow-cooked beef fell apart upon contact--and it was infused with a lovely, pungent beef gravy that seeped into the bread dumplings. Unlike with the halusky, I think that this dish was better done here than in Koliba.

Fried Muenster Cheese - Bringing me back to my childhood when my dad made this for us, I simply devoured it. Sure it looked like an ordinary fried cheese block, but it so wasn't. Gooey on the inside, it had perfect consistency and was really enhanced by the side of tangy tartar sauce. If you aren't entirely brave enough to try Slovak food, get this, as it appeals to an American palate.

Service and Cost:
Notorious for bad service, the Beer Garden has turned things around. We didn't have to beg to be served and our food arrived in about 20 minutes. One thing that's slightly disappointing is that the personnel is no longer all Czech/Slovak. It was nice--and fun--to be able to speak your native tongue there but that's no longer. Oh well.

While costs go up each year, it's still a very affordable establishment, setting us back about $76 total for 5 entrees and some sides.

3 Mmmms

Zlata Praha - A Very Filling Lunch

Zlata Praha - 28-48 31st Street, Astoria, NY 11102
718.721.6422
N/W Train to 30th Avenue
www.zlatapraha.cc

Zlata Praha is one of my favorite restaurants in Astoria because it serves Czech and Slovak cuisine--the food that I was raised on. My family and I go there on occasion, and this weekend we met there for a casual lunch. It was very filling and as delicious as always. Although it's not as good as Koliba, Zlata Praha definitely holds its own.

Atmosphere:
To my family and me, the atmosphere at Zlata Praha is nostalgic and endearing. Pictures of Czech and Slovak folk art deck the walls and there's even an oversized portrait of famous Czech singer, Karel Gott. They used to play Czech and Slovak music but this changed, as we were surprised to hear American classic rock and oldies. There's a front of the house bar, at which you could sit for a casual meal and a frothy beer, as well as a spacious dining room for a more formal sit-down. They even host larger parties, and you could shut this place down if you're throwing a big shindig.

Food:
The style of food here is typical Eastern European--lots of sauces, meat and dumplings. I absolutely love this type of cuisine, but be aware that a regular portion can make you extremely full. Since we ate here on a Saturday, we couldn't take advantage of their $6.95 lunch special but the value was still great. Here's what we devoured:

Beef Soup - Since it was cold outside, I was looking forward to a warm, hearty soup. I wasn't impressed with Zlata's version--it was too thin and did not seem homemade. The worst part about it was that the peas were half raw and there was no sign of beef anywhere in this s0- called "beef soup."

Szegedin Goulash - Mmmm...this is one of my favorite dishes from my culture but it happens to originate from Hungary. The portion was huge and my plate was packed with tender pork goulash, sauerkraut and soft knedlik or dumplings. The whole thing worked well together and it was lovely to dip the plump pieces of knedlik into the meaty goulash. There was a sprinkling of fresh parsley on top, which gave the whole concoction freshness.

Other Dishes - My brother Peter and his girlfriend Fiana both ordered the beef roast with mushroom sauce. They enjoyed it and the portion was generous, paired with a side of knedlik. I didn't try it, but like my dish, it looked rich and filling.

My mom ordered the chicken paprikash, which looked like the biggest portion yet. The chicken came smothered in a red paprika and sour cream sauce and it was served whole instead of a cubed version, which my mom usually prepares.

Dessert was also had but I had to skip it. My family ordered two fruit crepes, which were as delicate as tissue paper and topped with whipped cream and fresh chocolate sauce. I heard no complaints and even though I didn't have them this time, I've tried them before and they're yummy. I think that they're a lot lighter than the crepes in Greek restaurants.

Service and Cost:
There's one lonely waiter in the entire place, which is unfair. For this reason, we found the service inconsistent and slow. We sat in the restaurant for about three hours, which didn't bother us, as we were looking forward to spending time together. However, if we had other plans, we'd be furious.

Zlata Praha offers great value. Appetizers range between $3.95 -$6.95 and entrees are in the $10 - $15 neighborhood--and as I've described, they're huge! We also had a coupon from restaurant.com, which saved us about $25 off of our entire check. Check it out here.

2 Mmmms

Ode to Dumplings - From the Czech Republic

Budvar Restaurant - Praha 6, Aviaticka 1092/8
224 24 25 77
Prague, Czech Republic

This is going to be my last Honeymoon adventure story, as I think I touched upon all areas of our trip--except for Eastern Europe. Despite the fact that the below experience happened very close to the Prague airport, (you must think..."how authentic can that be?") it was pretty awesome.

The back story is that we had about a four hour layover between Prague and Kosice--my home city. We tried to see the city of Prague in between but the timing just didn't work out so we resorted to checking out the airport vicinity.

We immediately found a hotel with a pretty cool, authentic Czech restaurant called Budvar--also stands for a Budweiser-type beer. Budvar is a Czech beer that's sold in the U.S. under the name Czechvar because of trademark limitations. Anyway, we were excited to try some authentic beer and good, hearty and not to mention, starchy foods.

Atmosphere:
The ambiance was nice and also modern--everything had a sleek, red and gray motif and besides me knowing that I was near the airport, you really couldn't tell by the look of it. The minimalist bar had a couple of impressive bottles of liquor on display but the overall look was very clean and uncluttered. It put us at ease after travelling almost the entire day.

Food:
We were looking forward to a warm, cooked meal. Looking through the menu, a lot of the "Americanized" dishes like steak and seafood looked very expensive. However, we didn't come here for that. We wanted the most basic, peasant-ey, Czech food they had to offer. Finding the dishes that we craved under the "student's section," we noticed how inexpensive they were, which made us happy. Dan ended up getting the beer goulash and I got the svieckova (or beef tenderloin in cream sauce). Here's more...

Beer Goulash - Dan made a wise choice with this one. The meat was so incredibly tender that you barely needed to use your knife. The beef/beer sauce that came with it was hearty and wonderful to dip your "knedlik" or dumplings into. Which brings me to describe more goodness...the dumplings! There were two different kinds, one of which I've never tasted before. The first one was your traditional dumpling that was airy and bread-like while the second one was thick and potato-ey and also contained chewy bacon bits. The latter was obviously my favorite--me loving bacon so much--and Dan agreed. In spite of the huge portion that you see above, we made it disappear in minutes.

Svieckova (Beef Tenderloin in Cream Sauce) - Another meaty dish, this was my choice and it definitely hit the spot. I liked it very much but it didn't compare to the amazingness of Dan's meal. The meat was flavorful but there wasn't much of it--probably because it was tenderloin, which is expensive both here and abroad (thanks for that tid-bit Mom). However, there was plenty of fantastic beef cream sauce and dumplings. I was able to polish most of them off and drench them in the beefy concoction. There was also a dollop of whipped cream and cranberry sauce on top of the meat, which I've never seen before. It tasted great but I didn't know what it was doing there--it almost seemed like they were trying to Americanize it. All in all, it was wonderful and I gladly demolished my portion.

Service and Cost:
Our waiter was wonderful and very charming. I was able to speak broken Czech to him (it's similar to Slovak but not entirely) and he appreciated that. He also spoke English quite well, which pleased Dan, although he was trying his luck with Slavic words. Our dishes came out very quickly--much appreciated during our hungry state.

The costs at Budvar were just too good to be true. For 2 large entrees, 2 large beers and 2 teas (I was sick), we only paid about 350 Czech Crowns or about $18. Unheard of, I tell you! If you ever find yourself stuck at the Prague airport, I urge you to go there.

3 Mmmms

Zlata Praha - $6.95 Lunch Special

Zlata Praha - 28-48 31st Street, Astoria, NY 11102

718.721.6422

N/W Train to 30th Avenue

www.zlatapraha.cc

Zlata Praha is one of my favorite restaurants in Astoria--primarily because it reminds me of my home country of Slovakia. The food is hearty and quite affordable. My family has been coming here for years and we've also taken advantage of their incredible lunch special, which is well worth the unbelievable $6.95 that you'll pay for it. Trust me, you will not find a deal like this anywhere else. The food is filling, homemade and in my opinion delicious. Don't expect too much in terms of ambiance--this place is simple and as far from trendy as you can get.

Here's more information about this rare--and tasty--lunch special.

Tuesday - Friday from 11:30a - 3:30p

Includes a cup of soup, an entree, dessert and coffee

All for...$6.95

And don't worry about it being a limited-time offer--the price has remained in this neighborhood for as long as I can remember.