After a solid night’s sleep, I decided to head out for some Sunday brunch at nearby Eska Restaurace. The reviews were good and the menu looked very nice.
Located in what looks like an old repurposed factory, Eska immediately presented itself as a very hip spot. Bright and airy, it’s very much in the trend of the visible kitchen where guests can watch the action. Upon being seated, they presented a plate of pumpernickel bread and a six eagle dollop of seasoned butter on a piece of petrified wood.
The rest of the breakfast was as well presented and just as tasty. I had the ash potatoes with smoked white fish in buttermilk. It was incredibly rich and flavorful. Not to be forgotten about, their coffee is made with equal care and presentation. You get a choice of coffees from Ethiopia or Columbia prepared in either an aeropress or individual filtered drip. Eska was exceptional. If they were located in Portland, they’d have a line two blocks long at brunch.
I decided a walk would be a good choice after my rich breakfast and headed to the nearby park that separates Prague’s Karlin neighborhood from the Prague 3. Good thing I’ve been walking a lot lately, it’s not so much a park as a mountain biking area with some serious climbs. It did however afford a wonderful view of the city. It’s also the home of one the National Museums. For basically $5 you can wander around and explore the political history of the modern state of Czechoslovakia from its birth post WWI to the dissolution of it into 2 countries after the fall of the Eastern Bloc.
Most of the exhibits have an English explanation and the sound displays have an English option as well. The only thing missing was a historical explanation of the Hussite movement since one of the sections focused on how the various modern political movements used this historical Czech moment as a corollary.
This was a painting of Jan Zizka who was a follower of Jan Hus and seriously badass general. He’s considered one of the greatest and most innovative military leaders of all time and never lost a battle. He also apparently had an exceptional mullet. There is a massive statue of him in front the museum that marks the site of one his greatest victories. It’s the 3rd largest equestrian bronze statue on the world.
One of the fun features of the museum is that they let you up on the roof where you can get a panoramic view of the city.
Now it’s nap time. Typically I’m not a nap person, but never underestimate the use of good nap on a trip where you’ve are a major time zone change. They can really recharge you for the rest of your day’s adventures.
My afternoon evening plans included a couple stops at a few of Prague’s craft beer bars: BeerGeek & U Vodoucha.
The fist stop was U Vodoucha for some dinner and beers. The beer list was small but very well curated with about a dozen different Czech beers, including a Tmavy (dark lager), a polotmavy (Amber lager), a Czech IPA, and a nice assortment of pale lagers. I started working my way though the beer list .3L at a time and ordered the venison burger. I have a fondness for game meat and will invariably order it if I see it on a menu When it arrived, it could best be described as a bun crushing epic burger. The mess of eating the burger was only surpassed by the flavor. It was accompanied by a side of perfectly prepared potatoes that were light, crisp, and tasty.
After trying as a goodly portion of the beer list, I decided it was time to move on to my next spot; the aptly named BeerGeek. This was a fun little spot set just below street level. Any American would walk in and feel at home with its digital beer menu board and a selection of local craft beers augmented with a selection of geeky international options , like a Mikkeller, Duchesse De Bourgogne, and a handful of beers from former countrymen and neighbors Slovakia. They even had a Czech cider that was quite nice.
I stuck with the Czech beers since that’s why I’m here. I had several fantastic beers but was blown away by the Raven Bohemian Pilsner. Wow, what a fantastic pils! I’ll definitely be revisiting it. All in all, a damn fine 2nd day in Prague.
