Kavala Greek Restaurant

"A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers." Plato

V had wanted to try Kavala, the Greek restaurant in the Dejvice neighborhood, for a long time.She first noticed it when we ate across the street at Da Emanuel.

We had some time on a warm and sunny weekend day, so we headed over and found a table outside.Unfortunately, the tables were in the shadow of the interesting-looking brick building. Da Emanuel is on the sunny side of the street.

Our friendly, young waiter brought us some tasty, crusty, chewy bread.It came with excellent green olives stuffed with almonds and pit black olives. We both preferred the green.

I ordered a large sparkling mineral water. We received a .75 liter blue bottle of Zagori, a Greek brand (95 CZK).It had a hint of salinity. Despite its Hellenistic provenance, I would have prefered Mattoni, but it was fine.

V generally likes to keep costs down and usually has decent luck ordering the house wine. So she got a .2 liter glass of the house red.Great color. I took a sniff and was pleased. I took a taste and was even more impressed. Wonderful stuff.

I didn't ask exactly what it was, but based on some text on the receipt, I believe it was the Nico Lazaridi Merlot. I'll get back to you about the price later.

We decided to split an appetizer, the Thalasinos Mezes, a mixed seafood plate (320 CZK).The presentation was very attractive. The portions of each item were quite small, and the plate looked sparse for the price. But almost every bite was delicious.

I particularly like the grilled octopus. Next, we savored the perfectly seared scallop. It rested on creamy, tangy taramosalata. We wished for more of both.

There was calamari in a white wine and fish roe sauce. The squid was fresh, but just a tiny bit rubbery. I prefer the texture when it is lightly grilled. The sauce was very nice.

Our least favorite, but still OK, were the grilled shrimp on top of a little bowl of orzo. The shrimp were just too insubstantial, both in size and flavor.

On the side was a terrific olive oil. There was also a tomato sauce in a spoon, which looked like ketchup but was less sweet and had spices that tasted like cinnamon.

For my main course, I went for the pork souvlaki (210 CZK). It was creatively served on a skewer, suspended between two metal posts.In between the meat were grilled red onions and green peppers. Underneath, there was a great tzaziki-like yogurt mixed with fresh, chopped mint.

It was great and combined perfectly with the juicy, smoky meat. Again, I wished there was more of the condiment. The pork was tender, and I enjoyed it more than the souvlaki at Taverna Olympos, which can be tasty but dry.

V ordered the lamb in a spicy tomato sauce with baked potatoes (350 CZK). She loved this dish.The sauce was not very spicy, but had some interesting seasoning. The potatoes were buttery goodness. On the other hand, I found the dish too salty, and thought the meat was a little stringy. She didn't let my negativity get her down and savored every bite.

I felt the need for dessert and desired something cocoa related. I got the Chocolate Passion (110 CZK).The menu said it was made with Swiss chocolate, and I believe it. It was a mini-binge for a serious chocoholic.

The dessert was smooth and rich, with a single cherry, syrup, and Greek candies on the side. There was only one small issue -- the chocolate bars were slightly dry and crumbly.

I knew this restaurant was more upscale than your average Greek joint, so I was expecting a higher bill than I'd get at one of those places. But I was still surprised when I saw the damage: 1493 CZK.

I looked at the various items on the receipt. There was a 20 CZK cover charge per person. Not a heavy hit, but I hate when restaurants have covers. However, it was easier to stomach than the 45 CZK per person cover at Al Dente.

But my eyes popped when I saw the charge for V's two glasses of red wine. They were 184 CZK each. Sure, it was great. I'd even say it was worth the money. But the issue was that we didn't want to spend that much. V called over the waiter.

"Yes, is there a problem?" He asked.

"I said I wanted the house red."

"That's what I served you," the waiter replied.

"Yes, but I wanted an inexpensive wine."

"That's the cheapest wine we have by the glass."

"Really? Well, if that's the case, you really should have mentioned the price. House wines in other restaurants are almost always quite cheap by the glass."

She did all this with a smile. Then, she teasingly said to the naughty waiter, "You, you, you."

It was pretty cute in Czech. She has this charming way of telling people they screwed up without turning it into an unpleasant scene. For us, anyway.

"His ears turned bright red, she said as he walked away.

We really enjoyed almost everything about our meal at Kavala.

I don't regret our decision to try it, and we'd go again.

But know this: V related the wine incident to a colleague. It so happened that the colleague had also eaten there. And he had the exact same experience of surprise when he saw the price for a glass of "house" wine. He wasn't happy about it.

So, I can only partially agree with Plato. A good decision is, indeed, based on knowledge. But that includes a knowledge of the numbers.

Kavala Greek Restaurant
Charlese de Gaulla 5
Prague 6 - Dejvice
Tel. (+420) 224 325 181

Half & Half Update

"An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full. A pessimist will tell you it is half-empty. An engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be."

My struggle last year to find decent fast food around Wenceslas Square is neverending.

Last year, I wrote about Half & Half a few times. It's time for an update because it changed its offerings significantly and for the better since it first opened.Now, the focus is on Italian and Greek cuisine, along with their previous dessert offerings. And they do a decent job, at least compared with everything else out there.

The first change that caught my attention was the pizzas under heat lamps in the front window. They usuall have a wide variety of pies prepared, with many interesting toppings like fried zucchini and eggplant, peppers, pepperoni, rucola, and more.On one visit, I ordered a slice with mushroom. Most are around 45 CZK.

The slices were not nearly as large as those from Pizza Grosso, behind the National Museum, which go for 30 CZK. The sauce isn't as nicely seasoned. But Half & Half's was still not bad.It usually has a good, crunchy crust, unless it has been under a lamp for too long.On another visit, I tried the Hawaiian pizza. I once read a real Neapolitan restaurateur said a Hawaiian isn't a pizza, it's a cake. Let them eat cake, I say.I also went for some white pizza. I wished it had more garlic and ricotta. But it was a nice change from the usual pizzas and not one you'll see at too many other places around town.One day, I decided to try something new after I saw these fried balls behind the counter.

It was pretty unusual.

Basically, it tasted like breaded and fried rice pudding, with a square of mozarrella in the center.

It needs to be heated at the shop or in the microwave at work. It's not good cold.

It cost 25 CZK. There were a few varieties available -- I also saw one with tomato and mozarrella inside.

They are cheap and filling, but they sit pretty heavily on the stomach.

In a display case, there were other offerings like chicken legs, stuffed peppers, lasagne, and moussaka.I got the moussaka (89 CZK) one afternoon. It had a light, creamy cheese on top. It was very heavy on the potatoes, which were cut into long, thick slices. The meat was on the bland side.My all-time favorite lunch at Half & Half is the chicken gyros pita (59 CZK). It is one of the best sandwich-type meals you'll find in the area.They use real Greek pita bread, brush it with oil, and heat it in the pizza oven. When it comes out, Greek yogurt is spread on the pita. It tastes better than it looks.A very generous portion of chicken is freshly carved off from the rotisserie. There is so much meat, it is pretty messy to eat.

I spread it out on a plate, if I can. They chicken is very well-seasoned and also moist, with some crisp pieces. It has never been dry or overcooked.I always get it with raw red onions and tomatoes. And I tell them to leave off the only other option: cold sour cabbage. No thank you.

Half & Half is actually two shops next two each other. You have to walk outside to go into the half that serves desserts. There is good quality gelato in the window.They also sell a variety of fancy cakes, cookies, and Greek honey desserts like baklava.I tried the chocolate cake (75 CZK). It was very fudgey but I didn't fall in love with it.They also often have my favorite Greek dessert, which goes by the unwieldy name galaktoboureko (69 CZK). It is custard, baked in phyllo, coated with honey.A nice version (although more expensive than the gyros pita!).

On a visit last year, I became a fan of their chocolate milkshakes, which are made with top quality gelato. They charged 65 CZK for a .4 liter shake.The shake was good, with a very strong chocolate flavor. T.G.I. Friday's shake is better only because they use more ice cream. Half & Half's uses more milk.

For some perspective, they charged 45 CZK for a single serving cone of gelato, but you get less gelato than in the milkshake. I think they have a .3 liter shake for 55 CZK.

Service is not always great and can break down if a crowd comes in. Some of the women who work there don't speak great English, which is not great in a tourist zone. Sometimes their Czech is a little challenged, too.

I do wish Prague had more quality quick lunch choices like Britain's Pret a Manger sandwich and salad chain. There is still nothing as good as that.

But things are getting better.

I feel optimistic when I think that, years ago, there were half as many places to get a decent, fast lunch around Wenceslas Square.

I feel pessimistic when I think there are half as many as there need to be.

For now, Half & Half will have to do.

Half & Half
Wenceslas Square 51
Prague 1
Tel. 222 240 696


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Taverna Olympos

"And what, Socrates, is the food of the soul? Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul."
-Plato

So, knowledge about Greek food must be super good for the soul.

One of the best places I've found in Prague for a Greek meal in Prague is Taverna Olympos. It is just a few stops on the metro from the city center in the Žižkov neighborhood.

A big attraction during the summer months is the huge garden for dining in the back. Some of the tables are under a roof, while others are under some big, leafy trees.

There's a decent play area with swings and a slide for children. They were under heavy use. The slide looked steep. There was also a large, even younger contingent. The baby buggies were bumper to bumper.

The garden is very popular with a somewhat older crowd, too. In fact, on a Friday afternoon, we tried to book a table there for later in the evening and were told it was not possible. It wasn't completely full a Saturday, although the weather wasn't as nice.

Sitting near us, A British gentlemen dining with a lady expounded upon his fondness for Taverna Olympos. He loudly explained to the lady and, through the luck of the draw, to us, that the restaurant is more of a local favorite and not full of tourists.

Expatriates now fall into the "local" category in Prague. I counted more than a few, though many were cross-pollinating Czexpat* families.

We started our meal with a round of cold starters. We got the eggplant spread for 80 CZK. It was very good, with a light vinegar sourness, along with a hint of smoke.There was a little bit of feta cheese and red pepper mixed in. Chopped parsley was sprinkled on top.

We also ordered the taramas, also known as taramosalata, for 80 CZK. This was not bad, but not good. It was nicely smooth and sour, especially with the accompanying lemon squeezed on top.Even though the taramas had a nice pink hue, neither of us could detect any fish egg flavor. V loves to be reminded of the sea, and there were no little reminders here. She said she had taramas from a supermarket in Normandy during a recent trip and liked it more.

Pita bread to go with these starters was an extra 30 CZK. It is hard to imagine a Greek meal without pita, but this was money well spent. The bread was wonderfully fresh and warm from the grill, sprinkled with herbs.Speaking of the grill, for a main course, I got the mixed souvlaki for 180 CZK. There was chicken, pork, and beef cooked over a flame on wooden skewers. The beef was delicious, the chicken was perfectly cooked, and not dry at all.

I enjoyed them all, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the pork. Smoky, tender, and juicy. They should be eaten as quickly as possible. They do dry out as they get cold.Like many dishes, the souvlaki comes with only token salads on the side and a small amount of tzatziki.

So, I ordered a side of fries for 40 CZK. These are a very Greek version -- not crisp, a bit greasy (pun not intended), with feta cheese broken up on top. It was better than it sounds. The potatoes had good flavor. Do not ask for ketchup.

V ordered the lamb skewer for 240 CZK. We are both big fans of lamb. We thought this version was OK, but not as nice as the souvlaki.The difference was that we didn't think the lamb was flame-grilled. It didn't have the same smoky taste. It was also a little on the dry side.

We had good service in the busy garden and thought our waiter knew what he was doing. He knew the menu very well. During the meal, however, our British neighbor began complain to his lady that the waiter did not know the wine list at all.

When the waiter returned to talk to the man, he got a little lesson. All I heard was "Grapes! Grapes! Grapes!"

I avoided such complications and stuck to beer, as usual. First, I ordered a .4 liter glass of Staropramen Granat for 30 CZK. This was not good. The pipes needed a cleaning. There was a strong metallic taste.

For a second round, I had a glass of Platan, a beer brewed in the southern Bohemian town of Protivín, for 30 CZK. I liked it much better than the Staropramen. V drank a .25 liter carafe of Rotonda white wine, which goes for 80 CZK.

One authentic touch at Taverna Olympos is the manager's "office." His very business-like desk is right in the middle of the service area, next to the pass-through for the plates from the kitchen. This part of the restaurant looks exactly like a favorite spot of ours in Samos. But it could be anywhere in Greece.The restaurant also has a reasonable amount of indoor seating for when the weather turns cold. It was pretty empty inside when we were there.

Greek-themed art is painted directly on the walls. The furniture does not look all that comfortable or particularly Greek. The paper table coverings with the blue print helps.I had only been to Taverna Olympos once before, and that was years ago. I liked it then, but for some reason, it fell off my mental check list.

The menu itself is quite a large document. So. if anyone knows a dish that is particularly good at this particular restaurant, feel free to share the knowledge.

We could all use a little more soul food.

Taverna Olympos
Kubelíkova 9
Prague 3
Tel. (+420) 222 722 239


*I'd like to claim I coined this term today, but there is one Google hit for "Czexpat" and one for "Czexpats." "Czechpats" is apparently a golf tour company.