Radost FX

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." Albert Einstein

Einstein was perhaps the greatest theoretical physicist who ever lived, and his views on a wide range of other subjects provide food for thought.

That doesn't mean he was right about everything. I mean, I wouldn't take relationship advice from the guy.

But if he's right about this vegetarian thing, we're in a lot of trouble. There are too many others like me -- too desperately in love with meat to even think about saving life on this planet.

In less gloomy and doomy news, I will say that I have appreciated some great and creative vegetarian dishes in my day. But vegetarian restaurants rarely pop into my mind when thinking about where to eat. I tried Maitrea and it was just OK. And yes, it's a glaring omission that I have never been to Lehka Hlava.

I also have been to Radost FX many times.But it had been a couple of years since I was there. Recently, G-Man invited me to share a weekend brunch there with him and his daughter.

I do like the wild, worn, and eclectic interior design, with its electric green walls, green chandeliers, busy patterned chairs and couches, and gold-framed mirrors.The back lounge area is a little more intense, with lots of red everywhere.Also dominating is the expat crowd. English is the language I've heard most often here, though patrons are certainly not all Americans and British. Some are also canines.These rooms can get quite smoky.

G-Man got the huevos rancheros (170 CZK). On the corn tortilla, there were refried beans, well-done scrambled eggs, cheese, a nice, chunky salsa, and sour cream. On the side there was a good potato hash and buttered toast.It's more standard to make huevos rancheros with fried eggs, but G-Man enjoyed it a lot. It's also quite filling.

I felt like something a little simpler, so I ordered the egg sandwich with mozzarella cheese and jalapenos (155 CZK). It was just as I like it, with crunch grilled bread, hot, non-runny eggs, and fully melted cheese with the peppers mixed into it.I like ketchup with my eggs, and the waitress gave me their huge bottle of Heinz.I put it next to my ginger lemonade for a size perspective. The drink had a large amount of fresh-grated, sharp ginger in it. The only issues were that the ginger kept clogging the straw, and I wished for more ice.

G-Man had a giant cup of black tea with ginger slices and lime.If you are not going with coffee, it definitely helps perk things up on a Sunday morning. It's a tasty beverage.

G-Man's daughter had the French toast with blueberry sauce (115 CZK).After daddy cut it up, she loved it. I thought the sliced and dipped baguette slices were a bit dry in the middle, and the egg mixture should have been allowed to soak in more.

I enjoyed the breakfast so much, I decided I should return and try the regular menu. Although I'd been to the restaurant a number of times, I don't think I'd sampled many of their regular offerings besides the quesadillas and nachos.

A few days later, I stopped by and sat in the non-smoking room at the front of the restaurant, looking out over the sidewalk.A couple of ladies sat down and lit up, and promptly were asked to move to the smoking area, which they apologetically and respectfully did.

I ordered a beer. They only had small Pilsner Urquell bottles (35 CZK).For food, I started with the baked peppers stuffed with cheddar and jalapeňos (135 CZK). The very soft pepper was nearly flavorless, but the creamy cheese and spicy jalapeňos were delicious. It had a very light texture.The warm Cheddar mixture was easy to spread on the focaccia-like grilled bread, which was also a wonderful surprise. The bread could have been an afterthought. But this warm, light, fluffy and crunchy stuff was a pleasure. The combination was great.

This dish was almost a meal in itself, but I wanted to try the "Salad in the City" (175 CZK). The big plate was filled with mixed greens, rice noodles, red peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, and cilantro.The salad was a mixed bag. I especially loved the four big chunks of sweet potato. They were very sweet, with a smooth texture. The peanut dressing was spicy, tangy, and very sweet. I liked it, but I can imagine some might find it cloying.

On the downside, the menu said it was topped with nuts, but I didn't see too many. The lettuce could have been crisper. But the biggest problem was those noodles. They were stale and tough to chew. It would have been much better without them.

Still, I liked both dishes enough that I decided I wanted to try more of the menu. I returned for a third and final time for a quick meal with the English Patient.I had the "Up in Smoke" sandwich (165 CZK). It is billed as "an FX Reuben sandwich that comes with smoked tofu, Swiss cheese, red onion, and Russian dressing with "crack slaw" on the side.It had no real connection to the name "Reuben" and was just OK. A lot of the flavors blended together and were lost. It tasted basically like a grilled onion and Swiss.

Much better was the English Patient's "McLentils Burger" (180 CZK). It was made with red lentils, leeks, tofu, ginger, cilantro and red pepper.I took a bite and was very pleased with the moist, flavorful patty and its crisp exterior. The crunchy slaw that came with both dishes was excellent.

The only faux pas here was someone in the kitchen drowned the "burger" in mayo before sending it out.

I'd been aware of and occasionally patronized Radost FX for many years without thinking too deeply about the place. But I'll confess surprise at how much I enjoyed the food at Radost FX.

Not everything was genius, but these meals brought about a relative evolution in my thinking about vegetarian restaurants. Or at least this one, anyway.

Radost FX
Bělehradská 234/120
120 00 Prague 2 - Vinohrady
Tel. (+420) 224 254 776

Maitrea Vegetarian Restaurant

"I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are" Groucho Marx

Confession: I've never posted about a vegetarian restaurant before.

I have nothing against them. Vegetables, in the right hands, can be just as delicious as any meat dish.

And yet, somehow, I've never even been to Prague's much-loved vegetarian Valhalla, Lehka Hlava (Clear Head). I've eaten many times at Radost FX, but never had the urge to write about it for some reason.

I must have some kind of mental block. When pondering where to eat, vegetarian restaurants never pop into my head.

So when Mr. Big told me he really liked Maitrea, the sister restaurant of Lehka Hlava, I decided it was time to finally break new ground.I'd read about what a great looking space it was, and when I arrived it did not disappoint.Mr. Big suggested booking a table downstairs. It's even nicer down there. There's a golden fireplace and a sitting area with funky furniture in the back.There aren't too many Prague restaurants with this much style, especially in Maitrea's price range.

I found V and Mr. Big at a table with what appeared to be some new friends. Actually, the tables were so close together, we were basically sharing our space with another couple.We looked over the very international wine list with very reasonably priced bottles. We chose a French organic red. It was the most expensive wine they had, the Domaine de la Serre Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Cailloux Vielles Vignes (450 CZK).We all loved it. It was silky smooth. It wasn't so complex, but as I enjoyed it, the word "delicate" came to mind.

For appetizers, we decided to get the "Maitrea" of starters (155 CZK). It included hummus, red beet tartare, chive dip, roasted peppers, and warm onion and red beet cakes.Mr. Big thought the hummus was just OK, but V and I disagreed. I felt the tangy, smooth chickpea puree was above average.

The red pepper was more tart than most and full of flavor. The "tartare" was like chopped, pickled beets, and we found it refreshing.

I didn't like the earthy beet cakes as much, and the doughy onion cakes were boring and bland. The chive dip tasted basically like yogurt and was unremarkable. All in all, I had mixed feelings about the mix of starters.

I'm a big guacamole fan, so I couldn't resist trying their version with citrus tip and a garlic brioche (70 CZK).The small amount of guacamole on the plate was dominated by chopped tomato. It was freshly made, and included diced onion. The flavor was better than most versions you'll find in town. But it would have been better with less tomato and more avocado.

The "citrus dip" was a sweet, tangy yogurt sprinkled with sesame seeds. I couldn't figure out which citrus fruit it was supposed to be. The taste was too indistinct. The brioche was an interesting addition instead of chips, but it was small and gone more quickly than its accompaniments.

The three of us went through the first bottle of wine all too quickly. We had a serious debate about getting the same again. But we decided to be brave and ordered the organic Emiliana Novas Cabernet Merlot from Chile (430 CZK).There was a spirited debate over this wine. Mr. Big was in heaven, declaring it fuller, rounder, and more complex. V liked it more as well. But I found it more tannic than the Cailloux and liked that wine better.

For a main course, V had the red bean chili baked with cheddar in a flour tortilla, rice, tomato salsa, sour cream and fresh coriander (145 CZK).The menu said it contained honey and I found it rather sweet.

It also warned it was mildly hot, but I didn't find that to be the case. The sauce with the beans inside the tortilla was on the thin side. V was satisfied, but I was expecting more from this dish.

I ordered the grilled goat cheese, spinach, eggplant, tomatoes and chive spread, served burger-style in a freshly baked focaccia (145 CZK).After a few bites, I wished I had gotten something else. This was a case where more was less. I felt the proportions were all wrong.

Calling this a "burger" was misleading. It was almost impossible to pick up. I tried, and it was a mess. I love goat cheese as much or more as the next person, but this was just too much. It overwhelmed the modest amount of eggplant strips and spinach underneath.

The creamy chive sauce poured over the top of the rich cheese was just overkill. At least halving the amount of goat cheese and losing the sauce would bring some balance.

Mr. Big had the winner of the main courses: pasta with shiitake, chanterelle and oyster mushrooms in a cream sauce with garlic, onions, parsley and parmesan (160 CZK). All the mushrooms varieties were delicious.I thought the sauce was on the milky side and perhaps too salty. But Mr. Big was enamored, and V agreed it was very good.

His only complaint, and not a small one, was that the pasta was barely warm when it reached our table and turned cool shortly after.

Our waiter was friendly, but he went missing in action a few times. He delivered our main courses without cutlery and then disappeared. I had to go hunt him down to get knives and forks.

Now comes the hard part. Literally. Mr. Big took a bite of one of the last bits of V's red bean chili.

"There's something hard in there," he said. He reached into his mouth, pulled something out, and when he cleared the food a way we saw them. Two tiny, brown, angular stones.I rubbed them together to be sure they were not hard vegetable matter. We showed them to the waiter. He expressed shocked and confusion and brought the manager.

She was deeply apologetic and said the stones must have gotten mixed in with the beans when they were packaged. She also looked upset and said, rather convincingly, that such a thing had never happened before.

We weren't angry or upset. We only felt it was important they know about it. She immediately offered to take the chili off the bill, which was the right thing to do. Then, she told us we could have free dessert, as well. I said that was unnecessary, but she insisted.

I ordered homemade brownie with walnuts and cranberries, served with strawberry-mint sauce (65 CZK).This brownie would have been amazing right after it came out of the oven.

But I'm sorry to report it was cold, dried out and rather hard to chew. Heating it would have helped. The strawberry sauce did have fresh mint and was excellent.

What to make of this experience? First of all, I was sorry to have to include the rocky ending, but I faithfully report what happens and can't censor unfortunate events, however unrepresentative they might or might not be.

Putting that aside, the composition of some dishes didn't impress me, while the pasta suffered from either poor preparation or late delivery.

Still, the staff knew how to do the right thing, there was a good vibe, and the prices were a bargain.

So I wouldn't rule out a return visit to Maitrea, if only to sample the black bean burrito from a previous visit that Mr. Big raved about. Or to have another bottle of the Cailloux.

But maybe the main reason I'll be back is that even though I'm not a vegetarian, I have friends who are.

Maitrea Vegetarian Restaurant
Týnská ulička 6
(Not on nearby Týnská)
Prague 1 - Old Town
Tel: (+420) 221 711 631

Ambiente Ristorante Pizza Nuova

"'Tis no man. 'Tis a remorseless eatin' machine!" Captain McAllister, owner of The Frying Dutchman (The Simpsons)

All you can eat pizza and pasta? Sounded like a fool's game to me.

That's what they offer at Ambiente Pizza Nuova near Náměstí Republiky.I'd been to the spacious, cafeteria-like restaurant a number of times.But each time, I avoided the pizza and pasta.

Instead, I got the "try as much as you can" antipasti buffet (285 CZK).It was not a typical salad bar, with lots of quality stuff.

They had a variety of salads like Caprese.But there was also grilled and non-grilled vegetables, marinated fish, beef carpaccio, and several cheeses, including a giant block of Parmigiano-Reggiano that you can chip away yourself. And bread, too.

I always thought this was a great deal and one of the healthier options in the area. Right next to the salad bar, fresh fish on ice is out for inspection.But for some reason, the thought of stuffing myself to the gills with pizza and pasta didn't appeal to me. I wasn't planning on running any marathons, and felt no need to explore my carbo-loading limits.

The full title of this Ambiente restaurant is "La Verace Pizza Napoletana," and I wanted to test the claim on their oven that it's the real thing.I went with G-Man and a couple of other people. He got the Pizza Diavola (185 CZK).The menu says it comes with spicy Ventricina salami, fresh cow milk mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, Grana Padano cheese, olive and sunflower oils.

It was one of the best European-style pizzas I've had in Prague. Very close in quality to the one we had at Naples' Da Michele. There was a nice char on the crust from the hot oven. If there was one big fault, it was that the oil caused the crust to go soggy rather quickly.

I then tried the Pizza Marinara (155 CZK). This was THE best pizza I've had in Prague.I know this is a classic style in Italy, but I'd never tried one before. Until this experience, I had held a irrational and preconceived notion that it couldn't be a pizza without cheese.

How wrong I was. This pizza was just amazing, my hands down favorite. The imported tomatoes, along with the basil, were very good on the Diavola, but they were muted and overshadowed by the cheese and pepperoni.

On the Marinara, these flavors were up and singing. When combined with the slightly blackened, fully crisp crust, I could not get enough of this one.

With my low expectations effectively raised, I decided to return another day for the unlimited pizza and pasta option (295 CZK before 6pm - 328 CZK after 6pm).This time, G-Man got the Pizza Margherita Classica (188 CZK).You can also get it with bufala mozzarella (245 CZK).

The Classica still had a slight soggy crust issue in the middle, but flavor-wise, it was top notch. I'd even recommend this simpler pizza over the Diavola. But the Marinara remains my favorite.

Once I set the all-you-can-eat machine in motion, the food came fast and furious. Almost too fast.You can always turn down something on offer, but when I came in, hungry and curious, I took on everything.

The servers carry small pans with freshly cooked pasta. I imagined it would be bad, but it really was well executed.

The gnocchi with porcini and cream had really distilled the lovely taste of the mushrooms.I much appreciated the Penne Alla Checca.The flavor of the tomatoes and basil had the similar enticing intensity found on the Pizza Marinara. There was also mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil in the mix.

I had Penne All´Amatriciana. The tomato flavor stood above the barely noticeable pancetta. But there was a respectable sharpness from the chili peppers.

I really enjoyed the Ragu Napoletana fusillata. Veal and pork were slow-cooked with red wine, basil and Grana Padano cheese into a fork-tender mound. It was a little salty, but oh so rich in flavor.

The seafood pasta was fresh and delicious.It had a coating of olive oil and, interestingly, what I thought might be a hint of orange, but could not be sure. It was superior to most of the bland versions I've had elsewhere.

There was a Penne Alla Tagliata. It was simple but delicious with good quality beef, rucola, tomato, garlic, Parmesan, and rosemary. With every dish I tried, the pasta came out al dente, never overcooked.

Things went less well on the pizza side. I took on the Capricciosa.The slice had a small amount of mushrooms, ham, and artichokes. But as I indicated before, with these pizzas, less is more.

Again, it got limp pretty fast, and it is a shame to cover up the quality that lies underneath.

I had a white pizza with cheese, with only chopped fresh tomato and basil.This was much better. The flavors were more clear, the crust more crisp.

While getting all the pizza and pasta I wanted was no problem, getting drinks was another matter altogether.

We were drinking beer. They have Staropramen. I was drinking Granat. They also serve Stella Artois.

It appeared that different waiters were responsible for drinks. On both visits, it was hard enough to get the first round delivered. The second round proved near impossible.

In fact, on our second trip, I had to chase down the manager to order a beer. And it still never arrived.

As we asked for the check, I told him to cancel it. He realized his lapse and apologized profusely as we left.Yes, I started with low expectations and was very pleasantly surprised at the great quality that came along with the great quantity of food.

They really do pack a lot of great flavors into almost every dish. That can't be easy when there are so many different variations going to so many customers, one pan at a time.

I'd love to go back for the Pizza Marinara. And almost any of the pastas, but perhaps the Ragu Napoletana.

It was great to be able to sample such a wide range of dishes for such a good price. But I wouldn't do it again. I felt less than well when I was done.

Rumors to the contrary, I’m no eating machine. And in the all-you-can-eat game, it’s hard to beat the house, however good the cooking.

I always end up eating too much and leaving full of both food and, yes, a little remorse.

Ambiente Pizza Nuova
La Verace Pizza Napoletana
Revoluční 1
Prague 1
Tel. (+420) 221 803 308