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Review
Date 10/2/03 |
Worth
‘Czech’-ing Out
ZLATA
PRAHA
28-48 31st St., Astoria
(718) 721-6422, (718) 728-9199
CUISINE: Czech, Slovak and Continental
HOURS: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon to
11:30 p.m.; Bar open to 2 a.m. all days except Friday and Saturday, when
the bar is open until 4 a.m.; Closed Mondays.
NOTABLE FOR: Unique cuisine, casual atmosphere, full-service bar & wine list,
catering, outdoor patio.
PARKING: Curbside, but N train station one block away.
CREDIT CARDS: All major cards accepted
RESERVATIONS: Suggested
We recently had the pleasure of visiting Zlata Praha in Astoria, named
for the Czechoslovakian capitol city of Prague and opened in Queens in
1993.
It is the only restaurant of its kind in New York City and features
Czech, Slovak and Continental foods. It is owned and operated by Chef
George and Milly Suchanek.
As you enter and pass by the attractive room divider with Zlata Praha
inset in colored glass, you enter the world of continental dining with
well spaced tables and walls handsomely decorated with paintings, framed
money and two native costumes in glass enclosed display cases.
After making ourselves comfortable in this elegant but informal
atmosphere, we consulted with Milly who described popular dishes.
We decided to start with a house special, Egg a la Praha ($3.75), the
Chef’s special blended mayonnaise potato salad with caviar topped hard
boiled eggs and surrounded with thin slices of ham.
We also shared a green salad with tomato, cucumber slices and a choice of
three dressings: blue cheese, honey mustard and Italian.
For one entrée we had Roasted Goose (a leg and a thigh) accompanied by a
large serving of Red Cabbage - a tasty combination. My companion, a fish
lover, enjoyed the Stuffed Flounder, which contained nice large pieces
of crabmeat and shrimp. It was also an attractive presentation on its
plate with rice and a medley of fresh vegetables.
For a traditional dish, we chose Roast Smoked Pork with Red Cabbage
accompanied by unusual dumplings served in slices.
Our drinks of choice (after consulting the extensive list) were two
imported beers, Pilsnerurquell and Storapramen: light Czech beers served
in large steins.
This restaurant’s interesting menu also features a Lunch Special
(Tuesday through Friday) from 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. for $6.25. This
includes soup, an entrée, dessert and a drink of either wine or a soft
drink.
Don’t miss the made-on-the-premises desserts! The delightful selection
includes the famed Palacinka - delicious crepes filled with fruit
preserves and accompanied by whipped cream (or ice cream if you prefer).
Another excellent choice was the warm Apple Strudel. A cup of fresh
brewed coffee made a fine finish to the excellent meal.
– J. Davis |
