Went to lunch at the Counter recently in Reston.  We were offered clipboards with checkboxes and golf pencils.  The concept is that each burger is made to your order from fresh, hormone-free and natural beef (or chicken, turkey, etc)

My selections: Onion bun with 1/3 lb of beef, herb goat cheese spread, grilled onions, mixed greens, roasted green chiles, and a balsamic-dijon sauce to pour all over it.

I made my burger (above) into a mess before photographing it, but it was the best burger I have ever had.  I was pleased to see it was actually pink inside.  Most American restaurants don’t have the balls to cook beef properly for fear of customer complaint.  The Counter seems confident in the quality of their beef and did not overcook any of our burgers.  The toppings were fresh, and the combination of goat cheese and the balsamic sauce was pure heaven.  Maybe I just like that combination, but man… it was good.

Also of note: the sweet potato fries – served with a slightly spicy dressing for dipping – are crispy, sweet-salty goodness.

As a final post about my recent culinary experiences in the Czech Republic, I thought it would be fun to share a quick overview of some of the dining we did in Prague.

Roast Duck with Cabbage and Dumplings at Kolkovna Olympia

My favorite of the traditional Czech cuisine.  This duck was good.  So, so good.  I’ve had really good duck before and this was as good as it gets.  Perfectly roasted.  It’s also enough to feed two people, but I ate it all anyway and downed a couple of dark beers with it.

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Recently I spent ten days in Prague.  Beer is cheap and plentiful in Prague, and that tends to invite all sorts of visitors who are more interested in overindulging in, rather than tasting and enjoying, the beer…  But for a craft beer fan like me, Prague held some treasures.  If you are traveling to the Czech Republic, or you just want to learn a little bit about the Czech beer offerings, this might be helpful.

Beer is very important to Czech people.  It’s drunk in quantities at all times of the day and night.  The region has a very long history brewing and citizens go so far as to claim that the local water, environment, brewing practices, etc all have profound effects on their beer.

Because the prices are so reasonable (about $1-2 for a large draft beer) you can really enjoy having plenty of beer with meals in Prague.  Unlike the U.S. where a crappy import bottle can cost $5, you just don’t have to worry too much about breaking the budget while traveling and drinking in Prague.

Dark Beer: “Cerny”  (AKA “Cerna” or “Cerne”)

I’m a fan of dark beer in general, and Prague didn’t disappoint.  I drank mainly three brews of the “cerny” style; Bernard, Kozel and Kursovice.  Dark beer in prague is not like a stout or porter style.  It’s much smoother, sweeter and quite easy to drink a lot without noticing.

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Traveling in Prague recently, we visited a wonderful restaurant there called V Zatisi.

The food and decor were both quite amazing.  The room we were seated in featured a wall constructed entirely of books (below left).  The lamps were placed on books that stuck out halfway from the pile.

One thing we particularly loved were the oil and vinegar cruets, one of which we ended up bringing home for a small  fee (above right).  The restaurant offers tasting courses which are very artfully presented.  The seared foie gras was particularly heavenly and we would definitely go back for more.  Among the things we tried at V Zatisi were small courses of duck, beef, veal, fish and a heck of a good tiramisu for dessert.

Dining in Prague, as we learned during our 10 day stay, is a very unusual experience.  Our walking tour guide explained “most of the time, you won’t get good service.”  This is apparently a remnant of communist thought where everyone gets the same pay no matter what kind of job they do.  Another unfortunate thing is that many restaurants put a “service” or a “couvert” charge on the bill, up to 10%, without so much as a warning or explanation.  The wait staff also hovered at the table when payment was due and asked if we were going to leave a tip.  This happens especially to tourists, we later learned.  Oh well.  (Not to say the food wasn’t good in Prague… indeed the food and the beer were fantastic almost everywhere we tried.)

V Zatisi did not suffer from any of this.  Service, food and everything was fantastic.  The establishment was clearly built for an international audience who expect good service.

After dinner, a walk around the surrounding area at night.  Prague is a bit of a photographer’s wonderland at night and there are so many little treasures:

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Just a quick note.  This is the best macaroni and cheese I have ever had.  I don’t even like Panera that much but this is incredible.  Lots of calories too.

I found a recipe online for “Imitation Panera Mac and Cheese” but it turned out to be nothing like the real thing.  Oh well.

Update: I have posted a recipe here that I think is close.

Katsu Donburi

Picking out the Good Stuff

Matuba Japanese Restaurant

Matuba Japanese Restaurant is a quaint little place in Arlington, VA that serves fairly authentic Japanese food on a small scale. They close at two o’clock in the afternoon and the staff takes a break to eat and relax before the dinner rush. There is hardly any parking. And, there’s no better place to get a Katsu Donburi (breaded and fried pork cutlet with sauteed onion and fried egg over rice) I began eating this dish as a student in Japan (it’s a quick and nutrition-rich lunch) and still love to order it whenever I can. My wife always gets the lunch box with teriyaki and tempura.

We love to come here on lazy days and enjoy the great food, small atmosphere and tasty green tea. It’s always delicious and relaxing. The staff seem happy enough (maybe due to the 2 o’clock break time) to shout irrashaimasse! (welcome, don’t be afraid to come in!) when we enter. Best of all, it’s not priced as most Japanese restaurants in the states are; expensive novelties rather than everyday food joints. Everything is very reasonable.

PotBelly Sandwhiches – Detail of Queue Area

Reaching for Napkins at PotBelly

Where’s a good place to get quick food in DC? PotBelly Sandwich Works, that’s where. We have always loved this place, especially for chicken salad sandwhiches. I don’t know what it is… it is indeed a corporate franchise and there are many locations in the area, but the food really is better than a lot of the chain places I’ve been to. The bread is delicious and just the right “toughness” and, if you are like me, you can order with oil and seasoning that makes it drip with reckless oily goodness. Prices are much better than at Au Bon Pain or Panera and the food considerably tastier. Try it, you’ll like it.

Above, my wife and her sister chow down on their favorite items.

Despite having aquired some very good glass like the Nikon 70-200 2.8 lens, I really still love my 18-200 VR for these impromptu outings and casual situations and I can’t ever see getting rid of the lens.