Moms in the kitchen
This new Italian arrival shoots for the stars
 | | The informal atmosphere belies the high-quality cuisine at this Vinohrady trattoria. |
By Evan Rail
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
March 10, 2005
Where do food writers go on their days off? Monika Michalkova, editor-in-chief of the Czech edition of La Cucina Italiana, favors a little place in Vinohrady called Roca. She says it serves her favorite kind of rustic Italian fare in a simple, unpretentious atmosphere. It's a mom and pop shop, or mom and mom — the name comes from its two owners, Roberta and Camilla — that deserves more attention, and not just from the cognoscenti.
If you've never heard of Roca, don't be surprised. Only open a few months, the restaurant occupies the location that was formerly home to La Campanella and a long line of now-defunct eateries: Vinohradska 32, with an entrance on Anny Letenske street. The main dining room is an above-average cellar with pleasant decor: a few antiques here and there, old brick archways, extensive maps of the Roman Empire painted on the walls. Then there are the tables of Italian regulars, so at home in the place that they look like they must pay rent. Blink for a second and you'll swear you were in Bologna.
Roca
Vinohradska 32
Prague 1-Vinohrady
Tel. 222 520 060
Open daily 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
Euro/MC, Visa
Appetizers 45-350 Kc
Main courses 100-350 Kc
Desserts 60-89 Kc
 | Food | | | Service |  | Atmosphere | | | Overall |
|
Among other treats, the menu features several house-made pasta dishes. As a starter, the tortellini in broth is especially good: a handful of tight little pasta balls stuffed with ground pork, floating in a pure, clear broth so distilled and nuanced in flavor it doesn't need a cover story, excuse or alibi — this stuff hasn't been anywhere near a bouillon cube, not on the night in question nor at any other time. If you have just come in out of the cold, this will warm you right up.
Less recommendable is the beef carpaccio, a plate of thinly sliced (and thinly flavored) beef topped with a small portion of Parmesan cheese and — unusual in Prague — pieces of sliced celery. The celery is a nice touch, but there seemed to be some depth of flavor missing when I tried it.
Among pasta main courses (or "first" plates), the spaghetti carbonara is excellent: less creamy and more eggy than elsewhere, with more pork flavor, creating a pasta dish not far from ham and eggs. The sauce, slightly broken and just substantial enough to barely cover the firm pasta noodles, is wonderful.
Meat dishes include several grilled steaks and regional specialties. Our waiter recommended the scallopini with mushrooms, which he said were very good. That's an understatement: two extremely tender chicken breasts in a very creamy, very earthy and very fragrant sauce hinting of nutmeg, mushrooms, and the sweet flavor of fresh cream, so good that you'll want a spoon to get at every last drop. Fresh spinach makes a good side dish.
Like the noodles, many of the desserts are made in-house. The multilayered tiramisu is excellent, though served very cold, almost frozen. Another delicious cake matches vanilla ice cream, a layer of white cake and chocolate chip ice cream. Both are recommended, though the daily selection varies — ask your server.
FROM THE MENU
• Beef carpaccio 179 Kc
• Tortellini in broth 135 Kc
• Spaghetti carbonara 129 Kc
• Scallopini with mushrooms 149 Kc
• Tiramisu 70 Kc
• Half-liter carafe house wine 120 Kc |
Roca's wine list is not extensive by any measure. The house reds include a decent montepulciano that bites back at the finish with some aggressive tannins. Slightly better is the house white, a watery, docile trebbiano that pairs very well with the cream sauces and chicken.
Service here is very informal and relaxed, hey-neighbor friendly and yet professional. It's a trattoria — no starched white napkins in sight — so come with a relaxed mood and you'll probably be very happy. But come. Not many restaurants in Prague offer this quality of cooking at moderate prices, and when you throw in the good service and the casual trattoria vibe, it doesn't take a food writer to realize that Roca is an excellent new arrival. Recommended.
|
Purchase online
Spotlight on
Weekly list
BOL Online
