This may, or may not, be the actual sizes of Marcela and Igor.
The second week of awesome Prague locals is behind us so, and we think Eliska and Lukas of Couple of Prague did a fantastic jobs on our Facebook and Instagram accounts and here with their pictures of the places and things they love in Prague. Thank you so much! But now is the right time to introduce the third couple who will blog and post for us during the upcoming week of November while we are gone in the US: our dear friends Marcela and Igor.
It is hard not to like Marcela and Igor. Marcela, originally from Poprad, Slovakia, and Igor, a Kiev-born New Yorker, are one of the most likable couples in Prague we know of. They are fun to be around with (what you see above is the actual picture they sent us) and seriously love food.
We never meet them walking on the street: we meet them only in restaurants and cafes. They obviously like the same venues we do. They both met in New York City but moved to Prague some six years ago and lived in the Vinohrady district nearly the entire time, and they have always had great tips about that district.
Also, Igor is the ultimate inspiration for, and the original co-creator of, our Foodie Tour: he was so nice and fun to be with when we met him, we knew we had to create a tour just for him. So we sat down together and came up with a tour all of us would love. One of the stops was, and still is, Sansho, one of the best three restaurants in town in our book.
We met with Paul Day, the chef owner of Sansho, to talk about the details. We tried to describe Igor to Paul but Paul was not sure who he was, so we found Igor’s picture and showed him. Paul's face lit up. “Oh yes! We know this guy! It’s the Slider Man”! Yes, Igor and Marcela love food (incl. the sliders over at Sansho), and they are loved back in many of the restaurants they visit.
What do we personally expect from the week ahead? We expect lots of great tips about the Vinohrady district, Marcela’s and Igor’s stronghold. They will be posting mostly on our Facebook page, leaving our Twitter and Instagram feeds slightly aside, so we may actually fill in the gap from the US. We also expect lots of funny and well-meaning insights into the foodie scene in Vinohrady and maybe wider Prague.
To get to know Marcela and Igor better, we have asked them a few questions. Below are the answers. Stay tuned for their tips on our Facebook profile. And have a great week!
Why did you swap New York for Prague?
Marcela: After living there for years, I was ready to go back to Europe to be closer to my family in Slovakia. Meanwhile Igor was more than happy to put an ocean between him and his own! (They are actually really lovely, caring people. I don't know why he keeps making this joke.)
Igor: It used to take Marcela 8 hours of travel to visit her folks in eastern Slovakia. Now it takes us 7 hours. Success!
What do you like about Prague?
Igor: The city is just the right size: large enough to offer variety and novelty, small enough that it’s relatively easy and quick to get around (and get out). In other words, perfect for both a New Yorker and a Popradcanka! And on top of the city’s many charms, we enjoy that it is so centrally located in Europe, giving us opportunities to travel and fall in love with places like Berlin, Barcelona, Paris and London. So much is within reach and we’re enjoying making the most of it.
Marcela: And day-to-day life is very chilled out here. Going out and meeting up with friends is easy and affordable here pretty much any day of the week and no big deal. We live in the Vinohrady district, which gives us the quiet, residential feel within close proximity of the center and other interesting neighborhoods around us.
Your favorite guilty pleasure?
Marcela: We found an amazing chocolate ricotta cake in Rome. It is out of this world!
Igor: Just look at it.
Marcela: My nearly every day guilty pleasure is the mamincin kolac (seasonal berries mixed with sugar crumbs on a moist cake) from Antoninovo bakery in Vinohrady, just off namesti Jiriho z Podebrad.
Igor: Fresh croissants from the new boulangerie by Le Caveau for breakfast, coincidentally right on namesti Jiriho z Podebrad. (Yes, we do leave the neighborhood… now and then... when we’re forced to.)
Can you describe your ideal Sunday?
Igor: Sleeping in. Meeting friends for a late, boozy lunch at Osteria da Clara in Vrsovice, continuing to La Boheme for coffee, followed by an impromptu 3-hour poker game over bottles of Gevrey-Chambertin, with a break only for home-delivered dinner from The Sexy Curry Company.
Marcela: Seriously? This happened exactly one time!
Igor: It should be every Sunday.