The story of how Marketa became a member of Taste of Prague is complicated, but ultimately with a happy ending. We eyed her for some time about two years ago, but as we agreed on everything, she gave us the happy news: she was pregnant... and nauseated around food. Great. That's about as bad as health conditions for a food tour guide get. But the best things come to those who wait, so we waited, and ultimately Marketa joined us as a mom of an adorable baby girl Violka.
Anyway, Marketa is awesome. A former HR executive, she is genuinely interested in people. A professional disease? Does she build a secret database of our guests that she will use to kick start her own global HR powerhouse some time in the future? Not sure about that one, but the fact is that she can keep happily chatting with the guests for hours after the tour is over, much to the delight of her husband who's babysitting at home.
She's also super funny and eager to please, and if it were her way, she would pour everyone a glass of Champagne in every stop we visit. (If you're reading this, Marketa, you can't, okay? We don't have the budget for that. We went through this already.) Anyway, if you're in her group, consider yourself lucky. We know we do consider ourselves lucky having her around. Below are her favorite spots in Prague and her favorite social media accounts.
MARKETA'S Five Favourite Spots IN PRAGUE
Kantýna
Ahhh, love at first sight!!! I always follow a specific routine: beer and carpaccio (I once cried a little when they ran out of it for the evening, it is THAT good!), followed by steak or pork belly. And then the last beer at the marble counter in the central part of Kantyna, while beeing observed by the baby on one of the paintings that looks exactly like my daughter. I see pride in her eyes :-).
MySák
An amazing place for breakfast, caffeine fix and something sweet in the middle of the day. Or simply the place you start your date in, or take your grandma and win the Grandkid of the Year award (your sidekicks, laskonka, venecek and vetrnik, will help). I love to sit downstairs by the window, have their delicious batch brew or flat white and read and/or do some people-watching.
Místo
Favourite coffee shop in my neighborhood: great specialty coffee, cakes, amazing and super friendly baristas… and a lot of stairs that can be climbed over and over and over again by a pumped 18-month old. (Which means everybody wins!)
Super Tramp Coffee
Ha, coffee theme going strong :-). Hidden yard close to the Narodní trída. My game plan: batch brew and some pastry with fruit in the spring/summer season, flat white and a pulla with cinnamon in the autumn/winter season. Have a date with yourself or a book and you will be happy camper. That’s a promise!
Mr Hot Dog
Well, I have a very special relationship with this place. This is actually the first place I visited after I gave birth. I did not know how to operate the stroller properly, so we were standing outside (mid-November, freezing, already ahead of the pack for the The Best Mom Ever award). But it was worth it! Delicious sausages from The Real Meat Society, sliders, drinks, beer. Quick, easy and you can burn all the calories in the Letna park right away. P.S. They also do lobster rolls a few times a year. You need them in your life!
Five Favorite Social Media Accounts
Kichenette
Great recipes, photos, general inspiration.
Bjukitchen
Big food and travel inspiration recently pimped-up by super cute baby boy photos.
Joy The Baker
Sugar, butter, gluten, booze, on repeat.
Maskrtnica
Give me more gluten and all the sexy loaves of bread!!!!! Seriously, this lady does so much that it looks 24 hour day situation does not apply to her.
Longest Acres Farm
I am a city girl, I love Prague, but Kate's photos bring the six year old "I will have a farm when I will grow up" version of me to the daylight. . .
Ohhh, did I mentioned I follow (read: stalk) all the Taste of Prague family members??? Endless source of great food, travel tips and boomerang loops. Yeah, cool kids!
Secret tip in Prague
Svetozor movie theatre. Just go there and watch a great movie. Pro tip: sit on the the Bok family's double seat (oh yeah, you can adopt a seat there, cool gift!) and sip on G&Ts, craft beer or just an old-school Kofola, the Communist Czech answer to Coca Cola (and everything else).