Our diplomat dining adventure recently led me to a blog, Every Restaurant in Astoria, which is someone's attempt to eat at every (non-fast-food) restaurant in Astoria. "Like Sisyphus, but with gyros." Not a bad idea, considering the restaurants we've discovered in the area, the most recent being Czech. Murray got this recommendation from a diplomat at a reception of the Consulate of the Czech Republic at some point this summer: Zlata Praha, in Astoria, serves the most authentic Czech cuisine of any restaurant in New York City.
So, what is Czech cuisine? Well, we discovered it's not exactly health food (I was two pounds heavier on the scale the next morning), but it is delicious. I think the term "comfort food" may have been invented to describe this particular cuisine – lots of meats and starches, and not too many vegetables other than red and green cabbage cooked in a variety of ways. And, there's beer. Some say Czech beer is the best in the world; I'll say I certainly liked what we had:
Our friends Carole and Wayne accompanied us on this adventure, which was lucky, because Carole, through her family heritage, knows a thing or two about Eastern European cuisine and was able to help steer our food selection.
Here's what we ate:
Appetizers
- Pirogi
- Potato Pancakes
- Sausage (Klobasa)
- Stuffed Cabbage Rollentine (served in an unbelievably delicious tomato sauce, which we sopped up with potato dumplings)
Entrees
- Chicken Paprikash
- Bohemian Sauerbrauten
- Czech Platter for Two (includes duck, pork loin, smoked pork, assorted cabbages, and dumplings; the duck was particularly noteworthy)
Dessert
- Crepes a la mode
- Apple Strudel a la mode
- Fruit dumplings
We didn't eat everything (we carried the leftovers home, of course). But those two additional pounds are not so surprising, are they? Nevertheless, I'll definitely go back. The food was beyond delicious, and our waitress was helpful and excited to share the food and stories about the restaurant with us. Plus, I'm learning to love Astoria, even though Zlata Praha is not in the most picturesque neighborhood (right next to the above-ground N train).
We were probably the only non-Czech-speaking table in the place. A famous Czech singer, Karel Gott, was in town as part of his 2009 American Tour, and he presided over a nearby table. (His September performances in NYC graced both The Town Hall and the Bohemian National Hall.) And when we asked our waitress about the Czechs who play for the NY Rangers, she told us that their bar on nights of Rangers games is filled with fans. Certainly Zlata Praha wears its heritage with pride; decorations like this cover the walls:
Our bill, including tip, was about $175 -- not too bad for four of us, considering the quantities we ate. And those two pounds, they were easily taken care of over the next couple of days through a little extra exercise and a little restraint.
In case it's not already obvious, this is not a good spot for vegetarians, but a definite "must-try" for carnivores, especially in those autumn and winter months when comfort food tastes especially good.
Where and When
Zlata Praha
28-48 31st Street
Astoria, NY 11102
(718) 721-6422
N Train to 30th Avenue
Note: The kitchen closes at 11:00 pm all nights, but you can stay and drink as indicated below.
Tuesday to Thursday
11:30 am - 2:00 am
Friday and Saturday
11:30 am - 4:00 am
Sunday
12:00 pm - 2:00 am
Zlata Praha is closed on Mondays.
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