One of my favorite things about traveling with my wife, Niloofar, or as I call her, my better three-quarters, is what happens after we're seated in a restaurant.
When the server first approaches our table, if he/she hasn't introduced themselves, Niloo asks, "what is your name?" Her slight Persian accent lends a warmth to the question that is disarming. And with that one question, an embryo of a mini-friendship is planted.
Now, I'm not one to post pictures of food (well, except for what I manage to grow in my garden, as I think fresh-picked vegetables are striking (see pic 1 - I rest my case). But instead, I'd like to post a few pictures of some of the restaurants in Croatia at which we've eaten, because they've been pretty spectacular.
Our wonderful tour guide, Anada, whom I referenced in an earlier travelstack, took us through the seemingly-endless side alleys of Old Town, Dubrovnik. Countless cafes populated the alleys, some consisting of little more than three or four tables (pic 2).
Needless to say, we pestered Anada for all sorts of recommendations. Of all the restaurants in Old Town, she said one stood above the rest: a small cafe called Moskar (pic 3). In the event you can't read the writing on the chalkboard, the handwritten sign reads, "Today's Special . . . And so are you."
When our server arrived at the table, Niloo greeted her with, "What is your name?" And that's how we met Olga, a bubbly young woman with a quick smile.
She helped us choose a few items from the menu. I had heard about a dish that is a Croatian mainstay: Pašticada. It's a beef dish that starts with whole eye of round, which is pierced and stuffed with garlic, cloves, carrot, celery, and bacon, and marinated in wine vinegar overnight. It's then seared and simmered with onions, parsley root, prunes, wine, broth, and sweet prošek wine for several hours (at least that what the internet tells me is involved - I'm no chef). It was absurdly flavorful and unlike any dish I'd tasted before.
At the risk of turning this travelstack entry into a food column, Niloo had high praise for her tuna tartar, and we both enjoyed a unique dish of fried cottage cheese and fried peppers (that combo was new to me, and delicious).
The next day, Niloo and I were walking aimlessly around the city and we came upon an alley entrance to a restaurant called Fratellos (pic 4).
We peaked in the door and saw a couple of young men carrying what looked like some kind of kitchen equipment.
"Come in, have a look around," said one of the guys.
"What is your name," asked Niloo.
And that's how we first met Tom, one of three brothers who own and operate Fratellos (fratello being the Italian word for "brother").
Over the course of a couple of conversations with Tom - first upon meeting him and then when we returned later that day for dinner - we learned about the long road the three brothers traveled to create the restaurant.
The property on which the restaurant is located had been in Tom's family for nearly 100 years. However, during the Yugoslav communism takeover of Croatia in the 1940s, their land was seized by the Yugoslavian government.
Fast forward to the collapse of communism, followed by Croatia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Tom's family began a long, arduous court battle to win back ownership of the their property. After prevailing, they went to work creating a truly unique establishment, Fratellos Restaurant and Bar.
But don't take my word for its uniqueness. Please have a look at the following two pictures, one taken when we were first seated and the second about at hour later when the sun had nearly fully set. And mind you, there are no filters or enhancements of any kind used on these pics (see pics 5 and 6).
And the food was even better than those pics. Seriously.
Not to mention, our server, Milo, was quite a character with a sly, sharp sense of humor.
It's nice to know people's names . . .
