Our first night in Prague, I was eager for the main course of meat with two meat side dishes and potatoes I kept hearing was standard fare. We followed Rick Steve’s directions to a wonderful restaurant right off the Old Town Square. Mlejnice, meaning, The Mill, was an adorable find on an alley behind the main plaza with farming implements dubiously hanging from the ceiling. More than one table of patrons were diving into an impressive bread bowl filled with beef stew. So of course I had to ask the waitress what they were enjoying so I could partake. Pilsner goulash! Made with Pilsner Urquell, the goulash was super thick and topped with sweet, raw onions in a toasted rye bread bowl—but the rye bread wasn’t overpoweringly rye, it was scented with rye but much softer.
Hearing nothing but good things about Czech potato dumplings, I scanned the menu for them and found Noki dishes. A range of flavor combinations tempted my palate but the blue cheese leek combo was irresistible. It turned out Noki was a phonetic brother of Italian gnocchi, ultra-light potato dumplings boiled in water and smothered blue cheese. The leek element was stirred into the melted cheese such that it was still crisp rather than sautéed, which I’m pretty sure is the only other way I’ve eaten it. The photo really doesn’t do the dish justice, the Noki was rich, creamy, spicy from the al dente leeks and ear-to-ear tart from the blue cheese.
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