Bistro Praha

When Harry met Sally at the Praha

OMG—dessert at Bistro Praha!
I have been visiting this landmark restaurant for over 30 years and never had the dessert! What a waste –in my younger years I remember the ‘older set’ coming in for coffee and desert after the theatre- while we younger ones were nibbling on open faced sandwiches, deep fried cheese, divine potato salad and of course the steak tartar!
Recently my dinner partner ordered the Crepe Nadia--- OMG! Not one for dessert I tentatively reached in to be polite and take a nibble of this luscious looking whipped cream and chocolate covered treat. The apricot stuffed crepe was a light as anything I have ever tasted- none of those common scorch marks we find on many crepes, simple light -cooked beyond perfection.

My eyes rolled I am sure into the back of my head- and through a daze I reached for just one more little nibble--- pure ecstasy! This is what those ‘middle-aged’ women from my youth had been enjoying! Glancing to my left as a waiter deposited another mound of whipped cream covered crepe the lady at the table me gave me a knowing glance. Her lips turned up and her eyes glistened as one who already knew what I had just discovered…… she was a repeat!

Dipping back into the crepe and grabbing a touch of the sauce surrounding this creation I had another attack of pure abandon. Slowly looking, up a bit frightened of my obvious enjoyment of this simple treat, I caught the eye of another women across the restaurant watching me. Shaking my head and my fork I mouthed the words, ‘You have to try this’, and rolled my eyes upwards to the gods.

She grinned back at me

Before I had had enough the crepe was gone- oh I was sharing this! I asked my dinner partner to get me a spoon as I was not about to let the gorgeous Grande Marnier chocolate soaked puddle on the plate go to waste. Once finished with the spoon- careful not look around afraid of the glances I would get—I simply stuck my right index finger down on the plate and began the age old skill of licking the plate clean with my finger.

Yes! I did this in a restaurant and it was well worth it. During that time I snuck a peak up to see the woman on the other side of the restaurant exhaling with her eyes rolled to the heavens holding an empty fork with a whipped cream pilled high crepe in front of her. Her male partner looked around the room awkwardly I am sure hoping no one was noticing at the look of unbridled bliss and pure joy on her face.

Her and I locked eyes – she nodded her head and dove back in for some more! This was a first timer for sure! Sneaking a peak over my shoulder the lady beside me grinned understanding new converts when she saw them. She was much more subtle then us with her enjoyment- quiet- reserved- and not saying one word to her large group of dinner companions- she was lost in her own world of whipped cream and a perfect crepe.

Such a waste-I had seen a lovely much too skinny girl in the restaurant earlier I know she has never locked lips with one these crepes--- ah the misery of youth and ‘uber’ thin thighs! The grace and joy of a few more years have given us ‘new middle-aged women’ the right to enjoy the pure delights of these treats.

Note to men- old and young- take your dinner dates to the Praha for a crepe—it will be the most enjoyable vision you can have in public—or take the crepes home! For the rest of us single girls- well once you have a crepe at the Praha you will feel any stress you did not even know you have just melt away!

Had our lovely Marie Antoinette had the delightful pleasure of one of these crepes she would be famous for saying, “ Let them eat crepes!