Following a successful third festival, which attracted more than 22,000 guests, the event is now being extended throughout the Czech Republic. More restaurants are participating and the festival will run for a longer period: 15 January – 28 February 2013. The Grand Restaurant Festival is held directly inside selected TOP 100 establishments included in Pavel Maurer’s Grand Restaurant guide. People will be able to choose sumptuous delicacies for bargain prices. The festival motto is “Eat Smart!”A new feature of this unique gastronomic celebration is the promotion of local ingredients, organic produce, and eco-farms who work with festival restaurants. You can also look forward to special “Mňam Packages,” “Mňam Buses,” and “Mňam Trains.” Sales begin on 1 December 2012.
Where else can you taste delicacies like: crocodile fillet, quail legs with pancetta stuffing, half a Canadian lobster prepared in the Maine style, or a completely traditional roast suckling pig with shallots, garlic, and barely hash?
As part of the GRF, guests will have an opportunity to sample farmer’s dishes and traditional meals such as old-Bohemian plum jam turnovers, a Romanov mutton roulade, grilled fillets of Litomyšl trout, a sous-vide neck of pork from the Sasov eco-farm prepared with dark beer and rosemary, or apple in pastry with vanilla crème.
TASTE THESE CUISINES:
Asian, Czech, modern Czech, seafood, French, Indian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, international, regional, fish, Greek, old-Bohemian, steakhouse, Mediterranean, Spanish, Tex-Mex, Thai, Vietnamese, wild game. This will be the fourth year of the annual unique gastronomic event, which is prepared by the organisers of the PRAGUE FOOD FESTIVAL. “The idea of the festival is to enable anyone who has an interest in gastronomy to visit the best and frequently more-expensive establishments in this country for symbolic prices,” says Pavel Maurer, the man behind the Grand Restaurant survey of eateries in the Czech Republic. “We not only want to present high-quality restaurants, but also farms and traditional ingredients in selected regions. What GRF guests put in their mouths should not be a matter of indifference. Mňam Packages, Buses, and Trains tie in with the new Mňam Tour project (travelling for food). In September of this year, we went for the first time to Andalusia in Spain and the Loire Valley in France.”
WHAT’S NEW:
1. GASTRONOMIC STARS
Radisson Blu Hotel, Alcron and La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise – establishments that have been awarded aMichelin Star. Lichfield and SaSaZu –Bib Gourmand awards – good food at an acceptable price.
2. CHRISTMAS “MŇAM PACKAGES”
Special-experience “Mňam Packages” – festival degustations with deluxe accommodation, wellness programmes and other programmes
for two – Chateau Mcely, Chateau Kotěra, Grandhotel Pupp, Radisson Blu Hotel, Alcro, and Aria hotel.
3. “MŇAM BUSES”
Original gastronomic excursions around Prague: 1 day & 3 restaurants & 6 courses & 3 TOP head chefs. An opening toast with a
beer sommelier -ŠAMPS beer sekt from the firm Pivo Praha. The guide for one selected Mňam Bus will be the editor ofApetit Darina Sieglová. Special restaurant & bar tours around Prague: 1 day & 2 restaurants & 4 courses & 2 TOP head chefs & an opening toast with a
beer sommelier – ŠAMPS beer sekt from the firm Pivo Praha & a tasting session in the bar that triumphed in Pavel Maurer’s Grand Bar 2013 survey – U Staré studny.
4. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, AN ORGANIC MŇAM BUS WILL SET OFF WITH HANKA ZEMANOVÁ
A visit to the Zemanka organic bakery, baking cookies, a workshop, tasting Hanka Zemanová recipes, and a farmer’s buffet paired with organic wine.
5. “MŇAM TRAINS” with a farmer’s menu
A two-day gastronomic and cultural excursion from Prague to Olomouc – tasting a farmer’s menu on the train, where service will be provided by the JLV company under the direction of the celebrated head chefs Jiří Král and Jaroslav Sapík. 2 days & 4 restaurants & 8 courses & 1 brunch & 4 TOP head chefs & 1 trendy bar & a visit to a curd-cheese museum in Loštice & a show in the Moravské divadlo theatre
Mňam Train from Prague to Brno – a one-day gastronomic “expedition”
1 day & 4 restaurants & 10 courses & 4 TOP head chefs… and a surprise.
HOW CAN I BOOK OR BUY MY PLACE?
In order to participate in the GRAND RESTAURANT FESTIVAL, you must have purchased a festival tasting in a restaurant of your choice. In addition to this you can also make bookings for events such as a Mňam Bus, Mňam Train or Mňam Package on the relevant date at the appropriate time. Advance bookings begin on 1 December 2012 a www.grandrestaurantfestival.cz. Tastings range from 200 CZK to 600 CZK. Once again, Gift Vouchers are also available.
