The best Croatian restaurants honoured.
The 23rd Croatian and English hardcopy and online editions of Restaurant Croatica 100 Leading Croatian Restaurants and Their Specialties – 2018/19 book, published by Gastronaut, were promoted yesterday on the Marina ship in Rijeka, reports Gastronaut on June 15, 2018.
This year’s edition, in with restaurants are presented with text, photos and recipes of some of their specialities, is the result of a survey which in 2017 included 2,500 standalone and hotel restaurants in Croatia. The project “The 100 Leading Croatian Restaurants – Restaurant Croatica” was initiated in 1995 and has ever since been an incentive for raising the quality of service and food in Croatian restaurants.
The 100 leading Croatian restaurants also received plaques and Restaurant Croatica stickers, which include a QR code that leads directly to the online edition of the book.
The selection process included over 2,500 restaurants in three rounds – visitors to the www.gastronaut.hr website and restaurant owners voted, and then members of the Board of Trustees determined the final list, after reviewing the ballots and detailed documentation on the service and food. In the 23 years of the project, Restaurant Croatica has included a total of 465 restaurants, with seven restaurants winning the accolade in all 23 years.
The project manager and editor-in-chief is Karin Mimica.
The richly illustrated 240-page book provides information about the service and dishes of 100 leading restaurants, along with the restaurants’ speciality recipes which they have decided to share with the readers. Among the recipes are the Vodnjan Pampagnac, the Brač Vitalac, Fuži with sea urchin, Pasta with dandelion and hazelnut pesto, Ten-hour steamed baby beef muscle with potato mousse, Čvarkuša, Bregovska pie…
The book has been designed by Vlatko Ignatoski and this year has an interesting spine which alternates between internet address and the name of the project, depending on which page you are reading. The book’s price is 90 kuna and will soon be distributed to bookstores, including all the bookstores of Hoću Knjigu and Men Art chains, as well as larger Tisak shops. It can also be ordered through www.gastronaut.hr.
The plaque presentation ceremony was held on June 14, 2018, at Botel Marina in Rijeka, under the auspices of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the Kvarner Tourist Board, and the Association of Croatian Restaurant Owners. The speeches were given by Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli, on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism (via a letter read by project adviser Nikola Serdar); Deputy County Prefect Marina Medarić (Primorje-Gorski Kotar County), Anđelka Kusturin (Primorje-Gorski Kotar Tourism Board), Ines Boban Štiglić (Rijeka Tourist Board), Pave Jerković (Association of Croatian Restaurant Owners), Nikica Karamarko (member of the Board of Trustees), Karin Mimica (project leader and editor-in-chief).
The program was hosted by Siniša Križanec, a member of the Board of Trustees, while Duško Černjul thanked the organisers on behalf of the restaurant owners.
After the plaques were awarded, a reception was held on the ship – Marina Hotel-Botel, with the Klapa Volosko singing group and the specialities which the Marina restaurant prepared using the products of Gastronaut’s sponsors.
Cold appetizers
Plates with several types of high-quality cheese with dry fruits – DUKAT and LATUS
Plates with charcuterie delicacies – DOBRO; KARLIĆ
Codfish in bianco – MILENA
Canapes with truffles spread – KARLIĆ
Caprese salad – DUKAT
Greek salad – DUKAT
Hot dishes
Leek and pancetta tart – DOBRO
Cheese and truffles quiche – DUKAT; ZIGANTE
Eggplant parmigiana – DUKAT
Grilled cheese with truffle sauce – DUKAT; KARLIĆ
Cheese croquettes – DUKAT
Pancakes with cheese and prosciutto – DUKAT; DOBRO
Fuži in truffle sauce – ZIGANTE
Šurlice with homemade sausages – KARLIĆ
Homemade gnocchi in a sauce from four kinds of cheese – DUKAT
Pljukanci with prosciutto and sage – DOBRO
Ravioli in prawn and truffle sauce – ZIGANTE; DUKAT
Risotto in “Veli Jože” sauce ” with saffron – LATUS; KOTANYI
Desserts
Tiramisu alla Marina – DUKAT
Sweet cream “Rijeka” – DUKAT
Chocolate cubes
Kuki biscuits – LUKS
Plates of fresh seasonal fruit
Fantastic wines were available for tasting: Zigante, Degrassi, Deklić, Legovina, Marijan Arman, Damjanić Ivan Family Farm, Pavlomir, Perak, Sirotić, Sladić, Šafran, Valenta and Visintin; cocktails with Kotanyi spices and NIMCO gin, D-factor ecological brandies, and 30-year-old brandy Brioni NIMCO.
