Before opening day, eatery looks set to be the oyster of Praga
"Mustard that would have disgraced a burgervan" was one of his more polite comments. Well that was three years ago. Today who knows where Sam is, but the Cactus packs in guests like nobody's business. (Editor's note: for those of you travelling to London, that's where you'll find Sam - just look for the pub that bears his nom de tabloid.)
These reminiscences were occasioned by the opening of the Cactus owners' newest restaurant, The Boat House. Although the restaurant has been open for a while now, its grand opening was scheduled for late last week. That brings up the question of why a place isn't really open even if it's taking your money, but I'll save that for another time.
I decided to head over a week before the restaurant's formal debut on the scene to see the place in the buff, as it were. Going there, I wondered if I was in for a sequel of "Sam vs. The Cactus," or if the practice of running one of Warsaw's most popular restaurants for the last three years would ensure the Boat House a smooth opening.
The restaurant is located on the muddy banks of the Wisła, across the Trasa Łazienkowska bridge. Not an obvious spot for a place with ambitions to attract a hip, upscale clientele. But actually it's not as far as it first sounds. From the street all you see is a long, low-slung wood-sided barn - it could pass for a real boat house. But pulling into the parking lot you get the full effect: an impressive two-story facade, with a big patio opening out from the bar and a large second-floor balcony. Between the restaurant and the river is a wide expanse of lawn, stretching down to the water. "Wow" was honestly my first reaction. "Is this Warsaw?" This place could clean up in the wedding-reception and private-party biz. They haven't taken full advantage of the park-like setting yet, but come next spring, I think we will see some great imprezy.
A young, pretty greeter came out to meet me before I was even in the front door. She smiled and in perfect English welcomed me and walked me through the ground-floor bar area (with plenty of tables á la Blue Cactus) and up the staircase to the second-floor, main dining room. I arrived late, and The Diplomat was already holding our table on the balcony. "I'm glad I didn't bring my dog," he whispered. Yes, weren't we all. Maybe that would work next summer when the garden seating is up and running.
I ordered a Corona (zł. 13) to catch up with the Diplomat and we checked out the menu. I'd been mistakenly told that this is an Italian restaurant. And that came from the hostess who took my reservation over the phone. Italian? There are a few pasta dishes to be sure, but this is imaginative, international fare in the same ball park as Restaurant '99, so why pigeonhole the place?
The wine list is heavy on Australian and New Zealand wines, mostly in the zł. 200-zł. 400 per bottle range. There is a wide selection of wines available by the glass, though, from which I chose an Australian Chardonnay from Banrock Station (zł. 20). Tasting like a mouthful of ripe peaches, it appeared a deep gold color in the dying light of the balcony.
We were waited on by friendly young English-speaking waitresses. There seems to be an army of them, and they are obviously trained like an army too. Flawless, professional service up to the best U.S. standards was visible at every table.
The Diplomat tried the lobster bisque, (zł. 18), and found it deliciously rich and creamy. I started with the tabbouleh (zł. 18), the Lebanese salad of cracked wheat mixed with mint, tomatoes, avacado and onions. I learned to love this dish in Paris. But Boat House's version was a little odd - there was barely any cracked wheat in the thing. It was practically all finely chopped mint, as if they got the proportions reversed. But if it wasn't what I expected, it was still good, soaked in lemon juice and olive oil.
The Diplomat chose the Dover sole (zł. 45) for his main. I followed suit with the fish theme, ordering the salmon. These were both top-notch: from the elaborate decoration on the plates to the tender, perfectly cooked fish. The Dover sole comes stuffed with crab meat and is served inside a crispy puff pastry. The Diplomat hungrily wolfed it down, took a gulp of beer, wiped his mouth, looked at me and said, "Oh man, Nick, what are you going to write about this place? There's nothing wrong with it!"
My sentiments exactly. The salmon came attractively dressed with a rich cream sauce that balanced the fish's flavor deliciously. Either of our dishes could have matched the best on offer at Warsaw's finest seafood restaurants, Nautilus or Bazyliszek Fisherman.
For dessert, the Diplomat chose the cinnamon ice cream (zł. 18), served in a big bowl with chocolate sticks poked in for decoration. My orange ice souffle (zł. 18) was a more refined, but no less delicious treat, with a smooth, whipped consistency and mouth puckering citrus taste.
Believe the hype. The Boat House is where everyone will be eating this fall. Our meal for two came to zł. 260 ($66), which includes 10% for service.
Ironically, Sam Worthington ended his Blue Cactus column with this advice: "It is essential that a proper person is appointed to look after the needs and aspirations of the customers before too many get fed up and go to the other options which are nearer to the center of town." The Boat House's owners seem to now know that when all this is done right, people will even cross the Wisła for them.
These reminiscences were occasioned by the opening of the Cactus owners' newest restaurant, The Boat House. Although the restaurant has been open for a while now, its grand opening was scheduled for late last week. That brings up the question of why a place isn't really open even if it's taking your money, but I'll save that for another time.
I decided to head over a week before the restaurant's formal debut on the scene to see the place in the buff, as it were. Going there, I wondered if I was in for a sequel of "Sam vs. The Cactus," or if the practice of running one of Warsaw's most popular restaurants for the last three years would ensure the Boat House a smooth opening.
The restaurant is located on the muddy banks of the Wisła, across the Trasa Łazienkowska bridge. Not an obvious spot for a place with ambitions to attract a hip, upscale clientele. But actually it's not as far as it first sounds. From the street all you see is a long, low-slung wood-sided barn - it could pass for a real boat house. But pulling into the parking lot you get the full effect: an impressive two-story facade, with a big patio opening out from the bar and a large second-floor balcony. Between the restaurant and the river is a wide expanse of lawn, stretching down to the water. "Wow" was honestly my first reaction. "Is this Warsaw?" This place could clean up in the wedding-reception and private-party biz. They haven't taken full advantage of the park-like setting yet, but come next spring, I think we will see some great imprezy.
A young, pretty greeter came out to meet me before I was even in the front door. She smiled and in perfect English welcomed me and walked me through the ground-floor bar area (with plenty of tables á la Blue Cactus) and up the staircase to the second-floor, main dining room. I arrived late, and The Diplomat was already holding our table on the balcony. "I'm glad I didn't bring my dog," he whispered. Yes, weren't we all. Maybe that would work next summer when the garden seating is up and running.
I ordered a Corona (zł. 13) to catch up with the Diplomat and we checked out the menu. I'd been mistakenly told that this is an Italian restaurant. And that came from the hostess who took my reservation over the phone. Italian? There are a few pasta dishes to be sure, but this is imaginative, international fare in the same ball park as Restaurant '99, so why pigeonhole the place?
The wine list is heavy on Australian and New Zealand wines, mostly in the zł. 200-zł. 400 per bottle range. There is a wide selection of wines available by the glass, though, from which I chose an Australian Chardonnay from Banrock Station (zł. 20). Tasting like a mouthful of ripe peaches, it appeared a deep gold color in the dying light of the balcony.
We were waited on by friendly young English-speaking waitresses. There seems to be an army of them, and they are obviously trained like an army too. Flawless, professional service up to the best U.S. standards was visible at every table.
The Diplomat tried the lobster bisque, (zł. 18), and found it deliciously rich and creamy. I started with the tabbouleh (zł. 18), the Lebanese salad of cracked wheat mixed with mint, tomatoes, avacado and onions. I learned to love this dish in Paris. But Boat House's version was a little odd - there was barely any cracked wheat in the thing. It was practically all finely chopped mint, as if they got the proportions reversed. But if it wasn't what I expected, it was still good, soaked in lemon juice and olive oil.
The Diplomat chose the Dover sole (zł. 45) for his main. I followed suit with the fish theme, ordering the salmon. These were both top-notch: from the elaborate decoration on the plates to the tender, perfectly cooked fish. The Dover sole comes stuffed with crab meat and is served inside a crispy puff pastry. The Diplomat hungrily wolfed it down, took a gulp of beer, wiped his mouth, looked at me and said, "Oh man, Nick, what are you going to write about this place? There's nothing wrong with it!"
My sentiments exactly. The salmon came attractively dressed with a rich cream sauce that balanced the fish's flavor deliciously. Either of our dishes could have matched the best on offer at Warsaw's finest seafood restaurants, Nautilus or Bazyliszek Fisherman.
For dessert, the Diplomat chose the cinnamon ice cream (zł. 18), served in a big bowl with chocolate sticks poked in for decoration. My orange ice souffle (zł. 18) was a more refined, but no less delicious treat, with a smooth, whipped consistency and mouth puckering citrus taste.
Believe the hype. The Boat House is where everyone will be eating this fall. Our meal for two came to zł. 260 ($66), which includes 10% for service.
Ironically, Sam Worthington ended his Blue Cactus column with this advice: "It is essential that a proper person is appointed to look after the needs and aspirations of the customers before too many get fed up and go to the other options which are nearer to the center of town." The Boat House's owners seem to now know that when all this is done right, people will even cross the Wisła for them.
