Dining troubles are far away at Yesterday
The decor - a mixture of old furniture, lace curtains and flickering candles - makes the place seem more like a cozy supper club than a formal restaurant.
I was comfortable straight away at my small table, which sat on a walled-in perch, near the bar. The spot allowed me to sit back and leisurely watch the goings-on. A loving couple at the other small table made me think that this would be a fine place to bring a date.
A couple of waiters in black tuxes served a large table of Americans below me as I looked over the menu. The Yanks would provide some dining entertainment, I thought. They were speaking so loud that I couldn't help but hear their conversation.
The waiter delivered my glass of beer to start (zl. 5). He was pleasant and professional but must have accidentally left his tux jacket at home that night. Or was I seated in the more casual section of the restaurant?
Yesterday's menu is a polished continental-Polish. The starters (zl.9-zl. 60) focus on fishy things such as salmon and herring. Caviar (zl. 60) is also present in several dishes. In addition, you can dine on pâte (zl. 11), frog legs (zl. 23) and duck sirloin (zl. 19). I decided to try the onion soup (zl. 8) to start rather than any of the heavier offerings.
The list of main courses contains no wild surprises (zl.23-zl. 64). Trout cooked Polish style (zl. 30) and roast beef (zl. 30) are the most traditional meals, but deer (zl. 40) and jumbo shrimp (zl. 64) are also available. After several minutes of going over the pages I settled on turkey with almonds (zl. 30).
Because I was dining alone, I skipped on a bottle of wine. A glass with the main course would be enough. The wine list (zl.45-zl. 800) had contributions from the usual countries - France, Spain, Italy and the United States. Most bottles were priced at about zl. 90.
While I enjoyed Yesterday's cozy, relaxed atmosphere, I did not appreciate the Dire Straits album playing over the loudspeaker. Though it was better than the Yanks at the next table discussing the "lazy Ukrainians." Don't get me wrong, I like the band, but this wasn't the place to listen to "Industrial Disease" while digging into the main course. Some soft jazz would have been a better musical selection. Although I was pleased to hear that great Dire Straits line again: "Two men say they're Jesus. One of them must be wrong."
The empty stage and sound board against one wall gave me the idea that the place probably has a different buzz on weekend nights, when the band is in full swing.
My onion soup arrived, and to my disappointment did not wear a cap of cheese. Instead there were only two triangles of toast floating on top. The soup was hot, loaded with onions. Every spoonful came with a strong hint of garlic. It was a fine soup that would have been better if only heaps of cheese covered it. As the waiter removed the empty bowl, I asked for a glass of house wine. There was no house wine, but the waiter brought me a glass of an Italian white that was light, dry and well-chilled.
I enjoyed a cigarette and eavesdropped on the Yanks as they discussed a bizarre array of topics, ranging from the "do Russian cars use gas or gasoline?" to revelations on how hippies in the United States have begun building yurts - tepee-like houses usually found in Kazakstan and the other Stans. I waited for my turkey and listened, amused.
The waiter arrived, balancing my main course on a tray with one hand, and then gracefully removed the dirty ashtray from the table with his free hand. It was a impressive waiter move, a highlight in an overall stellar serving performance.
As I studied my plate I was pleasantly surprised to see something different. If you are a meat-and-potato man, er, person, you would have been dismayed. Instead of the usual fried potatoes and cabbage, fresh fruit served as a garnish to the smallish cutlet of turkey resting in a pool of peach sauce. This was not some pile of canned fruit salad but fresh tasty slices of citrus and berries. Four lightly puffed bread dumplings lined the other side of the plate in contrast.
The kiwi, orange and strawberries worked well with the turkey, and the peach sauce complemented the entire entree well. The almonds baked on top of the cutlet added another subtle flavor. The dumplings gave the dish some weight but were not greasy or too heavy. The turkey itself was cooked well and not dry at all. Some simple touches jazzed up this traditional dish. Any chef who uses fresh fruit as opposed to the canned variety is all right in my book.
Satisfied with the meal, I skipped dessert and ordered an espresso. The waiter brought me a proper short cup of strong Lavazza.
The enjoyable dining experience came to zl. 64 ($18.29) without a tip. It was a fair price for the atmosphere, excellent service and good food with a fresh edge. The fact that Yesterday has its timing and service down to a science makes it all the better.
I recommend Yesterday as a place to get some traditional dishes prepared with style. My only complaint was the music. Play jazz or something cool and funky. At least it wasn't the Beatles singing "Yesterday" over and over. I hope that's not what the band does. But I will go back to find out.
I was comfortable straight away at my small table, which sat on a walled-in perch, near the bar. The spot allowed me to sit back and leisurely watch the goings-on. A loving couple at the other small table made me think that this would be a fine place to bring a date.
A couple of waiters in black tuxes served a large table of Americans below me as I looked over the menu. The Yanks would provide some dining entertainment, I thought. They were speaking so loud that I couldn't help but hear their conversation.
The waiter delivered my glass of beer to start (zl. 5). He was pleasant and professional but must have accidentally left his tux jacket at home that night. Or was I seated in the more casual section of the restaurant?
Yesterday's menu is a polished continental-Polish. The starters (zl.9-zl. 60) focus on fishy things such as salmon and herring. Caviar (zl. 60) is also present in several dishes. In addition, you can dine on pâte (zl. 11), frog legs (zl. 23) and duck sirloin (zl. 19). I decided to try the onion soup (zl. 8) to start rather than any of the heavier offerings.
The list of main courses contains no wild surprises (zl.23-zl. 64). Trout cooked Polish style (zl. 30) and roast beef (zl. 30) are the most traditional meals, but deer (zl. 40) and jumbo shrimp (zl. 64) are also available. After several minutes of going over the pages I settled on turkey with almonds (zl. 30).
Because I was dining alone, I skipped on a bottle of wine. A glass with the main course would be enough. The wine list (zl.45-zl. 800) had contributions from the usual countries - France, Spain, Italy and the United States. Most bottles were priced at about zl. 90.
While I enjoyed Yesterday's cozy, relaxed atmosphere, I did not appreciate the Dire Straits album playing over the loudspeaker. Though it was better than the Yanks at the next table discussing the "lazy Ukrainians." Don't get me wrong, I like the band, but this wasn't the place to listen to "Industrial Disease" while digging into the main course. Some soft jazz would have been a better musical selection. Although I was pleased to hear that great Dire Straits line again: "Two men say they're Jesus. One of them must be wrong."
The empty stage and sound board against one wall gave me the idea that the place probably has a different buzz on weekend nights, when the band is in full swing.
My onion soup arrived, and to my disappointment did not wear a cap of cheese. Instead there were only two triangles of toast floating on top. The soup was hot, loaded with onions. Every spoonful came with a strong hint of garlic. It was a fine soup that would have been better if only heaps of cheese covered it. As the waiter removed the empty bowl, I asked for a glass of house wine. There was no house wine, but the waiter brought me a glass of an Italian white that was light, dry and well-chilled.
I enjoyed a cigarette and eavesdropped on the Yanks as they discussed a bizarre array of topics, ranging from the "do Russian cars use gas or gasoline?" to revelations on how hippies in the United States have begun building yurts - tepee-like houses usually found in Kazakstan and the other Stans. I waited for my turkey and listened, amused.
The waiter arrived, balancing my main course on a tray with one hand, and then gracefully removed the dirty ashtray from the table with his free hand. It was a impressive waiter move, a highlight in an overall stellar serving performance.
As I studied my plate I was pleasantly surprised to see something different. If you are a meat-and-potato man, er, person, you would have been dismayed. Instead of the usual fried potatoes and cabbage, fresh fruit served as a garnish to the smallish cutlet of turkey resting in a pool of peach sauce. This was not some pile of canned fruit salad but fresh tasty slices of citrus and berries. Four lightly puffed bread dumplings lined the other side of the plate in contrast.
The kiwi, orange and strawberries worked well with the turkey, and the peach sauce complemented the entire entree well. The almonds baked on top of the cutlet added another subtle flavor. The dumplings gave the dish some weight but were not greasy or too heavy. The turkey itself was cooked well and not dry at all. Some simple touches jazzed up this traditional dish. Any chef who uses fresh fruit as opposed to the canned variety is all right in my book.
Satisfied with the meal, I skipped dessert and ordered an espresso. The waiter brought me a proper short cup of strong Lavazza.
The enjoyable dining experience came to zl. 64 ($18.29) without a tip. It was a fair price for the atmosphere, excellent service and good food with a fresh edge. The fact that Yesterday has its timing and service down to a science makes it all the better.
I recommend Yesterday as a place to get some traditional dishes prepared with style. My only complaint was the music. Play jazz or something cool and funky. At least it wasn't the Beatles singing "Yesterday" over and over. I hope that's not what the band does. But I will go back to find out.
