Marie Makovicka's friends and family understand this urge, and now we all can too. For those who are homesick for Czech food, Makovicka opened the Little Prague European Bakery & Deli one year ago, in West Seattle. Tucked under an awning that reads "Stuffed Shirt Catering Co." illustrated by a headless tuxedo, Little Prague shares a storefront with a Hawaiian takeout counter.
A few strudels and other pastries are displayed on pretty china under glass, accented with carefully arranged embroidered napkins. This worried me initially, since I was not only hungry, but feeling an urgent nostalgia brought on by the scent of Czech things cooking behind a set of swinging saloon doors. Now, there is nothing like poppyseed strudel ($2)--a refreshingly not-overly-sweet flaky crust filled with dense poppyseed paste, flecked with raisins and a hint of cinnamon and sometimes cardamom. Makovicka's baked goods are a far cry from the maudlin Danishes sweating under plastic wrap at QFC. But I needed something involving pork and, of course, sauerkraut. Never one to dilly-dally about lunch, I boldly asked what was cooking. "Well, I have chicken soup," Makovicka responded, and, noticing my visible hunger, added, "Oh, and roast pork." I smiled. "And dumplings." I nodded affirmatively. "And sauerkraut." I gasped.
She ducked back into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a large, steaming plate of succulent Moravian roast pork, rich chunks served over dreamy, light, moist wheat-flour dumplings, and the aforementioned sauerkraut ($7.75). Within the first few bites, I was back in my childhood friend's Czech grandma's tiny, hot kitchen, suffering encouraging pinches on the bottom as I steadily consumed plum dumplings.
I left with a hefty takeout container of dinner: tender chicken schnitzel and approximately two pounds of Czech-style potato salad, nice and eggy with a touch of smokiness from little slivers of smoked pork, and heaps of homemade pickles ($7.75)--a dish that Makovicka had either just prepared or just remembered she had. With advance notice, one can special-order Czech favorites like svickova (pronounced "sweechkova"--slow-cooked beef, served with a sour cream gravy) and potato dumplings ($8.50), not to mention plum dumplings (made with cream-cheese dough), available seasonally.
Little Prague European Bakery & Deli
6045 California Ave SW (West Seattle), 935-7237. Mon-Fri 8 am-6 pm; Sat 9 am-5 pm; Sun 10 am-3 pm.
