Sometimes, You Need a Little Grape Soda in Your Life

“Oh noes, people are going to think I wet my pants,” I said as we got up from a really hot bench. We were in Bratislava on the hottest day of the summer, hence the wetting of the pants. It wasn’t what you think. It was sweat. And we certainly weren’t alone, as other people who rose from benches were noticeably sweaty on their, ahem, booties.

A very basic necessity was calling us on that warm summer day. One that caused a rumbling in the tummy and a yearning in our hearts: And its name was grape soda. It’s seems that somewhere in between all the traveling and googling, we learned that there’s some tasty grape soda in Slovakia.

We walked to 1. Slovak Pub, a pub that seems to embody all things Slovakian. Its decor looks like it stood the test of time and that it was kept traditional. But here’s the thing: it’s enjoyed by both tourists and locals. For some people, that’s a turn-off because of the “tourist” factor. And that makes us wonder: sometimes, it’s not about avoiding what may or may not be “touristy.” Who knows what you might miss out on if you avoid something purely because it’s deemed “not traveler enough” or not “off-the-beaten path” enough.

1. Slovak Pub

Anyway, back to the food. We ordered the sampler, which is definitely filling for two people. In fact, most of the dishes looked fullfilling for THREE people. I looked over at a lady who was staring at a giant plate of bryndzove halusky (potato dumplings with bacon) and I thought to myself: there is just no way she will finish that. She did.

The Sampler

The sampler consisted of dumplings with bryndza, pirohy with bryndza and dumplings with cabbage. Two of the dishes had a healthy coating of sheep cheese. The pirohy (second dish) is stuffed with brynda (cheese) and topped with bacon. The sample furthest back are dumplings made of potatoes and topped with more sheep cheese and bacon. The first dish in the photo is also potato with bacon and leek. Each bite was so rich that we could barely finish it, which might have been due to all the potatoes.

There was also all that delicious grape soda, which doesn’t seem to taste like the grape soda in the States. It’s a little richer, much less sugary and not quite as carbonated. It actually tastes like a grape; if that grape was a normal, fresh-off-the-vine, completely organic fruit. It’s basically wine soda, minus the alcohol.

Grape soda and sheep cheese pirohy. Totally worth walking around town noticeably sweaty.

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