This article is courtesy of CNN.com, published 3 September 2010

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First there was the discovery of dozens of bottles of 200-year-old champagne, but now salvage divers have recovered what they believe to be the world’s oldest beer, taking advertisers’ notion of ‘drinkability’ to another level.

Though the effort to lift the reserve of champagne had just ended, researchers uncovered a small collection of bottled beer on Wednesday from the same shipwreck south of the autonomous Aland Islands in the Baltic Sea.

“At the moment, we believe that these are by far the world’s oldest bottles of beer,” Rainer Juslin, permanent secretary of the island’s ministry of education, science and culture, told CNN on Friday via telephone from Mariehamn, the capital of the Aland Islands.

“It seems that we have not only salvaged the oldest champagne in the world, but also the oldest still drinkable beer. The culture in the beer is still living.”

Juslin said officials had talked to a local brewer about whether the new-found beer might be able to yield its recipe after experts decipher the brew’s ingredients.

The newest find came as divers unearthed bottles separate from the earlier champagne find. While lifting a few to the surface, one exploded from pressure. A dark fluid seeped from the broken bottle, which they realized was beer.

All the cargo on the ship — including the beer and champagne — is believed to have been transported sometime between 1800 and 1830, according to Juslin. He said the wreck was about 50 meters deep (roughly 164 feet) in between the Aland island chain and Finland.

The cargo was aboard a ship believed to be heading from Copenhagen, Denmark, to St Petersburg, Russia. It could have possibly been sent by France’s King Louis XVI to the Russian Imperial Court.

“Champagne of this kind was popular in high levels [of society] and was exclusive to rich groups — it was not a drink for common people then,” Juslin said.

Experts estimated the exclusive bubbly to be worth tens of thousands of euros per bottle. The value of the beer has not been determined. It is also unknown whether the beer went flat while sitting at the bottom of the Baltic for such a long time.

Some of the bottles of champagne were originally produced by Juglar, a premium champagne house no longer in existence, according to Juslin.

He said the cold sea water was a perfect way to store the spirits, with the temperature remaining a near-constant 4-5 degrees Celsius (around freezing temperature in Fahrenheit, or 32 degrees) and no light to expedite the spoiling process.

Investigators and historians have not yet unraveled the mystery surrounding the exact origin of the ship or the date when the ship went down.

Juslin said other artifacts were still lying in the shipwreck, but it would take several months to lift them out of the wreck.

The islands are at the entrance of the Gulf of Bothnia, in the Baltic Sea. They have Swedish-speaking people, though the island itself falls under Finnish protection. The Aland chain forms a Nordic archipelago of more than 6,000 skerries and islands.

Two weeks ago during an all-too-fun dinner at Club Macanudo with friends they all spoke of this authentic German biergarten-esque place they went to in Brooklyn.  While the Germans were never ones for haute culinary atmosphere, all I wanted to know was if the food was good and the beer menu large and they said “yes” to both questions.  I know that sounds overly simplified for me and you’re right, so let me clue you in on what two words sold me: venison sausage.  Yep, those two words are indeed a turn on.

I don’t know about you, but I hate surprises — to me there is nothing fun in them and I’m usually left disappointed in some way or another.  As I do with every new place I try I go to the website (assuming there is one) and check out the menus and Radegast seemed perfect for the hot and sticky summer we’ve been having in New York  Cold beer, tubular meats, homemade pretzels and hopefully not sharing the dining hall with morons all signal cooling off for me at this point.  The beer menu is rather impressive, but what really thrilled me was seeing a friend’s beer there on the menu straight from Belgium.  I hadn’t enjoyed Malheur since I was with the Brewmaster at a cigar dinner in Antwerp last June.  At that point I was so fixated on drinking Malheur that I was clinically obsessed with reliving my happy Flemish memories.

Before I go any further, let me warn you that Radegast is in Williamsburg.  Yes, Williamsburg: where men don fedoras, wear skinny jeans, and canvas boating shoes as regular attire; where women rarely wear clothing that has sleeves, have bright tattoos of animal life on their arms, and look like they haven’t washed their hair in a week.  The four of us looked like an odd lot walking the streets to get to this place and I have to admit I felt a douchebag in that neighbourhood, but since I don’t listen to the same indie bands as the residents do nor drink cans of PBR & chase them with shots of whiskey, I suppose some of my dignity remains intact.

Now down to business.

I started off with a half-liter of Radeberger which is an old favourite and the guys went for  Palm Ale and Kolsch, and with that we immediately order two pretzels and thank God we did because these are the greatest pretzels ever baked.  They are large, intensely buttery in taste, and were served with sour pickles and their house mustard which I’m now hooked on with it’s creamy texture infused with bits of relish and spices.   Radegast has a small food menu of German and Eastern European specialties, but this place is really all about the grill which is separate from the sit-down foods.   Two of the guys made the walk down the hall to the grill and placed orders for what was to be a wonderfully simple, but incredibly tasty meal.

My first bite was of the kielbasa and Holy Mother of God was is tasty: beautifully red in colour, thick natural casing that truly snapped when you bit into it, and had just the right amount of smoke infused from the grille.  I don’t know if the guys ordered everything this way, but each sausage we got came on a bed homemade sauerkraut that I think I dreamt of last night. We also got an order of what they call “Easter sausage” which was a white sausage that was nice, but unimpressed us all because the flavours were so minute in comparison to everything else.   Of course the champion of the night’s cuisine was indeed the venison sausage which was intense, rich, and so balanced it was scary.  I don’t care what anyone says because I know that Bambi is tasty no matter how you prepare her, but last night she was at the top of her little doe game.

You may think at this point we’re all fat and happy and you’re right, except we were happy and borderline entering a food coma.  I know it didn’t sound like a bunch of food to share between four adults, but don’t forget the beer which in itself has more carbs than the food we consumed.   We finished our first steins and when it came time for another round I had to order the Malheur 10, aka the champagne of beers, and I had two disappointments in a row: first was that our adorable waitress has no knowledge of beers or the French language, and secondly she told me they were out of Malheur. (Manu, if you read this, PLEASE ship more beer to Brooklyn!) After browsing the insane list one more time for something to drink I noticed Radegast won my heart over once more because they had the beer from my namesake brewery, so I had to have it.  From Brauerei Heller in Bamberg, Germany hails the Schlenkerla Rauchbier (Smokebeer) which is FABULOUS.  Smokebeers are dark, heavy, and ridiculously rich but you know what makes this Heller beer the best: it smells and tastes like smoked bacon.  Yes, you read that correctly — bacon — like large chunks of crispy pork fat in liquid form fresh out of a smoker.

We had been eating and drinking at a friendly pace for a little over three hours at this point and I can’t speak for the guys, but I honestly felt like I was busting at the seems. They ordered more beer and I transitioned to ice water when the man who I affectionately call the “Ring Leader” rounds up the waitress and orders pork tenderloin, so what do I say when I’m too full for anything else?  The words “Do you have spaetzle?” fly out of my mouth.  Before this food even comes the four of us are about to fall off the benches we’re so uncomfortably full, so as fun-loving degenerates we start placing bets as to where the waitress was from since she uttered a “ya’ll” and muster up the courage to eat on.

All-in-all I like this place: it’s large, easy to get to, has a highly respectable beer menu, and the food is authentic as well as fresh and frankly delicious.   To cap off this experience when returning from the bathroom to the biergarten I saw a Zach Galifonakis look-a-like whip out his dick in front of me because I’m guessing he had to pee really badly, so if you like variety, all sorts of tubular meat do exist in Williamsburg.

Below is a list of all the nominees under the large category of “Restaurant and Chef Awards.” A special congratulations goes out to an old amiguito in Washington, DC, José Andrés and to Nat Sherman customer & cigar lover Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery!!

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Restaurant and Chef Awards

Winners will be announced on May 3, 2010

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Presented by Mercedes–Benz
A restaurant opened in 2009 that already displays excellence in food, beverage, and service and is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Bibou
Philadelphia
Chefs/Owners: Pierre and Charlotte Calmels

Flour + Water
San Francisco
Chef/Partner: Thomas McNaughton
Partners: David White and David Steele

Frances
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Melissa Perello

Locanda Verde
NYC
Chef/Owner: Andrew Carmellini

Marea
NYC
Chef/Partner: Michael White
Partner: Chris Cannon

RN74
San Francisco
Chef: Jason Berthold
Owners: Michael Mina and Rajat Parr

OUTSTANDING CHEF AWARD

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as chefs for at least the past 5 years.

José Andrés
Minibar
Washington, D.C.

Tom Colicchio
Craft
NYC

Gary Danko
Restaurant Gary Danko
San Francisco

Suzanne Goin
Lucques
Los Angeles

Charles Phan
The Slanted Door
San Francisco

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF AWARD

Presented by All-Clad Metalcrafters
A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads and who serves as a national standard-bearer for excellence. Candidates must have been pastry chefs or bakers for at least the past 5 years.

Amanda Cook
CityZen at
Mandarin Oriental
Washington, D.C.

Michelle Gayer
Salty Tart Bakery
Minneapolis

Kamel Guechida
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas

Nicole Plue
Redd
Yountville, CA

Mindy Segal
Mindy’s HotChocolate
Chicago

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT AWARD

A restaurant in the United States that serves as a national standard-bearer for consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere, and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 10 or more consecutive years.

Babbo
NYC
Chef/Owner: Mario Batali
Owner: Joseph Bastianich

Boulevard
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Nancy Oakes
Owner: Pat Kuleto

Daniel
NYC
Chef/Owner: Daniel Boulud

Highlands Bar & Grill
Birmingham, AL
Chef/Owner: Frank Stitt
Owner: Pardis Stitt

Spiaggia
Chicago
Chef/Partner: Tony Mantuano

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR AWARD

A working restaurateur who sets high national standards in restaurant operations and entrepreneurship. Candidates must have been in the restaurant business for at least 10 years. Candidates must not have been nominated for a James Beard Foundation chef award in the past 10 years.

Tom Douglas
Dahlia Bakery, Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Lola, Palace Kitchen, Serious Pie
Seattle

Pat Kuleto
Boulevard, Epic, Farallon, Jardinière, Martini House, Nick’s Cove & Cottages, and Waterbar
San Francisco

Keith McNally
Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Minetta Tavern, Morandi, Pastis, Pravda, and Schiller’s Liquor Bar
NYC

Richard Melman
Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Chicago

Stephen Starr
Starr Restaurant Organization
Philadelphia

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

Presented By Stella Artois
A restaurant that demonstrates high standards of hospitality and service. Candidates must have been in operation for at least the past 5 years.

Alinea
Chicago
Chef/Owner: Grant Achatz

Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas
Chef/Owner: Joël Robuchon

La Grenouille
NYC
Owners: Charles Masson and Gisèle Masson

Michael Mina
San Francisco
Chef/Owner: Michael Mina

Vetri
Philadelphia
Chefs/Owners: Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL AWARD

Presented by Southern Wine & Spirits
A winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has had a significant impact on the wine and spirits industry nationwide. Candidates must have been in the profession for at least 5 years.

Merry Edwards
Merry Edwards Wines
Sebastopol, CA

Paul Grieco
Hearth
NYC

Garrett Oliver
The Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn, NY

John Shafer and Doug Shafer
Shafer Vineyards
Napa, CA

Julian P. Van Winkle, III
Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery
Louisville, KY

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE AWARD

A restaurant that displays and encourages excellence in wine service through a well-presented wine list, a knowledgeable staff, and efforts to educate customers about wine. Candidates must have been in operation for at least 5 years.

A16
San Francisco
Wine Director: Shelley Lindgren

Blackberry Farm
Walland, TN
Wine Director: Andy Chabot

Frasca Food and Wine
Boulder, CO
Wine Director: Bobby Stuckey

Jean Georges
NYC
Wine Director: Bernard Sun

Restaurant Gary Danko
San Francisco
Wine Director: Jason Alexander

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented by Food Network NYC Wine & Food Festival and Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival
A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

Timothy Hollingsworth
The French Laundry
Yountville, CA

Johnny Monis
Komi
Washington, D.C.

Grégory Pugin
Veritas
NYC

Gabriel Rucker
Le Pigeon
Portland, OR

Sue Zemanick
Gautreau’s
New Orleans

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA

Presented by Visa Signature®
Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Each candidate may be employed by any kind of dining establishment and must have been a working chef for at least the past 5 years. The 3 most recent years must have been spent in the region where the chef is presently working.

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Michael Carlson
Schwa
Chicago

Koren Grieveson
Avec
Chicago

Arun Sampanthavivat
Arun’s
Chicago

Bruce Sherman
North Pond
Chicago

Alex Young
Zingerman’s Roadhouse
Ann Arbor, MI

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (D.C., DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Cathal Armstrong
Restaurant Eve
Alexandria, VA

Jeff Michaud
Osteria
Philadelphia

Peter Pastan
Obelisk
Washington, D.C.

Michael Solomonov
Zahav
Philadelphia

Bryan Voltaggio
Volt
Frederick, MD

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Isaac Becker
112 Eatery
Minneapolis

Gerard Craft
Niche
St. Louis

Colby Garrelts
Bluestem
Kansas City, MO

Alexander Roberts
Restaurant Alma
Minneapolis

Lenny Russo
Heartland
St. Paul, MN

Best Chef: New York City (Five Boroughs)

Michael Anthony
Gramercy Tavern

Wylie Dufresne
WD-50

Gabrielle Hamilton
Prune

Daniel Humm
Eleven Madison Park

Michael White
Marea

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, NY STATE, RI, VT)

Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier
Arrows
Ogunquit, ME

Peter X. Kelly
Xaviar’s at Piermont
Piermont, NY

Michael Leviton
Lumière
West Newton, MA

Tony Maws
Craigie on Main
Cambridge, MA

Marc Orfaly
Pigalle
Boston

Best Chef: Northwest (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY)

Naomi Pomeroy
Beast
Portland, OR

Andy Ricker
Pok Pok
Portland, OR

Ethan Stowell
Union
Seattle

Cathy Whims
Nostrana
Portland, OR

Jason Wilson
Crush
Seattle

Best Chef: Pacific (CA, HI)

Michael Cimarusti
Providence
Los Angeles

Jeremy Fox
Ubuntu
Napa, CA

David Kinch
Manresa
Los Gatos, CA

Matt Molina
Osteria Mozza
Los Angeles

Michael Tusk
Quince
San Francisco

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS)

Zach Bell
Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court
Palm Beach, FL

Scott Boswell
Stella!
New Orleans

John Harris
Lilette
New Orleans

Christopher Hastings
Hot and Hot Fish Club
Birmingham, AL

Michael Schwartz
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Miami

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Hugh Acheson
Five and Ten
Athens, GA

Sean Brock
McCrady’s
Charleston, SC

Linton Hopkins
Restaurant Eugene
Atlanta

Andrea Reusing
Lantern
Chapel Hill, NC

Bill Smith
Crook’s Corner
Chapel Hill, NC

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT)

Bryan Caswell
Reef
Houston

Saipin Chutima
Lotus of Siam
Las Vegas

Ryan Hardy
Montagna at the Little Nell
Aspen, CO

Claude Le Tohic
Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas

Rick Moonen
RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas

Over the last few days those of you who follow me on Twitter have probably noticed I’ve been talking about Prague and the Czech Republic lately, and rightfully so.  Some of you have probably heard me prosthelytize about how it is the best capital city in Europe, the food, the beer, the people, the art…I could literally go on forever. Thankfully on this week’s episode of “No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain” he did a lot of the talking for me and now you have video proof!

I’ve been highly fortunate to have spent considerable time in the Czech Republic as a concert violinist and with each stint there I can easily say there aren’t words in any language to express my love for this place.  Although Tony Bourdain did a pretty decent job with the episode, I think there are a lot more great things about Prague specifically that he left out and I hope it was due to editing and not because he didn’t experience them.  Consider the following my little “go-to guide” on where to eat, drink and smoke cigars in darling Praha.

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FOOD

    I love, love, love Czech food!  Yes you will encounter a lot places with the chalkboard on the street with specials written in five languages (often with humourous grammatical errors) offering “traditional Czech fare,” but they’re tourist traps.  The Czech people eat a lot of pork, roast duck, dumplings, goulash, sausages and other very meaty and starchy foods, so if you’re a vegetarian or claim to not eat carbs, you might want to book a vacation in another country.  All kidding aside, the food is very hearty and incredibly tasty.

• Černý Kohout (Vojtesska 9 in Nove Mesto, Praha 5)

                    –”The Black Rooster” is like a lot of restaurants nowadays that serve more than just Czech food, but honestly if you came all the way to Prague, why would you eat anything else? This place is very popular with city locals and suburbanites, so make a reservation if you want to go for dinner and allow the family to serve you. Assuming you’re an adventurous foodie, then spend the roughly 50USD and get the five-course tasting menu; if you want to “play it safe,” then I recommend the following: Baked duck breast with ham foam with bacon and parsley dumplings.  (It’s a slightly French-influenced approach to the way duck is traditionally served.)  If you don’t keep kosher (!) go for the Czech cream cheese and ham for an appetizer.

• U Šuterů (Palackého 722/4, 110 00 Praha 1)

                    –I’ve eaten in this place quite a few times and it’s just fabulous.  It looks like an old cellar–as do many places in Prague–and the food plus the beer on tap make for a great Bohemian meal. 

                    Assuming it’s a bit cold outside warm up with some traditional Garlic Soup. A rich, super-garlicky broth with a poached egg in the middle tastes a lot better than it sounds. (If you’ve ever had a Spanish Sopa de Ajo you’re familiar with this concept.)  Go with their version of the most overdone meal in the city: Beef Goulash with eggs, onion, bacon and real bread dumplings and pair it with Krušovice dark beer. If you’re not wanting a nap after all that food then grab a very Czech dessert which at times is also eaten for breakfast: kolache. Kolache are like sweet yeast donuts that can be filled with the savory or fruit and for dessert they do them with a homemade chunky plum jam.

• Sausage Stand (Wenceslas Square)

                 –No matter where you stay, once you’re in the main part of the city you’re bound to trapse in and out of Wenceslas Square.  You will definitely smell this sausage stand and see it with its giant picture menu canopied  on all four sides and whether you want a snack or you’re drunk late at night, do yourself a big favour and stop here. (Anthony Bourdain did stop here in the referenced episode.) Tons of different sausages you can get multiple ways, but some spicy mustard and sauerkraut is always a good thing; if you’re sausaged out, then go for that fried cheese sandwich Bourdain ate because it’s so good it should be a sin.

• Cremeria Milano (Praha 1, Pařížská 20, Jewish Quarter)

                –Obviously this isn’t a Czech tradition, but there is gelato in this city and it is good! The Cremeria is in the Jewish Quarter and the Pařížská is a rather ritzy boulevard with designer shops, upscale cafes, etc. (It’s also down the block from Prague’s own La Bodeguita del Medio, which is a recreation of the original eatery from Havana.)  Either way, this place has a ton of flavours and some of my personal favourites are the bacio (chocolate with hazelnuts), stracciatella (chocolate shavings in a white, egg malt-like base), lampone (raspberry) and mango.

BEER

    If you are a beer lover, then you might want to consider moving to the Czech Republic. Home to the original (and much better) Budweiser, it’s like every city and its surrounding small towns all have microbreweries in them and it’s all really good.  I think it might be fun to play “Let’s Try Finding a Bad Beer in Prague,” but you’d get terribly drunk because beer here is an art and never done poorly.  Most every establishment has my favourite pale lager, Staropramen, but there are also special places to have it as well as other craft beers. (FYI, here there is no such thing as a Pilsner in the sense that the town of Plzeň–credited as the birthplace of what we call Pilsner beer–simply refers to this type of beer as a pale lager. ) My final tip is to stay away from all these trendy bars/lounges that have popped up because they’re overpriced and silly.

• U Vejvodů (Jilská 353/4, Praha 1)

               –Very traditional pub in a great old building complete with uneven, creaky wooden flooring. This place is highly favoured by locals and my only “word to the wise” is to learn some basic Czech phrases because it seems like the staff isn’t a big fan of ignorant tourists from some stories I’ve heard after telling people to memorize basic sayings.

• U medvídků (Na Perštýně 7, Praha 1)

              –In case you’re not a fellow music school grad, you won’t automatically know that this neighbourhood (Národni) in Prague was actually home to Mozart at various times and where he lived during the  premiere of his opera, Don Giovanni.  This restaurant has two beer bars and is part of a well-known hotel, but either way this is actually where Mozart used to get drunk…a lot.

• U Cernacho Vola (Lorentánské Street, near the Castle in the Hradčany)

                  –Walk across the Vltava River via the Charles Bridge to the Hradčany, or the Castle Quarter to find this place that usually alludes most when they try to find it. This pub is considered amongst locals to be the best beer pub in Prague and it’s tiny, so you probably won’t be sitting down much. Translated into English as “The Black Bull,” this pub  is actually the favourite watering hole of the coach of the Czech national hockey team.

CIGARS

      Prague is actually not a place for cigar fanatics expecting to find shop after shop and you can blame the Soviets and their love of cheap cigarettes and vodka for that.  But with that being said, there are a few places to visit to grab a stogie.

• La Casa del Habano (inside Hotel-Intercontinental, Namesti Curieovych 43/5)

                  –This hotel is huge and not hard to miss since once you’ve seen one Intercontinental, you’ve seen them all. Offering about 40 Cuban brands in a variety of sizes, this Casa has been in business since 1995 and definitely has the best selection. Sit down, grab a cognac and relax.

• La Bodeguita del Medio (Kaprova 5, Praha 1)

                   –You can call it a bit kitschy, but this is like a slice of old Havana in Prague’s famed Jewish Quarter.  Eat a medianoche, listen to some son, drink a cold beer and enjoy a cigar in their cigar bar.

• Bar and Books (Týnská 19,  Prague 1 & now in Manesova as well)

                    –The original Bar and Books on Týnská is by far a favourite place for me. If you’ve been to one of the three sister locations in New York City then you’ll know what to expect, but there is just something about the original that’s great. Good list of liquors, candlelit, soft music and throwback decor make this a must-go if you’re a real cigar smoker. While the original has been in business since 2004, the newest location on Manesova I’ve heard pales in comparison to its big sister.

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Well, there you go.  Now that I’m really going through Prague withdrawal having had to replay a lot of memories in my mind to write this, please feel free to ask for directions or other tips.  Don’t be intimidated by the Czech language, either: it may sound kind of Russian, but it’s a lot easier and there’s no cyrillic!