Following the success of last year’s inaugural ‘Taste Radol’ca’, this year’s event is even bigger, better and yummier! In addition to the great food on offer, what I personally love about Taste Radol’ca is the co-operation between the great restaurants and talented chefs in the Radol’ca area, who, rather than being in competition with each other, can see the benefits of collaboration, strength in numbers and jointly presenting and promoting the best of what the area has to offer.

The event kicked-off on Thursday afternoon with a farmer’s market and tastings of products and dishes from local producers and the participating restaurants. All the dishes on the menus at the participating restaurants, both for the opening event and for the menus on offer throughout the whole of November, are prepared using these local ingredients; something which to many people these days is of great importance; the traceability of food and food miles.

The opening event then moved to Lectar Inn in the old town of Radovljica where we were treated to a sumptuous five-course dinner, prepared by the talented chefs from the 10 participating restaurants and with accompanying wines from Radovjlica’s Sodček wine bar (Vinoteka Sodček).

We began we a dish which included a spinach roulade, bear pate with pine tree syrup, beetroot and alfafa sprouts, created by Gostišče Tulipan in Lesce.

This was followed by pumpkin soup with honey and seeds, courtesy of Restaurant and Hotel Krek in Lesce.

The next course was the work of the chefs from Joštov hram in Podnart and Vila Podvin in Mošnje, and comprised a white bean puree, paste with river crab, trout fillet with a vegetable crust, garlic cream and herb sauce.

Next came a dish jointly prepared by Lectar Inn and Lambergh Chateau and Hotel. It included rabbit in sauce and a pastry basket, beef stuffed with perch, parsley puree and pancetta wrapped beans.

Finally, it was time for dessert! This was prepared by Gostilna Kunstelj in Radovljica and was a creamy carrot cake with vegetable ice-cream. Who knew vegetables could taste so good!

We were also treated to live music including a performance by Joze Andrejaš, the owner of Lectar Inn, who is a master of the mouth organ, which you can watch and listen to here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q_gLMCJVJQ&feature=share

To say it was a great evening, and to say I waddled my way home feeling like a barrel, would be an understatement! No-one need leave Radol’ca hungry, and especially not during the month of November as all the participating restaurants have special menus for the whole month at a set price of 15 euros for a minimum of 3 courses.

This year there are also some new restaurants participating; Gostišče Draga, Izletniška kmetija Globočnik, and Hotel and Restaurant Krek, I’m very much looking forward to visiting them and providing reviews and recommendations – as I have for the other restaurants (see the Taste Radol’ca window above) – it’s a hard job but someone has to do it!

You can read more about Taste Radol’ca here http://www.radolca.si/en/taste-radolca/ and also watch a TV broadcast (in Slovene) about it here – http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/prispevki-in-izjave-prvi-dnevnik/174302082

On Thursday, I was also interviewed for the television programme ‘Na Lepše’, which covers tourism in Slovenia, for which I was totally unprepared as it was sprung upon me unawares. This time, at least they wanted me to speak English, and to give my opinion about food in Slovenia among other things. Of course in hindsight I can think of a hundred things I should have said, especially when asked about food in Radovljica and I could have talked about Lectar Inn’s gingerbread and Linhartov cukr, as well as the new choco-o-bee chocolates, but since I had about 0.5 seconds to prepare, I did my best! It will be broadcast next Friday evening so I think I’ll be found somewhere cowering behind the sofa for that!

To work off all that excess, I headed out for an early morning run alongside the Sava river on Friday and immediately noticed the new signs that had been erected. Never one to miss a trick, I swiftly set about exploring and discovered the new Sava River Trail (Pot ob Savi). I’ve walked it one way, just need to do the other way and will write more about that next week….

© AdeleinSlovenia 2014