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The first time I heard the phrase, “it is not possible”, I was at a Czech restaurant near Andel in the middle of winter, when my freezing Californian toes were not yet accustomed to the cold weather, and my stomach craved something hot and filling. The waiter did not know enough English to translate the menu for me, but from what I could decipher, I ordered potato pancakes and asked for them to be served without the accompanying pork shoulder. At this time I did not yet grasp how such pork could improve the flavor of a dish like potato pancakes

I have discovered that dining etiquette in Prague is different from that back in the United States. Something that I have noticed since eating out in Prague is the requirement for reservations at restaurants, bars, and even coffee shops. The venue does not have to be a fancy affair to require a call ahead of time; I have made reservations at quite casual restaurants like burger joints and brunch cafes.

Despite the fact that fried carp is the Christmas meal, the Czechs do not consume much fish. However, in recent years, restaurants have started offering more local freshwater and imported seafood dishes.

The cabinet has approved draft legislation, put forward by the Health Ministry, which envisages a blanket ban on smoking in Czech bars and restaurants. The same restriction would also apply to electronic cigarettes. Under the new legislation, the drinks menu would have to offer at least one non-alcoholic drink that would be cheaper than beer or other alcoholic drinks. It would also be forbidden to smoke in cinemas, theatres, sport arenas, schools, transport means and roofed platforms and roofed bus and tram stops. All previous attempts to ban smoking in Czech bars and restaurants have failed, but since the governing coalition has a comfortable majority in the lower house the bill stands a good chance of winning approval. President Zeman, who is a long-term chain smoker, said he would not veto the legislation.

This week I challenged myself by eliminating the prime ingredient from the Czech diet — meat. I learned the phrase jsem vegetariánka (I’m vegetarian) in preparation for my endeavor. It seems that in most Czech dishes, meat is the main event, whether it be little bits of smoked pork snuck inside potato pancakes, intestine casing in soup, or just a plain knuckle roasting over an open flame. So how do Czech vegetarians cope here?

The food in Czech hospitals, maternity clinics and homes for senior citizens does not meet the required nutrition and health standards, according to the results of an inspection by the Hygiene Office. The results, presented by the health minister at a press briefing in Prague on Tuesday, show that food served to patients and the elderly is not nutritionally balanced, is deficient in fresh fruit and vegetables and contains too much salt. Inspectors also found a lack of variety in the menus. Inspections were made at 33 hospitals, 25 maternity clinics and 53 old peoples homes around the country. The minister said that the heads of these institutions would receive instructions on how to correct the problem and inspectors would remain vigilant.

Farmers’ markets have become an inescapable phenomenon for anyone interested in the culinary opportunities on offer in Prague. I’ve discovered that the markets in Anděl, Jiřího z Poděbrad, Holešovice, and Náplavka – on the banks of the Vltava – are somewhat akin to a traveling circus. On one day here, the next there. Familiar faces, familiar stalls, moving from one location to the next.

Tailored tours for relatively small groups with particular interests have become a trend in the tourism industry in recent times. One such excursion available in the Czech capital goes under the banner Eating Prague Tours and sees locals taking visitors to restaurants, cafés and food stores and offering them an “insider’s” insight into Czech cuisine. I discussed its services – and more – with Eating Prague Tours’ operations manager, Mirka Charlotte Kostelková.

It’s been a long time since the days when a Big Mac was the only hamburger around town. Since then burger bistros have become some of the most popular eateries in Prague. This week I highlight the restaurants who serve up the best of the classic American sandwich.

With the arrival of spring, fruit trees across the Czech Republic have started to bloom, promising to yield a rich harvest in the months to come. For those who don’t own a patch of land but would still like to experience the pleasure of picking fruit rather than shopping for it in the supermarket, there is a new initiative called Na Ovoce – Fruit Picking. The website, which was launched just a few weeks ago, maps the occurrence of accessible wild fruit trees, shrubs and herbs that grow around the country.