Ego

I’ve been eating in a lot of fancy restaurants lately. But it’s not all champagne wishes and caviar dreams for me.

It’s a little spot across the street from the Bohemians 1905 football stadium in Vršovice.

There aren’t so many tables, and sometimes they are full. You take your chances when showing up unannounced.

There’s just one long room below street level with brick walls and uncomfortable chairs and benches.

The prices are pretty reasonable. Yet, despite my earlier claim to common tastes, I must confess my favorite thing there is also among the most expensive items on the menu.

I really like the “bull steak” with jalapeno pepper (360 CZK).

It comes with a whole jalapeno jammed right in the middle of the filet.

On the last visit, I ordered it medium, but they undercooked it, perhaps because it was such a thick cut. It was very rare.

The meat was quite tender. Warning: this thing will set your mouth aflame.

The steak sat on top of a sweet and spicy pool of barbecue-style sauce. But it is their own mixture that didn’t come from a bottle. Not directly, anyway.

Unfortunately, the price does not include side items. Last time, I got it with “American potatoes.”

They offer a wide variety of fried and baked spuds for around 40 CZK. These were pretty greasy and cut too fat for my taste.

V wanted to go healthier and ordered a whole trout with cream sauce (120 CZK).

She was very impressed with the freshness and quality of the fish. She was not so happy with the sour cream-based concoction on the side. After one taste, she just avoided it.

She got some regular fries.

They were a bit underdone.

Ego is a Pilsner restaurant — it says so on the wall outside — so that’s what I drank.

They also have Gambrinus.