6 minute read
Kopřivná → Chefs rely on fresh, local ingredients
Food in Kopřivná: a pea burger, tender pork shoulder, or a Bloody Mary after work
Text: Luděk Vokáč, photo: Kopřivná Resort archive
At the Kopřivná pod Pradědem resort, visitors can enjoy a wide variety of sports, comfortable rooms, and great food. The kitchen team focuses on fresh food cooked from predominantly local ingredients. The menu has light meals for athletes, meat-free options for vegetarians, as well as dishes for meat lovers. It's also great for kids.
Food and drink in Kopřivná
Après-ski bar Deštník
A bar at the bottom part of the resort that serves non-alcoholic drinks, beer, wine, cocktails and other alcoholic beverages. Visitors can also grab some snacks.
Buffet
A large buffet that seats 120 guests, offering mainly ready-to-serve meals and fast food. The menu has light meals for athletes, as well as hearty dishes for those with a big appetite.
Restaurant
This hotel restaurant is the pride of Kopřivná. It caters to all kinds of customers and besides the permanent menu, it also has a daily lunch menu with a wide variety of meals. The restaurant has a bar and two terraces, and seats about 130 guests in total.
Event space
A space for private events. Custom catering and barbecues can be arranged.
Log cabin
People can also book a small historical log cabin for up to 12 people that also offers barbecue packages consisting of a grill, marinated meat from a local restaurant, cheese, and other foods the guests can grill.
Panorama Bar
During winter, the Panorama Bar is open at the top of the ski slope. It offers breathtaking views of the valley and a wide variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The bar can also be booked for private events, and outside sleeping can be arranged.
The food in Kopřivná is very diverse but it also has some common denominators. “We try to use local ingredients as much as possible and to use them as efficiently as possible to cook delicious food,” says Michal Novák, the restaurant manager in Kopřivná. Their philosophy is to use the whole pig, from head to tail, for example. But you won’t find a whole pig in the kitchen. Despite having several establishments (four in summer, five in winter) where hundreds of customers can eat and drink at the same time, the chefs in Kopřivná try to cook with as many fresh ingredients as possible, so they don’t buy large supplies of food here. “For example, we buy five kilos of lamb from a local farmer to make confit. There is also a hatchery nearby, so we go there and buy ten trout which we cook the same day. In Bělá pod Pradědem, there’s a great cheesemaker where we buy tens of kilograms of cheese each day,” Novák explains. Suppliers bring us fresh ingredients three times a week, so everything is really fresh. “We do have some minimal stock, but that’s just in case there’s unexpectedly high demand. Nothing stays on our shelves for long,” emphasizes Novák. The menu revolves around the seasons. For example, at the end of August, there’s a blueberry festival where visitors can enjoy a number of dishes and drinks made from locally picked, fresh blueberries such as milkshakes, daiquiri, spritz, sweet dumplings, and meats marinated in blueberry sauce or served with blueberry remoulade. “At that time of year, we are packed from dusk till dawn,” says Novák, smiling.
Dishes for athletes and gourmets alike
Food in Kopřivná takes many forms. In the lower part of the resort, there’s the après-ski bar Deštník, where people can grab something to drink or a snack on such as tortillas and other fast food. There’s also a buffet that seats 120 people which offers mainly light meals (including vegetarian options) for athletes, ideal before or during physical activity, but it also offers hearty dishes for those who have just finished their activities. “We offer classics such as deep-fried cauliflower and cheese, roasted pork or goulash, as well as homemade salads, fresh coleslaw, bulgur with tofu, and other dishes. Lenka, who takes care of the customers, also makes homemade lemonades,” Novák explains. An important part of the restaurant portfolio in Kopřivná is the renowned hotel restaurant. “The challenge here is catering to a wide array of customers: athletes, families with children, the elderly, and managers that come here for training courses or meetings,” Novák says. On the menu, there are staples such as schnitzel and burgers, along with traditional Czech meals with a modern twist (for example tender grilled sous-vide pork shoulder served with beetroot and potato gnocchi), and vegetarian dishes (for example homemade spinach spätzle with bryndza cheese). Also, Iva makes a wide variety of desserts. The menu isn’t unnecessarily extensive, but anyone can find something they’ll want to try. “For guests that stay for several days, we also have a daily lunch menu,” says Novák, explaining the diversity of the restaurant. The head chef here is Karel Súkup who cooks a variety of meals, including vegetarian alternatives. “Have you tried a beetroot or pea burger? If not, try them in Kopřivná. Maybe they’ll be on the menu. Even I, as a meat lover, enjoy them,” says the local restaurant manager. Recently, they have also expanded their breakfast menu. It offers Iva’s homemade cakes and buns, plus other meals such as Eggs Benedict or smoked salmon with spinach, both served on an English muffin and you can wash it down with a Mimosa or a Bloody Mary. “These can come in handy after a long night in one of our bars,” adds Michal Novák.
By the way, the local bars are introducing new cocktails and there’s a new pool bar planned and a wine menu update. Moravian wines are accompanied by wines from lesser-known French and Italian regions, which are Michal Novák’s specialty. “I have passed an international sommelier exam and I wanted to use it in the local restaurant scene,” he says. “I returned to this field in spring after a six-month hiatus and I enjoy it immensely. Our whole team enjoys it, which the customers can see, I hope,” says Novák, invitingly.
