The Falstaff family is expanding! Celebrating the cuisine, wine and natural beauty of Slovakia, Falstaff Slovensko made its debut on May 14 with a gala at Bratislava's Grand Hotel River Park.
The latest addition to the Falstaff family certainly made a splash on its debut: Amid 400 exclusive VIPs, the very first issue of Falstaff Slovensko was greeted amid enthusiastic applause at the Grand Hotel River Park on the banks of the Danube in Bratislava. As moderator Vera Wisterová kicked off the evening, Falstaff publisher Wolfgang Rosam was joined by Patrik Tkáč, CEO of J&T Banka, Radoslav Nackin, publisher of Falstaff Slovensko, and Falstaff Slovensko's Editor-in-chief, Elena Strápková in proudly presenting Slovakia's latest food, wine, travel and lifestyle magazine – a gateway to the wide world of gastronomy that also celebrates local excellence.
For Tkáč, it was vital to put Slovakia on the global food map: "Not so many people around the world write about us. And thanks to this cooperation, this will change, definitely. I hope this will not only bring Slovakia closer to western countries, which are important for our tourism sector. But also, that this will give a voice to our people working in gastronomy, in wine, in hospitality all over Slovakia. They are not honored enough."
It was then time to honor Slovak culinary excellence with Falstaff Slovensko's very first awards ceremony! Leading the pack was ECK with an astounding 98 Falstaff points, closely followed by Gašperov Mlyn (96 points) and UFO watch.taste.groove (95 points); ECK also took Best Chef (Daniel Tilinger) and Best Sommelier (Peter Lunter). The runners-up for best chef were Jozef Hromják of SEVEN Restaurant & Café at VILLA SANDY and Peter Bracho of Restaurant KLÁRA. Bratislava's Massimo Ristorante won Best Themed Restaurant, while Best Hotel Restaurant went to the Reštaurácia Sissi at Hotel Lomnica; the Award for sustainability and innovation went to Batizovce's Gašperov Mlyn, adding extra distinction to its already impressive 96 points.
In addition to the winners of Falstaff Slovensko's inaugural awards, two legends received special recognition for their lifetime contributions: Vintner Miroslav Petrech of Chateau Belá, a longtime collaborator of Egon Miller and a riesling producer of global renown; and Jaroslav Žídek, a founding father of modern Slovak cuisine. Both were instrumental in helping create Falstaff Slovensko, and both have worked tirelessly to showcase Slovakia's gourmet scene; what's more, Petrech's Chateau Belá provided wines for the tasting, while chef Žídek graciously catered the event.
Following the awards ceremony, the exclusive guests enjoyed the flying dinner prepared by Jaroslav Žídek's Riverbank restaurant, as well as Billcart-Salmon champagne and Prunier caviar, and a special dessert menu featuring innovative tofu dishes by Slovakian company Lunter. In addition, a tasting of several exclusive wines from Slovakia's Malé Karpaty region took place, which included bottles from Zlatý roh, Miroslav Fondrk, Martin Pomfy, and Karpatská perla, and supplemented by offerings from Miroslav Petrech's Chateau Belá (South Slovakia). Beer drinkers could indulge in some of ERB's finest premium brews, while Sanpellegrino rounded out the drinks selection with choice soft drinks. The evening ended on a high note, with a performance by legendary Slovak singer Jana Kirschner.
The successful launch of Falstaff Slovensko only underlined the amazing variety and supreme quality that Slovakia brings to global cuisine; we can't wait to see who will feature in upcoming issues, and who will be honored next year!
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