For the first time, the Restaurant Day was joined by organizations supported through the donation site DobraKrajina.sk.  In their pop-up restaurants in various locations in Bratislava and Dobsina, they offered original recipes to entice people from “outside” their environment to visit them and share with them about their daily work with their clients and how they help the community.

The first organization to open their international kitchen at the market on Zilinska street was the Human Rights League who offered kabuli palau (a traditional Afghani food ), Indian dal, a traditional Somali delicacies, cuscus salat with a granat apple and other exotic foods.  “We did not expect such interest in our restaurant, we ran out of food by lunch time” says Katarina Fajnorova from the Human Rights League who works with refugees and asylum holders in Slovakia. 

A wheelbarrow barbequed “at full charcoal”

A mobile garden on Sasinkova 21 street in Bratislava was bursting in seems.  A chic pea falafel, a red beet tzatziky, a gluten free chocolate-cream cheese cake and much more  was offered by the people from the Vnutroblok initiative with its visitors patiently waiting in line.  A similar atmosphere was shared in the garden by the Prima  Social Service home on Banselova  street where the actors with mental illness  from the Ticho and company Theater perform.  In fact, they were supported even by Jaroslav Zidek, the famous cook who made veal cheeks with mushrooms.  “We had about 300 visitors.  They were even willing to wait in a 15 meter  line with plates,” says Martina Jakubcova from DSS Prima who came up with the idea of organizing the untraditional BBQ in a wheelbarrow.During one afternoon, the visitors ate about 200 pancakes, drank several tens cups of coffee and the wheelbarrow barbequed at full charcoal. 

The Len tak tak integrated dance theater group turned Pisztory’s palace into a cafe where one could find tasteful herb lemonades, cinnamon baskets with fresh fruit and sweet basil pesto.  The visitors were able to learn basic tango steps.  People with mental illness from the Bol raz jeden clovek organization served food in Kontakt  in the Bratislava center.  These friends love to cook, bake and serve guests.  Their dream is to raise money to open a sheltered workshop where they can make high quality and untraditional organic cakes from local suppliers.  Every cake will have its own story.  A person who will buy the cake will learn how the cake was made and who baked it.

The organization Ulita (Shell) offered small shells

The humble space of Ulita on Kopcianska street which serves children from marginalized groups for games and education was transformed into a coffee place.  “We are happy that people stopped by, even though we are at the outskirts of Petrzalka and only every other bus stops here” said Petra Hranova from Ulita, an organization which tries to raise money for the reconstruction of playgrounds for children from the local community.  Ulita opened its door to the people from the whole city of Bratislava for the first time and they were definitely not short of visitors.

Restaurant Day was also joined by the Dobsina center Detstvo detom (Childhood to Children) which was founded by the group of teachers after they wrote that emotional letter to the Minister of Education.  They took the difficult situation of the young Roma mothers who are still attending elementary school, in their own hands.  In the center, they work with teenage and underaged parents, primarily mothers where they acquire skills and habits for a decent life.  Together they prepared for the Dobsina residents a traditional sheep cheese and potato cake called grulikuchen, as well as various kinds of salad and chocolate pudding.  “We believe that children who come unprepared for school, don’t have a chance to catch up when they are 6 years old.  It is important to work with them right away” says the teacher Norika Liptakova. 

If you visited one of the one day restaurants from Great Country (Dobra krajina) during Restaurant Day, you can also support them through the Dobrakrajina.sk donation site.  Even a monthly donation of 5 EUR can make a difference.  The greatest help for these organizations is a regular and small support so they can make Slovakia  a better country. 

There were other restaurants in Slovakia besides the Great Country (Dobra krajina) organizations which participated in the Restaurant Day.  In more than 30 countries 2719 restaurants opened its doors to approximately 250 thousand people.  The organizers announced the next Restaurant Day to be on August 17.  Its objective is for the people to meet and make the world a nicer place for living. 

Due to bad weather, some restaurants will open on a different day

BROZ, a Meadow in Weits’s quarry, Devínska kobyla, Bratislava

Lokše s dipom z medvedieho cesnaku, maková štrúdľa, voňavý kozí syr či lúčny čaj čakajú návštevníkov na lúke vo Weitovom lome. Bratislavské regionálne ochranárske združenie (BROZ) pripravilo zaujímavé lúčne menu, ktoré si budú môcť vychutnať na Devínskej kobyle. V lúčnej reštaurácii nebudú chýbať ani kozy a popri maškrtení sa môžu vybrať na exkurziu za pestrofarebnými včelárikmi na Sandberg.

Lokse (thin pancakes) with a dip from ramson, a poppy seed strudel, a savoury goat cheese or herbal tea await the visitors on the meadow in Weits quarry.  The Bratislava Regional Conservators Association prepared a very interesting meadow menu which the visitors can sample on Devinska kobyla.  The meadow restaurant will not lack goats and during munching on the great foods, they can also take an excursion to see the colorful bee houses at Sandberg.