What do people eat in Dubrovnik, Croatia? Fresh seafood – lots of it. Despite my initial fears that a restaurant housed in Old Town filled with tourists could not possibly be any good, Proto, was a pleasant surprise. Some purists may scoff at the food served here, saying it's not as authentic as it could be. That may be true, but it was darn good and that made me happy.
Established in 1886, this restaurant served a hearty tomato-based fish soup with a twist. This coastal town located in the southernmost tip of Croatia very close to the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina is also known for its dried orange peels that are packaged and sold candied. And it took me a second to realize the subtle citrus and sweet flavors in the soup served at Proto came from the orange peels. There were just enough peels to balance out the salty fish broth with tomatoes.
Another appetizer that hit the spot was fried baby sardines, which had a very light batter and the crunchiest texture.
The star of the show was undoubtedly the main course of grilled fish and squid. Filets of sea bass and whole pieces of squid drizzled with a lemon parsley sauce were refreshing and the squid was cooked to perfect chewyness. The plate also included grilled shrimps in their shells, potato slices and steamed mussels, all of which tasted fresh and just the thing to have on a hot, summer day.
I also had a seafood pasta in a tomato sauce that was good but my limited knowledge of Croatian food leads me to just say, it was good but not as delish as what awaited me in Italy no less!
Stay tuned for posts on some ridiculously amazing food and wine in Greece and Italy!
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