The twenty-sixth printed and online Croatian and English edition of the book Restaurant Croatica "100 leading Croatian restaurants and their recipes 2021/22", published by Abisal biblioteka Gastronaut, was promoted at Botel Marina in Rijeka.
100 leading Croatian restaurants - Restaurant Croatica is a project to promote quality in the hospitality industry through the annual elections of leading and the publication of an accompanying publication. It was initiated in 1995, and the basic idea was to do market research on which restaurants best meet the needs of guests and highlight the leaders in order to motivate others to improve the quality of offer and service. In 1995, the survey covered 700 restaurants, while in 2020 that number climbed to 2,400 restaurants. Part of the voting was through the portal www.gastronaut.hr, and voters could further emphasize the quality of the offer, service and ambience. In parallel, the caterers voted with the recommendation of colleagues who are their role models and filled out questionnaires with a detailed description of their offer and service. The final word after reviewing all the materials was given by the Honorary Committee of the project, which announced a new list of 100 leading presented in the book and guide Restaurant Croatica: "100 leading Croatian restaurants and their recipes 2021/22". During the 26 years of the project, a total of 497 restaurants were included among Restaurant Croatica, and 6 restaurants defended the title in all 26 years.
The leading restaurants in the book are presented with text, pictures and recipes of homemade specialities and information on what is worth seeing and experiencing in their surroundings. In addition to the restaurants selected from among the 100 leaders, the book presents quality and top products that can be found on the table and destinations with their gastronomic and oenological strengths. 100 leading Croatian restaurants also received Restaurant Croatica plaques and stickers with a QR code that leads to the online edition of the book in Croatian and English. Printed editions can be found at these points of sale, or ordered from the publisher via this link.
The project leader and editor of the publication is prof. Karin Mimica, Chief Expert Associate B.Sc. oec. hot. Marina Selak, and the graphic editor of the edition Vlatko Ignatoski. The richly illustrated 240-page book brings information about the service and offer of 100 leading restaurants and their surroundings, along with recipes for restaurant specialities that they decided to share with readers. Among the restaurant's recipes, the new edition of the book also includes: Stuffed prunes in bacon; Gnocchi with smoked cottage cheese; Goose liver terrine with blueberry jelly; Fried summer strudels; Lamb carpaccio; Tuna carpaccio and tartar; Trganci with sour cream and baked bacon; Quiche with goat cheese and dried tomatoes; Wheat with smoked seafood; Sea bass fillet in scrap; Shuffled squid; Lamb tripe; Brač vital; Beef cheeks in port; Lamb chops in crust; Deer steak in wine sauce; Salenjaci; Chocolate cake made of fresh figs.
The award ceremony of the Restaurant Croatica plaque was organized with the support of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the Kvarner Tourist Board, the Rijeka Tourist Board and the Association of Croatian Restaurateurs. The Restaurant Croatica and Gastronaut projects are the oldest quality incentives in the Croatian hospitality industry.
Photos: Marko Čolić