Dalmatino’s co-owner brothers, Ino and Natko Kuvacic, show that Croatian cuisine really can offer the best of both worlds. The menu features dishes influenced by both the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, with pasta and dumplings, seafood dishes and hearty-style stews. Take for example the Dalmatinski Plata – a plate of cured meats with prosciutto, intense smoked meats, pickles and cheeses, or perhaps start with crepes filled with cheese and chicory in a sage and burnt butter sauce or cuttlefish risotto.
Sometimes, things just sound better in Croatian. Splitska pasticada translates as beef cheeks braised in a red wine and prune sauce, served with potato dumplings. In either language they are delicious – the prunes lending sweetness and light to the rich sauce which can then be mopped up with fluffy dumplings. Also good is the duo of grilled pork cutlet and roasted belly with sauteed spinach and blackcurrant sauce, or the brujet – Dalmatian fish stew served with soft polenta. Give them a day’s notice and bring four hungry people for the peka – whole octopus or stuffed calamari with potato, cooked the Croatian way. Desserts range from creme caramel and chocolate semifreddo, to apple crepes and crumbed dumplings with plum and sour cream. Each Wednesday night there is a traditional Croatian night with a three-course set menu and live music for a truly authentic Dalmatino dining experience.
Angela Costanzo, July 2008
