Welcome to the Archives of Velvet Magazine! For those of you who might not know, Velvet was Prague's first city magazine and sadly published just a few issues. I, Jeffree from Think Magazine, designed the very last issue of Velvet, which was killed the day it was to go to press... and thus, I turned my attention to making Think. A lot of the contact, adresses and business information here is too old to be useful, but why not take a walk down memory lane and enjoy yourself?

By Lou Charbonneau

drunken boxer from Dublin once boasted in a London pub, "While l've never met a Frenchman I'd be afraid to fight, I've never met a French woman I wouldn't want to cook for me."

Were this Celtic ruffian living in Prague, I would point him in the direction of the city's newest French restaurant, Le Bistrot de Marlene. Owner, chef, and long-time Cannes resident Marlene Salomon could calm the brute with an appetizer alone.

The first thing one notices about the bistro is its warm, relaxed atmosphere. The pastel blues and greens and the surprisingly comfortable train station-style benches de ~the stuffiness one usually expects in a "fine restaurant." Elegant dress isn't necessary; the bistro is as welcoming to torn jeans as it is to business suits. It's the perfect place to chat away a few hours over wine while twilight fades in the large windows.

The welcoming feel of the place is surpassed only by its food. I started dinner with flan de champignons, a delicious mushroom dish with the consistency of pudding. Another starter not often found in Prague is the Caesar salad, replete with chunks of meaty bacon, which even as enthusiastic a carnivore as myself will find daunting.

The real showstopper here is was the filet de boeuf, a hefty beef tenderloin, served bloody rare (per my instructions) with a wine sauce. In my four years in Prague, I've never had a better piece of beef. The evening's menu also featured an interesting twist; a filet mignon made with pork medallions. It was a surprisingly tasty "Czechification" of this traditional French delicacy.

Veteran diners will be pleased to know that the small menu (four to five entrees) changes daily. Salomon prepares the day's offerings based on the fresh meat, fish, and vegetables available in the markets that morning. So you can be sure they won't run out of entrees. The trusting diner who arrives with an empty stomach and high expectations will not be disappointed.

Cover credits

Volume 1, Number 1
August 1995

Editor and Publisher MICHAEL WAYNE JR.

Executive Editor CHRISTOPHER HOLLAND

Senior Editors
WALTER R. DEVINE, JOYCE-ANN GATSOULIS

Associate Editor
SUSANNAH ROSENSTOCK

Editorial Assistants
HELENA SIPKOVA
MAURA GEDID

Contributing Editors NICHOLE ACHS
OMRI BEN-AMOS
MATT WELCH

Contributing Writers RADHA BURGESS, LOU CHARBONNEAU, DAVID FREELING, JOHN HECK, MARKETA JIRASKOVA, ANNE RENAHAN, JENNIFER TORPIE, LAURA ZAM

Creative Director GERMAIN E. DESEVE

Senior Designer
CLARE MANIAS

Production Associates STEVE ROWLAND
D.A. STRUBLE

Staff Photographer ZUZANA OPLATKOVA

Contributing Photographers
SEAN GALLUP,
AHMED RAHIM

Publicity
MICHELLE LEGGE

Advertising Director CHRISTOPHER LOVERING

The Prague Review s.r.o.

CEO: NICOLAS R. PERKlN

CFO: DAN ROSE

COO: MICHAEL WAYNE JR.

Main Offices:
Velvet Towers East
Zitna 30, 120 00 Prague 2

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Velvet is a publication of the Prague Review, s.r.o. (c) 1995, The Prague Review, s.r.o. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited by law.