Little Prague is hosting a special celebration this weekend in honor of its 30th anniversary.
Tonight and tomorrow, the party will feature prizes, a special menu and reduced prices on drinks and desserts.
Tonight, the live musical entertainment includes Die Alpen Band California at 6 p.m. and a yodeling contest. The DJ will start playing tunes at 10 p.m. Tomorrow, the Red Bell Peppers will put on a show at 7 p.m. followed by a performance by Cold Shot at 10 p.m.
Tucked in at 330 G Street, Little Prague offers a Bohemian atmosphere in an Old World, European setting.
Little Prague’s beginnings trace back to the Farmer’s Wife Bakery, which was founded by Sue Brady in 1979. At that time, Brady introduced a new style of baking German bread. Having met Burger’s daughter in Prague, Brady sponsored the Burger family when they moved to Davis in 1992.
Owners Vaclav and Eva Burger arrived to the United States and partnered with Brady when they opened Little Prague Restaurant in 1993. The partners moved to the G Street location, where the site went through a series of remodeling stages.
Little Prague strives to honor the original way Sue Brady ran the restaurant, Eva Burger said.
“Of course 15 years for us is a huge milestone,” she said. “Because when we came, we had six suitcases and two children. [We were] trying to learn to speak English and to run a business. It’s a challenge in a different country.“
Not only is Farmer’s Wife Bakery/Little Prague the first and only Czech restaurant in Davis, but it contains several features new to the city.
The bakery introduced Davis‘ first espresso machine, which is still working and in use today. The renovations resulted in additional outdoor seating and Davis‘ first outdoor fireplace.
Four years ago, another extension opened the bar adjacent to the restaurant where the Salvation Army Store used to be.
The G Street location still produces bread and other baked goods. Its home style cooking is made from scratch using high-quality ingredients, Eva Burger said. The Chicken Paprikash dish, a chicken stew, is made with chicken breasts slow cooked and seasoned with onions and paprika, according to the website.
Little Prague’s glittering lights invite passersby and patrons in for a meal and music on any day of the week. All 35 desserts and types of bread are made on-site and prepared by European chefs and Eva Burger herself. Diners enjoy the most popular cakes – the Sacher Torte, Princess Cake and French cake. The chicken or pork schnitzel is most popular for lunch and dinner. Brunch features potato pancakes served with sour cream and apple sauce.
Aside from a menu full of authentic Czech cuisine, the specials include rabbit, duck and more European cuisine, Eva Burger said.
In a town full of pizza restaurants, burger joints, sushi restaurants and other Asian food, Vaclav Burger said Little Prague offers cuisine that no else provides.
“We bring a little piece of Europe to this community,” he said. “It is a very big success to be in the restaurant business [that has] long [served] the community. Thanks to all customers and patrons coming in. We will be very pleased if we can share with them all of the happiness from our hard work.“
Every Wednesday night Cold Shot performs at 9 p.m. The 21 and over crowd often convene on Saturdays during Afro-Latino and Punjabi night.
POOJA KUMAR can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
