CHEF'S TABLE
months ago we got into the show chef's table on netflix. the director (also known for jiro dreams of sushi) was inspired by the filming style of planet earth [<3] and wanted to make the 'planet earth of food'. if you love culinary experiences and traveling to obscure places for them, then this show is an absolute must. two of our favorite episodes were the patagonia {francis mallman} and slovenia {ana ros} chefs, places we are now fortunate to say we have visited and fell in love with. when we later learned that klavze 28 was only 45 minutes away from ana's restaurant hiša franko, we knew it might be a splurge worthy moment. being that our 1 year wedding anniversary was within days of this lunch and we had been wwoofing for 2 weeks, we had no problems justifying this unforgettable experience.
HIŠA FRANKO
this place is everything we dreamed it would be and more. we walked in and were happily greeted by the owner, valter, who is also ana's husband and in charge of their extensive and primarily local wine selection. the wines in slovenia have been one of our biggest culinary surprises of the trip - they are diverse, unique and delicious. we were then sat at the coziest little table with the sweetest server. on the house, they treated us to a local sparkling rosé as we prepared for the 9 course meal. the food was creative, unique and an absolute flavor explosion. we had things like deer heart tartare with bone marrow, twists on the local marble trout, and squids filled with lamb sweetbreads {full menu here}. the presentation did not disappoint either, as every dish seemed to match the warm vibe of their home and the staff taking care of us. we chose not to do the wine pairing and instead opted for a bottle of slovenian orange wine from the nearby goriška brda region.
the whole experience was the opposite of pretentious and worth every euro spent. some say hiša franko would be a michelin starred restaurant if ana was classically taught or if it was located in nearby italy, as they are one of the few pioneers of slovenia's growing food scene. it's hard to rival a husband/wife combo such as this: not only is their restaurant a hit, they also operate a charming bnb on the property and live on site as well. the feeling of "home" [hisa] is so strong, and the ambiance they've created is equally as special as the food they serve.
