Summer is slowly coming to an end and borscht is already on the table. And September can afford such a small gastronomic indecision. There is still time for fresh vegetables, lightness, and acidity, but at the same time, the foods that warm you up and have a deeper flavor are starting to make sense.
The new special menu TADY CHUTNÁ moves precisely between these two worlds. It starts with a light cream of goat cheese and ricotta, continues with hearty borscht with pelmeni, and in the main courses adds a pork tomahawk and grilled tuna inspired by a cookbook from 1937. And at the end, autumn is undoubtedly here: pear, caramel, and chocolate.
This fits perfectly into the concept of TADY CHUTNÁ. Four Prague restaurants are connected not only by the cuisine of David Kalina but also by the desire to bring old recipes back into play and place them in the present. History is not just decoration here. It often appears directly on the plate.
“I want the guest to leave not only full but also with the feeling that they have experienced something real – a taste that has roots but also a modern face.” David Kalina, head chef of the TADY CHUTNÁ group.
A few drops, a big difference
The first course still retains the lightness of the ending summer. Fresh creamy cheese made from goat cheese and ricotta is complemented by peas, green beans, arugula, pomegranate, and balsamic from Smolík. Goat cheese provides a distinctly strong flavor, ricotta softens it, peas and green beans bring freshness, and pomegranate adds a juicy sweet and sour finish. However, one ingredient plays an important role – vinegar. In the kitchen, acidity plays a role similar to salt. It can highlight other flavors and reduce the feeling of heaviness. Here, Czech balsamic from Smolík from Oceterie Václav Smolík comes into play. It doesn’t need to be much. Quite the opposite. “Goat cheese with ricotta is delicate and creamy, so it needs something to lift its flavor. The vegetables add freshness, the pomegranate adds fruitiness, and the balsamic provides the necessary acidity. It’s a simple dish, but with simple things, each ingredient is very important.” David Kalina.
Borscht. Because September can handle something
Then comes borscht with pelmeni filled with pork, beetroot, potatoes, dill, and sour cream. Beetroot brings typical earthiness and sweetness, sour cream adds acidity and smoothness, dill brings aroma and freshness. And instead of pieces of meat, pelmeni filled with pork appear in the soup. A detail that makes borscht a dish you can linger over. David Kalina does not try to dress up the classic into something it is not. Borscht is great precisely because it has a distinct flavor and doesn’t need much embellishment. A good base, beetroot, acidity, dill, and sour cream are essential. The pelmeni with pork then elevate it further and make it almost a standalone dish.
Chef's tip: tuna a la Vanha
However, if David Kalina had to choose one dish from the September offer, he bets on tuna. Grilled tuna a la Chartreuse with glazed onions, edamame, white radish, and buttery brioche has one more bonus. Its inspiration does not lie in the latest gastronomic trend but in Jindřich Vaňha's Fish Cuisine from 1937. And here one of the most interesting lines of TADY CHUTNÁ appears. Old cookbooks are not a guide for literal copying. They are a reservoir of ideas.
The tuna receives a short heat treatment, glazed onions add sweetness, white radish brings freshness and a slight sharpness, and edamame adds another green tone. The buttery brioche softens and connects the entire dish.
“My tip this time is definitely the tuna. I enjoy not only the combination itself but also its history. We found inspiration in Jindřich Vaňha's Fish Cuisine from 1937. And that’s exactly what I love about old cookbooks – you open them and often find that many things we consider modern have been here long ago.” David Kalina
A cookbook from 1937 can sometimes be more inspiring than Instagram from 2026.
Cutlet like a shovel. And sexy breadcrumbs
Here, portion size is not played with. Fried pork tomahawk comes with herb salsa and a salad of roasted potatoes, mushrooms, and red onion. A crispy coating, juicy meat inside, and against it, a refreshing herb salsa that lightens the fried dish. Roasted potatoes and mushrooms then add a fuller, earthier flavor. And of course, the coating is important. Panko breadcrumbs create a distinctly crispy yet airy crust. “Panko is such a sexy breadcrumb. It’s beautifully crispy, light, and that’s exactly the kind of coating you want on a proper cutlet,” David Kalina says with a wink.
There’s always room for something sweet
Whether it’s summer or autumn, there’s always room for dessert. Juicy pear, caramel, and chocolate are a safe bet, cocoa nibs add a pleasant bitterness and crunch. A sweet finish that doesn’t pretend to be anything complicated. “Pear, caramel, and chocolate simply belong together. It’s important that the dessert is not just sweet. That’s why we also have the bitterness of cocoa nibs and different textures. And above all – there’s always room for something sweet,” David Kalina says.
A plate without a glass? Half the joy.
Good food deserves well-chosen wine. TADY CHUTNÁ works with its own collection of wines and pairs them with special menus prepared by the sommelier team led by chief sommelier Jan Šimánek.
For the chef's tip, grilled tuna a la Chartreuse, TADY CHUTNÁ Veltlín from Christoph Bauer from Weinviertel (Austria) is served. The freshness and acidity of the wine accompany the tuna and also work well with the buttery brioche and the sweetness of the glazed onions. For the fried pork tomahawk, TADY CHUTNÁ “Bordeaux” from Château La Mothe de Barry (France) is served. “The wine should not compete with the food. It should make good company. When the pairing works, the guest doesn’t have to think about why – they just take another bite and another sip,” says Jan Šimánek, chief sommelier of TADY CHUTNÁ.
The September menu is also a good example of what connects the individual TADY CHUTNÁ establishments. Each has its own atmosphere and history, but the emphasis on cuisine, storytelling, and regularly changing special offers remains common. “We want guests to have a reason to return. Not just for their favorite dish, but also because they can always taste something new. The special menu allows us to work with the season, history, and chefs' ideas while maintaining a common thread across all TADY CHUTNÁ restaurants.” Petr Paulus, manager of TADY CHUTNÁ restaurants
Summer is not over yet. But autumn is already sitting at the next table.
And before they finally shoot each other, it’s best to come and taste how well they get along. You can taste the September special menu at TADY CHUTNÁ restaurants.
TASTING THE SEPTEMBER MENU
Appetizer
Fresh creamy cheese – goat cheese with ricotta, peas, green beans, arugula, balsamic from Smolík, and pomegranate
Soup
Borscht with pelmeni – pelmeni filled with pork, beetroot, potatoes, dill, and sour cream
Main courses
Fried pork tomahawk – herb salsa, salad of roasted potatoes and mushrooms with red onion
Chef David Kalina's tip
Grilled tuna a la Chartreuse – glazed onions, edamame, white radish, and buttery brioche. Inspiration: Jindřich Vaňha, Fish Cuisine, 1937.
Dessert
Pears in caramel – brownies, caramel chocolate cream, and cocoa nib cookie
More information, restaurants, and current offers: TADY CHUTNÁ
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU EAT?
Pelmeni, panko, balsamic… A little cheat sheet for curious eaters.
PELMENI – small pasta pockets filled with meat. In our borscht, they are filled with pork. Small in size, definitely not in significance.
PANKO – Japanese breadcrumbs with a coarse, airy structure. David Kalina simply calls it “sexy breadcrumbs.”
BALSAMIC FROM OCETERIE – Czech work of Václav Smolík. Natural fermentation, organic fruit, and a few drops that can change the entire plate.
EDAMAME – young green soybeans. Mild, slightly sweet, and pleasantly crunchy. Here they accompany the tuna.
