When I’ve been on the road for two weeks, and eating the required number of calories for an Olympic athlete right before the games, the meals sometimes become a blur. On my trip to the Baltics, it was actually the last dinner that was the most memorable. I told my hotel that I wanted to go to the most gourmet, but cool-vibe restaurant in town, where it would be fun to watch the kitchen and sit at the bar to have dinner.
When I’ve been on the road for two weeks, and eating the required number of calories for an Olympic athlete right before the games, the meals sometimes become a blur. On my trip to the Baltics, it was actually the last dinner that was the most memorable. I told my hotel that I wanted to go to the most gourmet, but cool-vibe restaurant in town, where it would be fun to watch the kitchen and sit at the bar to have dinner. “Show me modern Latvian cuisine,” which is exactly what they did at the 3 Pavaru, which means “three chefs.” As its name spells out, this is a collaboration of three chefs, who have some major creative skills in their open kitchen, which is the center stage in the dining room. If this was a New York restaurant, it would be in Brooklyn, complete with a handle-barred mustached chef who churns out thoughtfully and artfully prepared meals. It’s a can’t-miss in Riga, if only to come for what we’ve dubbed The Jackson Pollack, recipe below.
When you arrive at 3 Pavaru, your welcome is a selection of bread and dips, although it’s anything but your traditional breadbasket. In front of you is a white paper placemat, which the chef will proceed to paint, Jackson Pollock style with dips, and serve up with the regional homemade fresh bread. To try this at home, lay out white art paper length-wise right down the center of your dining room table, and get ready to have some fun splattering various sauces as your guests gather around the table. The key is to get a great blender like a Vitamix that can finely blend all the ingredients, which can be made up to 3-4 days at least prior. Alternatively, you can do some shopping in your local prepared sauce isle for mango chutney and pesto, if you don’t want to make sauces from scratch. The beauty is that anyone can make this recipe in which the presentation factor is the star.
