It seems that Gypsy Table, a unique concept of top-quality dinners whose location is hidden until the final moment, has really conquered Croatia. The author of the idea is Richard Gruica, the ultimate gastronomic maestro and a visionary who has dedicated his latest edition of Gypsy pop-up dinners to women.
Inspired by his mother, the gastro-director this time brought together a strong female "cast" of chefs, artists, winemakers and other entrepreneurs in the world of food, wine, beauty and fine spirits.
At the very beginning of the year, on Friday, January 4th, Gypsy Table saw its third Zagreb edition, which again delighted the guests. After having fun the last time at "Katran", with acrobats, fire-breathers and fortune tellers, this time the location was the Avant Garden restaurant, which offered chic industrial experience to the guests.
As usual, the dinner started with welcome drinks, the Kraljica sparkling wine by winemaker Ivana Puhelek and cocktails mixed by Lori Brnčić and Gordana Muktić, inspired by the Santa Clara liqueurs, the Gin Mare and the 1724 tonic. The MC (mistress of the ceremony) was our well-known jazz singer Ines Tričković, who greeted the guests with a beautiful a cappella performance of La Vie En Rose.
The first course was a snack made with lard of black Slavonian pig, salad and sourdough bread, and chef Petra Plantak paired this dish with the 2017 Wild Skins wine, produced by the well-known winemaker and the Master of Wine, Jo Ahearne, who personally presented her wine. The second course consisted of black pudding with coleslaw black radish salad, red cabbage and a sauce made of cumin and a jam of purple onions, pomegranates, red wine and carob breadcrumbs, paired with 2013 Zinfandel by the Bura-Mrgudić winery. Antonija and Marija Mrgudić presented the wines.
The third course, tuna goulash with polenta by Ružica Jukučić, was paired with the 2014 Ahearne South Side Plavac Mali, while the fourth course was named “Crispy and Fragrantly" and consisted of lamb confit in olive oil, the Luganina sausage, barley, pumpkin cream and chickpea puree. The delicious meal was accompanied by the Bura-Mrgudić 2016 Plavac Mali Sivi, a Plavac Mali "mutant" macerated for four days and made by just three wineries in Croatia.
Throughout the evening, famous illustrator Maya Beus, whose background is with the international fashion houses, was making portraits of guests – each costing about 200 kuna. The income went to charity, more precisely to the Autonomous Women's House Zagreb (AWHZ), a feminist organization with the mission of providing support and assistance to women who have survived violence and of empowering women's position in the society.
The end of the evening was marked by the creation of famous Croatian pastrycook Petra Jelenić, the Great Dame Pumpkin. Antonija Nikolić paired it with the Spanish 75 cocktail, designed by the owner of "50 A Burger and Champagne Bar" Adena Lavin. The dinner was also supported by Ivana Urem Marohnić (the famous Korica bakery in Zagreb), Bosiljka Belić (excellent extra-virgin olive oil Oleum Viride), Sanda Martinčević (+ Gligora cheeses), Ana Teskera and Maja Šepetavec (Brlog craft brewery) and Irena Bastijanić (Poeticacao) whose sweet delicacies were given as presents at the end of the dinner.
All ladies were wearing clothes designed by Iva Karačić.
MaliParty was the event space designer, while cocktails were also supported by Althaus and Hug & Punch Coffee Co, both female owned companies.
More news on the culinary events in Croatia can be found in our Lifestyle section.
