REVIEW: CESARICA

After an hour hike to the top of Kotor, Montenegro to see the old fortress with a view from the clouds of the fjord and the city below that makes one feel they have ascended to heaven, The Monster has worked up quite an appetite. Never having been to Kotor, nor knowing much about the cuisine, The Monster isn’t quite sure what he’s getting into. Scary visions of being served pig intestine and cow’s hooves and things that still have hair fill The Monster’s brain.

Cesarica is in the walled city with tables circling the restaurant outside and a stone walled interior that looks like a wine cellar meets a fishing village.

Much to The Monster’s relief the menu is an encylcopedic look at seafood with smoked salmon, fried sardine and anchovies, grilled squid with chard, cooked gilt-head bream as examples. For meat eaters you may sample grilled chicken leg and thigh, Dalmatian steak, or rump steak amongst many others. There is a large selection of cheeses and salads to start. One oddity here, any condiments will cost you. Want butter? 1 Euro. Mustard? 1 Euro. Marinade? 2 Euro. The Monster can no longer afford marinade.

The wine list is filled with scary sounding names like Krstac and Dingac or Andrija Zilavka. The Monster passes. He enjoys living and wants it to continue.

Fish soup, grilled octopus stuffed with shrimp, grilled shrimp and fish stew is the choice. Nothing here tops 15 Euro so it’s affordable eating.

The fish soup is plain and hot and perfect for a sweaty guy walking in from the mid morning rain.

The grilled octopus in oil with tomato, onion and olives is quite nice.

The squid with shrimp is large and pleasant. The grilled shrimp is fine enough. The Monster looks forward to shrimp larger than a thimble.

The winner is the fish “stew” with rice which is cooked in fig and prunes. A hearty dish, it is sweet without being overpowering and is one of the few times The Monster has really enjoyed prunes.