konoba dolina/restaurant dolina

še en odličen »a must« za vse gurmanke in gurmane. na severu hrvaške istre tik pod motovunom so gradinje in tam konoba dolina, natančni naslov je gradinje 59/1, oprtalj (garmin, googlemaps, še bolš pa kr old skul mapa al atlas bo zihr znal pokazat kje točno to je). za njo smo od prijazne in gurmansko podkovane domačinke zvedeli in jo prvič tudi sprobali lani za časa motovunskega filmskega festivala - mff. no in ker je blo lani odlično, in ker smo ravno te majske dni spet pokrožli na teh lokacijah (grožnjan, vas na sosednjem hribu od motovuna je v kulturnem smislu nekaj podobnega, kot je konoba dolina v gurmanskem) seveda ni šlo, da ne bi šli preverit kako pa kaj kuhajo letos, pa še sezona šparog je ravno v zaključku in teh na meniju ne bi smelo manjkat. pa so. ni jih bilo napisanih, a ravno zato, ker je to sezonska jed, na meniju pa je bila napisana le stalna ponudba. tako smo naročili domače fuže s šparogami in tartufi, pa golaž s svinjino in govedino ter domačimi pljukanci (kakor je imenovala lastnica gostilne enostavne rombaste majhne testenine, še najbolj podobne mini svalkom, aldente skuhane in odlične), za predjed se nikakor nismo mogli/hotli izognit mineštri in še dobro, da se nismo ker si je zaslužla s kruhom pomazan krožnik. zraven pa domačo solato…

yet another "a must" for all gourmand people. in the north of croatian istria, just below motovunom is a village called gradinje with restaurant dolina. the exact address of the restaurant is gradina 59/1, oprtalj (garmin, google maps, or better old school map or atlas will certainly be able to show exactly where that is). we first heard for this restaurant last year, for our visit of motovun film festival - mff, from a friendly and knowledgeable gourmet local women. and since the gourmand experience last year was excellent, and we were just this may's days again at these locations (grožnjan, village on the adjacent hill of motovun is in the cultural meaning something like restaurant dolina in gourmand) there was no good excuse why not to go back and check it out again this year. and even asparagus season is just in the end and those should not be left out on the menu. but they were. no asparagus on the menu. why? because this is a seasonal dish and on the menu were written only a fixed ones. so we ordered fuži (kind of istrian pasta) with asparagus and truffles, goulash with pork and beef and homemade pljukanci (as owner of the restaurant called simple diamond like small pasta, cooked al dente and excellent), for starters there was no way we could/should avoid mineštra (vegetables and meat soup with corn, traditional istrian dish) and luckily we didn't because it was delicious. then home grown salad ...

no ko je govora o konobi dolina, je besedo »domača, domače« kar viška pisat, ker je tako vse domače. tako v solati ni blo najdet ne paradajza, ne kumare, namesto tega pa okusen radič, zeleno solato, vloženo rdečo peso, zelje, rukolo (ono iz vrta, malo večjo in z luknami). brez terana ali malvazije itak nima smisla jest istrsko kuhno, tako da je padlo še pol litra terana, potem še obvezen espreso in krožnik kroštul, cvrti desert, ala miške pri nas. torej spet se je za mizo bila borba med razpoložljivimi kapacitetami in željami sprobat vse in pojest vse, ker karkoli pustit bi bil še večji greh, kot sploh ne pridet sem. no lahko rečem, da so bili na koncu krožniki samo še za splahnt. in kolko naj je to koštalo? 198,00 kun kar znese 26,83 evrov! a? sitniš! na računu pa ni blo najdet ne espresov in ne kroštul. pred odhodom pa nama je prijazni kelner ponudil še domače žganice. kar težko, da počasi ne bi že tuhtala zakaj bi bilo potrebno v kratkem spet v gradinje. sicer pa mff ni daleč. 

well when it comes to the dolina restaurant, the word "home grown or home made" is unnecessary to write.. so in the salad you couldn't found tomatoes, nor cucumbers bur tasty radishes, lettuce, red beet, cabbage, rocket (that from the garden, a bit larger and with holes). without teran or malvasia there's no sense to eat istrian cuisine, so we had a half-liter of teran with, then obligatory espresso and a plate of kroštule, fried dessert, donut like. at the table we again experience the struggle between the available capacities and desires to try all and eat everything, because to left anything would have been even greater sin, then not even come here. well i can say that at the end our plates were almost so clean, they didn't even need to be washed. and how much it cost us? 198.00 croatian kunas which is 26.83 euros! a? nothing! and they didn't charge us espressos and kroštule. before departure, a friendly waiter offered us also some domestic brandy. what else do you need?! is quite hard not to slowly  think why it should be necessarily to go back to gradinje in near future. if nothing else mff is not far.

poleg odlične hrane pa konobo dolino na seznam jačih restavracij kdaj obiskanih daje tudi zelo prijazno osebje, od lastnice, ki se ji sploh ne mudi nazaj v pisarno al za šank in ti prav z veseljem razloži kaj in kako je kaj pripravljeno in kaj svetuje in kaj je sezonsko, do prijetnega kelnarja in kelnarce (z zalogami domače žganice pod pultom), do finega ambijenta, prej socialističnega kot njuejđerskega, ravno prav velikega, da ne sediš za edino mizo in da se ne počutiš ko na ohcetu sestrične od mamine tete. vsekakor vredno (ponovnega) obiska.

in addition to excellent food, restaurant valley is on the list of the best restaurants ever visited also because of a very friendly staff, from the owner, who doesn't rush back to the office or desk and is just happy to explain to you how something is prepared and gives you an advice around choosing, the nice waiter and waitress (with their domestic reserves of brandy under the counter) to the nice ambience, more socialist like then new age and just the right size, so you don't sit on the only table and you don't feel like being a part of a cousin ​​from your mother's aunt wedding. definitely worth to (re)visit.