We came to Croatia not knowing what to expect for the food scene after having heard emphatic reports both good and bad.  With our foodie inclinations we hoped for the best but really, who was right?  Was the wine thin and acidic and the food mainly well-done fish or Austrian-inspired meat and potatoes?  Or were Italian finesse, Greek passion and Mediterranean sourcing the dominant culinary drivers?  

We divided our experience into two distinct categories:  pre-Josko and post-Josko.  Josko is a native of Split with a fierce loyalty to his region and country.  He loves food and makes his own wine.  And he knows people.  Before Josko arrived, we ate at a couple local eateries in Split with indifferent results—“risotto” made with long-grain rice, fish stew savory with chicken broth,  bland dry red wine.  When Josko arrived, everything changed—the wine became outstanding (if more expensive), the seafood tender, juicy and balanced with citrus, capers and veggies, the bread and pizza fresh and crunchy.  We quickly handed the meal decisions to Josko.  

Everybody in the debate is likely right.  It depends who you listen to—and more importantly, who you know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which brings up a key point of our whole bike adventure:  we consistently out-ate our pedaling. You could safely assume we had a net positive calorie score because we didn’t cycle uber-long distances and, more to the point, Mike and Josko kept presenting us with outstanding food and wine. “Fat and fit” was our motto (respects to Dave Gluck).  And yet….preliminary reports suggest very little weight gain among the participants, which means:

a) we lie, or

b) we walked a lot when we weren’t cycling, or

c) we have trouble converting kgs to lbs, or

d) Croatian wine has special weight-reducing properties,or

e) all of the above

Take your pick and make your best case…and excuse us while we return to the table!