In the column that he writes for British Guardian singer of planetary popular bend Franz Ferdinand brings up his impressions obtained during short visit in our city. While the rest of the band were having fun till early down in club "Jabuka", with their loyal fans, Alex Kapranos straight after a great concert on Zagreb's šalata went to his room, so he could write an article for Guardian about his visit to Zagreb. Alex mainly brings up his impressions on croatian gastronomy, already in his second sentence he wrote about prosciutto - describing it as unique, and especially stressed out it's saltyness is a way delicious and bearable than it's italian, and spanish relatives. Kapranos remembered his visit to restaurant Sorriso where he, with lots of trouble, tried to say thanks , but, like he says, his hvala sounded "hoovallurgh". Massimo's song that sang in the restaurant, he described as powerful ballad from the 80's, with discernible superiority of consonants, which in his ears sounded like "szjckvcmpscljmj europsoj bajbji". Istrian wine got his approval, but Biska overthrilled him, and, Kapranos concludes, it is a perfect end of a royal dinner. Zagreb as well founded place in the heart of a young singer. "There is a noticeable Austro-Hungarian flavour to the beautiful city, with it's disheveled charm reminds of a tired model arriving home after a heavy night"- he concluded poeticly.

Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand in his ordinary food column in Guardianu described how his belly enjoyed his stay in Zagreb. First he praised prosciutto, dried by wind Bura, which he tried with polenta and truffles. Afterwords, he chewed ravioli, which don't sound to domestic. Writing about Zagreb he said that you can feel Austro-Hungarian flavour, while in restaurant Sorriso he listened to something what sounded to him as power ballad from the 80's, and they explained him it's Massimo. He liked istrian wine, although he fell more on Biska.

ZAGREB Overjoyed with dinner in Zagreb's restaurant Sorriso, frontmen of scotish band Franz Ferdinand, and cook by profession, Alex Kapranos, decided that he's gonna devote at least one column to croatian cousine in british Guardian. While singer exhaled after every course:"fantastic, phenomenal...", he accurately made notes, asking questions about origin of food, the rest of the band night before yesterday gave over delights that owner of the restaurant Robert Bezjak prepared. Croatian wines got all compliments, but special compliments got Biska from Motovun, which literally knock them of their feet.
Hvala... živjeli... doviđenja... bragged Alex with his knowledge of croatian after short lesson on the eve of the concert in šalata.

They said they would love to come for a vacation on our coast, and that they'll come to us to eat. I made a joke and offered Alex to be honorary chef for two days in my restaurant while on vacation, said Bezjak. Istrian specialties specialy thrilled guitarist Nick McCartyj, who, allegedly, perambulated whole Istra with his girlfriend a few years ago. While Alex and Nick were talking, food left Bob Hardy, the bassist, speachless.
Breath, Bob, breath... slowly, his colleagues made fun of him. Scotish rockers walked to the restaurant, and they were thrilled with Zagreb's architecture, as well as a story of ban Jelačić monument. Therefore they spend their free time before the concert sightseing. The stars couldn't pass unheeded on a streets of Zagreb, passers by warmly greeted them, while a few fans asked for autographs.

AuthorŽeljka Vuković Večernji list 04.07.2006

Renaissance of the first expensive Italian restaurant in Zagreb

Souffle with shrimps can compete with any savor in two or three best restaurants in Zagreb, and marinated shrimps in curd belongs to ultimative couverts that are served in Zagreb. With those two small, but delightful rich-elegant dishes, my reinitiation in Sorriso started this Thursday.
Sorriso was opened somewhere at the begining of this century, with clear intention to be superior luxury northern-italian restaurant. Here you have to say that in Zagreb, except one restaurant in the former Intercontinental hotel long time ago, there has never been any pretentious Italian restaurant, but array of trattorias and spaghetterias, that are more or less bareable.
Only Rossini in Vlaška, that just had it's ten anniversary, tried to be involved in serious cooking, but with varying success. Owner of Sorriso employed, absolutely logically, technically perfect italian chef Stefano Cosattini, who keeps Incontro in Frankopanska today.
First year, or two, Sorriso functioned very well: despite high prices, probably highest after hotel Esplanade, and restaurant Marcellino, restaurant was proportionally full, and their guests exit Sorriso satisfied, even overjoyed.
Somewhere on the end of 2003., when Cosattini already left Sorriso, cause of short adventure in Villa Dubrovnik, small Italian restaurant in the cellar of the building on the crossroad of Boškovićeva i Palmotićeva, became favorite spot for Zagreb's social life.
I remember once, while I was having lunch with Ivica Račan( who lives almost across the street from Sorriso), I met a few very powerful people from media, and a group of higher employees from Department of foreign affairs, whose building is just around the corner.
Then, in a combination of circumstances, I haven't been to Sorriso during longer period of time, and when I had dinner with ex Minister of foreign affairs Miomir Žužul, on the end of September 2004., we were the only guests that evening. This is a bad sign for any public place, and the food didn't have anything familiar with the restaurants renown.
And I stoped coming to Sorriso. For a two years solid.
How much I know, I wasn't the only one.
And now I'm gonna be a regular guest, again. Todays Sorriso deserves respect for ambicious, precise, and ellegant cooking, provokes high dosage of hedonism and adrenaline, and ultimately outmatch almost all newly restaurants in Zagreb.
Sorriso's menu is short, almost classical, higher style. Almost every dish provokes curiosity, and appetite: from already mentioned souffle, through carpaccio of beef's tongue, through seductive selection of ideal cooked risottoes, such as scampi risotto with champagne cream, to perfectly presented fillet of flatfish filled with scampi.
Steak with foie gras and white truffle, we had to leave for another timet.
From desserts for now we tried only bavarian cream with chestnuts honey, whose taste vibrated in our mouths two days after our lunch.
Sorriso for the first time since it exists has a very, very solid wine list, which champagne section includes cheaper, but excellent labels of Henri Giraud, and definitely belongs between the best in Zagreb. Sorriso today is a very serious, ambicious restaurant which conceivably excells zagreb's gastronomy standards.
I hope they'll succeed to maintain todays level of cooking.

Writes:D. Butković