Torcida, mecca of Janjetina even if you prefer Dinamo

For a lot of my local Croatian friends, their favorite part of Moon Croatia and Slovenia (Moon Handbooks) is the piece I wrote on Janjetina (p. 191) – that’s lamb on a spit for anyone who hasn’t read it. The restaurant Torcida, in Donje Polje, made me a convert. The other week, when we were in Primosten which is nearby, I surprised my husband by suggesting we stop in for lunch.

I think after knowing me for eighteen years, he can’t quite accept the fact I actually LIKE janjetina now.

Anyway, we were grateful to Google Maps for getting us there way quicker than the roundabout route we usually take. I was worried it was closed because on all the previous occasions I’ve been there on a summer weekend, we had a bit of a time parking. But the recession has definitely hit, or else we entered some parallel universe because the restaurant was empty the first 30 minutes we were there.

The food was still wonderful in the way the best Croatian food is – simple but high-quality and well-prepared. However, there was a key piece missing – the crazy painting of the Mona Lisa smoking which I have always thought was quite apropos for a janjetina restaurant. Back home, a good Southern barbecue restaurant is nothing without a nod to our self-deprecating humor. My favorite – Country Cousins, now defunct, had a large picture of two decked-out pigs kissing.

Anyway, we were very disappointed to say the least. Tomo (my husband) mentioned it to the waiters and sweet guys they were, unpacked it from a storage closet so we could have a picture with it. So here it is, in case anyone doesn’t believe me, proof this crazy picture exists. Personally, I think Torcida should put it back or at least find something equally humorous. What about you?