Our hotel in Juodkrantė did not serve breakfast, so on our first full day on the Curonian Spit, we went to a hotel/restaurant nearby that Julia had found online. We went there for almost every meal thereafter.
Juodasis Kalnas (“Black Mountain”) offered morning buffets or a-la-carte ordering and hearty, but sophisticated, fare.
Photos in the gallery below show mushroom risotto, duck breast, ham and cheese omelets, squid, and more. The pairing of drinks in the gallery was beer for me and kvass for Julia. Kvass is a traditional Eastern European fermented beverage which has as its main ingredient rye bread. While fermented, kvass has very low alcohol levels (0.05-1.55 percent).
We had one of those “small world” moments at Juodasis Kalnas, with a twist. In Berlin, waiting for our flight to Vilnius, we had sat across the aisle in the waiting area from a young man, who asked if we were Americans. Chatting, we learned he had been born in Lithuania, but came to the U.S. at the age of five and lived with his family in upstate New York. He was visiting family in Lithuania. As we boarded the flight, we wished each other well. A few nights later, eating at the restaurant, we noticed a family group at a nearby table. Suddenly, one of the family members got up and walked over to our table. Yup, same young man as in Berlin. This time, we learned his name was “Chris.” We figure we’ll run into him someday in San Diego.
At a different lunch location, Julia ordered her usual still water. This brand, I guess, could be considered ultra-skim.
