In what appears to have been a caretaker’s little residence on the grounds of what was the Duke of Courland’s summer Rundale Palace is the restaurant Rezidence. I went to this laid-back, but still elegant bistro-style eatery on what was for Latvia a rare, luxuriously warm and sunny day in the fall. I was happy to be hosted to experience it.
They are both kid-friendly and dog-friendly!
Rezidence takes pride in serving — and selling for take-home — locally produced goat cheese from “Celmi” and their own pesto.
I sat outside and ordered the “salad of the day”, composed of many of Latvia’s favorite seasonal ingredients of that time: apple, mixed greens, berries, berry sauce, grilled goat cheese, red peppers, cucumbers, yellow cherry tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, sea buckthorn sauce and house made pesto. In Latvia, they love their northern berries and include them in dishes both sweet and savory. Grilling the mild cheese gives interest.
I had seen on a couple of local menus potato pancakes with salmon and I decided to dive in! The pancakes were crispy, while the salmon was silky, fresh and mild. It was plated with cherry tomatoes, berries, black olives, lemon, pickled pearl onions, cucumber ribbons, lettuce. I learned elsewhere that potato pancakes with salmon were served at the Latvia booth at the Smithsonian Folkways Fest in D.C. as representative of the country’s cuisine.
Luxe & Down-Home Cuisine/Culture/Travel/Style 