Prague-based podcasters inspire wanderlust through books, travel, and food

For a book lover, finding kindred spirits who share a love for the written word feels like coming home; so does finding a new place that feels strikingly familiar when traveling. The website and podcast Strong Sense of Place is a meeting point for these two feelings.

Its creators Melissa and Dave say that the impetus for both is a belief "in the power of reading to increase empathy – and there's something powerful about stories that are firmly grounded in their place and time." We spoke to them about the impetus for doing what they do, their life in Prague (both Melissa and Dave are originally from the U.S.), their reading routines, favorite bookshops, places to eat, and many other things. 

Melissa: By getting very specific and intimate, stories show us everything. Take family dynamics, for example. The distinct ways parents interact with their children in Vietnam, Russia, and Mexico may differ from each other dramatically – and be very different than American families – but we can all relate to the desire to be loved by our families or to the pain of learning a family secret.

That applies to fun things, too. Food, music, and art are specific to their cultures, but we all have favorite dishes, smells, or images that remind us of home or friends. And then sometimes you learn something new, like the fact that kids in Iran ate Kentucky Fried Chicken in the 1970s, and you think: "Hey! I ate KFC when I was a kid, too."

Melissa: We're very happy to say that our affection for Prague has only deepened in the time we've lived here. It does still feel magical – I feel like I can walk down a street I've walked hundreds of times and still notice some detail in the architecture that's new.

During the lockdown, we went to Vyšehrad every day for a walk and have kept up the habit. I've never known any physical space as well as I know that park, and it's such a joy – watching the magpies soar off the stone walls, looking down on the little ferry boats crossing the river, seeing the trees change from buds to blossoms to leaves to bare branches – it all feels like magic. I think my only complaint is that learning the Czech language is still so difficult, but I keep chipping away at it. 

Dave: There is nothing better than a cold Czech beer and a crispy schnitzel and bramborový salát after a long walk around the city. Větrník? Delicious! And blueberry dumplings. We had blueberry dumplings after snowshoeing up Sněžka, and they were one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life. 

Melissa: The food I love that I always want visitors to try is škvarková pomazánka. With pickles and onions and that soft Czech bread? 100 percent yes to that!

Melissa: When we do an episode of the show, we like to find a restaurant and eat the food from that place. We recently tried the Exotic Tropical Restaurant and Bar because we really needed to eat some jollof rice and stew with Nigerian fufu. It was delicious, and we got to talk to some nice people from Nigeria.

We also just discovered a new-ish bistro for Middle Eastern food: Bistro Habibi in Vyšehrad. My dad is part Lebanese, so I grew up eating hummus, kibbeh, and baba ghanoush, and I can say, the food at Habibi is legit. It's a nice space, too: airy and decorated with old family photos and colorful pillows. Very welcoming.

My favorite place for weekend brunch is Sweet & Pepper Days. Everything is homemade and super fresh, the vibe is really cozy and friendly. I associate that place with sunshine and ordinary days that turn into something special. 

Dave: I love to get the fried pork belly and pak choi at Pho Vietnam Tuan & Lan on Anglická. Their spring rolls are really good, too. You can get a big pile of food from there, then sit on one of the benches in Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad to watch the people and the dogs. 

Melissa: Quick shout-out to great sandwiches – I really like the takeaway sandwiches at the Le Caveau bakery on JZP, too. And Real Meat Society's pork katsu with kimchi or meatloaf sandwich is the stuff Saturday afternoon dreams are made of. 

Melissa: I have a dream to do a bookshop crawl through Prague someday! The Globe is great for well-curated English-language books, of course, and Shakespeare & Sons is a fun place to lose a lot of time picking through the used books for treasures. My favorite thing about that place is the window in the basement that looks right out over the water. Another little bit of Prague magic.

I have a soft spot for Palác Luxor for two reasons: First, when my cookbook Well Fed was published in Czech, I had a book signing there. It was really fun, and everyone was super friendly. And two, their English-language section is quite big, and they have all the very pretty versions of classics that are published in the UK. I like to take visitors to the Knihkupectví and the antikvariát on Spálená because they have a nice mix of old Czech papers and books, plus used English books. 

Dave: I know it's probably a too obvious choice, but Václav Havel is my first pick. And then also Josef Lada and Adolf Born because I love their illustrations so much. Oh! And Karel Zeman because his movies are so delightful. It seems like there would be a lot of creative inspiration at that table. 

Melissa: I agree with all of those choices and would add Božena Němcová and Eliška Krásnohorská so we could talk about what it was like for them to be women writers in the late 19th century. I think I'd throw in Karel Čapek, too. We visited his house that's now a museum, and he had such a fascinating life. 

Melissa: We're visiting Norway for the first time, taking a long train ride through the fjords. We're excited to immerse ourselves in Norse mythology and eat some brown cheese. Then later, we're going to the Spanish beach town of Tarragona to explore the Roman ruins and splash in the sea.

Dave: It's important for our work on the podcast to experience new things that we can share with our audience, and it feels good to "fill the well" with places that are new to us. But we're also pretty big introverts, and we like to revisit places we love. Plus, Paris is always a good idea.

Melissa: We are always reading. Always. The biggest change is that in the summer, we have the windows open and the fan pointed directly at us. And sometimes, we take a blanket to Vyšehrad and read under the trees. But no, we never "read less." If you see us, you will also see a book in our hands.