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Serbian Crown, Russian and French in Great Falls - Owners René and Tatyana Bertagna on Walker Road - Closed


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Don, I've searched as best I can, but I can't find any Serbian Crown thread. If there is one, though, I won't be insulted if this gets moved.

There's a coupon (GroupOn/AmazonLocal - one of those) for Serbian Crown today. My colleague perused the menu and commented to be about all the game. There's antelope, emu, venison, rabbit, boar....AND LION Is this even legal? Could it be "loin" of something and not "lion"? There are several typos and poor grammar throughout the online menu, so "loin" would certainly be more likely.

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Don, I've searched as best I can, but I can't find any Serbian Crown thread, but if there is one, I won't be insulted if this gets moved.

There's a coupon (GroupOn/AmazonLocal - one of those) for Serbian Crown today. My colleague perused the menu and commented to be about all the game. There's antelope, emu, venison, rabbit, boar....AND LION Is this even legal? Could it be "loin" of something and not "lion"? There are several typos and poor grammar throughout the online menu, so "loin" would certainly be more likely.

I don't remember anyone ever writing about Serbian Crown here (Serbian Crown is the "original" coupon restaurant - they've been running specials for what seems like 30 years).

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I don't remember anyone ever writing about Serbian Crown here (Serbian Crown is the "original" coupon restaurant - they've been running specials for what seems like 30 years).

 

WaPo confirms LION. (bold is my emphasis)

The Scene: A small vodka-and-piano bar attached to the Serbian Crown restaurant, the baroquely decorated Serbian Crown caters to Great Falls' 40-and-over demographic with sing-along piano nights and dancing to live jazz and oldies music.

In Your Glass: The vodka list stretches to at least 40 options. Look for the house-infused versions with honey, pepper and seasonal berries.

On Your Plate: The menu is strong on game, but look out for truly exotic seasonal options: antelope, ostrich, emu -- even lion. Seriously. Lion.

Need to Know: Friday's sing-along piano night is not for the timid. A solid band of regulars has been coming for years, and they've worked up dance routines -- with props -- for songs like "Baby It's Cold Outside." The songbook itself is a relic from long ago: Think "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey" and musical selections that pretty much stop at "My Fair Lady." It can be intimidating to join in, even though the lyrics are in front of you.

Price Points: Cocktails range from $10 to $18, with champagne-based drinks at the top of the list.

-- Fritz Hahn (February 2008)

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Have never been here but I have one friend...just one...who always recommends this place to me. A big part of his (significant) enthusiasm is that they serve all kinds of "exotic"game. He loves the place and, while I'm not totally sure how much I align with his overall restaurant compass, he does routinely like the places that I favor. Anyway, the exotic game thing didn't so much persuade me but I haven't purposely avoided it either. Just hasn't been a priority.

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I dated a fellow many many years ago who took me to Serbian Crown a couple of times, which surprised me because he drank very little and was a timid eater. Chicken Kiev and tea for him was as wild as it got. I tried the wild boar with cherries one time (extremely lean and, as a result, poorly cooked as a braise), and I have no idea what game dish I went with the second time. I do remember that is the only place I've been to where the lady's menu did not list prices.

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I do remember that is the only place I've been to where the lady's menu did not list prices.

I can't remember the last time I was at a restaurant here in the US that had a "lady's menu" -- is there such a thing (perhaps excepting Serbian Crown) in our area today? Clearly, a place that may on occasion serve lion (I'd heard that separately as well) and has a lady's menu is a different kind of restaurant blink.gif

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So, where does all the game come from? Are there meat distributors who contract with US game preserves? Are all these animals farmed? Are there people raising lions and antelope for food? Are some pieces of meat (specifically, lion) from overseas?

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So, where does all the game come from? Are there meat distributors who contract with US game preserves? Are all these animals farmed? Are there people raising lions and antelope for food? Are some pieces of meat (specifically, lion) from overseas?

Lion (among other exotic meats animals) is farmed in Texas, if memory serves.

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I can't remember the last time I was at a restaurant here in the US that had a "lady's menu" -- is there such a thing (perhaps excepting Serbian Crown) in our area today?

Chivalry is dead. sad.gif

I dated a fellow many many years ago who took me to Serbian Crown a couple of times, which surprised me because he drank very little and was a timid eater.

He had a coupon. smile.gif

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Lion (among other exotic meats animals) is farmed in Texas, if memory serves.

Lions are not endangered and breed well in captivity. Excess offspring were an ongoing issue in the South African preserves and parks we visited last year. It takes a lot of land to support a lion pride, and having lions tends to make the other game less plentiful, not necessarily a good thing when your tourists are wanting to see lots of animals. So I'm not a bit surprised to learn that here in the US people are finding a a new outlet for their excess lions. In South Africa, they get shipped off to canned hunting parks where people pay a fortune for the privilege of shooting a lion that may well be imprinted on humans. I'm guessing that we just don't have enough demand for that here to use the entire supply and thus they're ending up on plates.

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Carnivorous mammals being used for food by humans--that's very nearly unheard of in Western/European cultures, as far as I know, and fairly uncommon among civilized people generally. The one big exception I can think of is dogs being eaten in east Asia. Surely they're not serving lion meat at the Serbian Crown. I find that very far on the far side of far-fetched. Nobody anywhere eats cats, do they? They may eat cat-food if the Republicans have their way, but not cat.

On the other hand, I had no idea that the Serbian Crown still existed. It used to be sort of a destination, albeit one I was never destined for. I haven't seen it mentioned for twenty years or more.

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... Surely they're not serving lion meat at the Serbian Crown. I find that very far on the far side of far-fetched. Nobody anywhere eats cats, do they? They may eat cat-food if the Republicans have their way, but not cat.

On the other hand, I had no idea that the Serbian Crown still existed. It used to be sort of a destination, albeit one I was never destined for. I haven't seen it mentioned for twenty years or more.

Not only still exists. Even has a website here. Can click on the link for "menu" at top and then "complete dinner menu" before scrolling down to the "scaloppini of lion" entree under "wild game." It's not a typo. Plenty of blog posts and even the 2008 WaPo review referenced upthread mention it.

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Carnivorous mammals being used for food by humans--that's very nearly unheard of in Western/European cultures, as far as I know, and fairly uncommon among civilized people generally.

I suspect that the lack of lion eating has little to do with whether or not people are "civilized" and a lot to do with the fact that it's a lot easier to raise animals that aren't inclined to eat one one another, their keeper and the other livestock.

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I suspect that the lack of lion eating has little to do with whether or not people are "civilized" and a lot to do with the fact that it's a lot easier to raise animals that aren't inclined to eat one one another, their keeper and the other animals.

If you're dumber than me, slower than me, and you taste good, pass the salt. - Anthony Bourdain on animals ...

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I ate at Serbian Crown once, maybe eight or nine years ago, with a group of six or eight people, I think. What I remember most was something like a pretentious, faux old-money-European man-cave ambiance, as well as the fact that they were out of at least half the exotic meats on the menu. And there was a large vodka list.

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I can't remember the last time I was at a restaurant here in the US that had a "lady's menu" -- is there such a thing (perhaps excepting Serbian Crown) in our area today? Clearly, a place that may on occasion serve lion (I'd heard that separately as well) and has a lady's menu is a different kind of restaurant blink.gif

Chivalry is dead. sad.gif

Or perhaps just gender stereotypes are?

A "guest's menu" would be cool though.

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My addled memory recalls imbibing fruit flavored vodkas - not the crap Absolut with tinted bubblegum flavor, but real berries in the damn bottle mixed with triple sec and fermented flavor flav flowing throught the icy glass - are offered here.

I once spent many a early night tippling their most excellentvodkas ice cold and it was hightlight. Food bleh but the booze back in the day when Sergei was buying was (still is?) molto pasiba.

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Or perhaps just gender stereotypes are?

A "guest's menu" would be cool though.

About 12 years ago I was treating some friends to dinner at a (then) very well regarded restaurant. When calling to make the reservation, I asked if they could print "white menus" for my guests. I had to explain what that meant, though I admit to being young enough that I had never actually seen a white menu in use.

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Unlike some of the reports I post, this one can be short.

I'd never have gone here were it not for friends who really like the place and, after letting us choose restaurants for the past dozen or so outings, chose this one. My own preferences are such that lion, even emu and other reported features like surly service, ladies menus and high prices would keep me away left to my own devices. So, with very low expectations and expecting to feel outright fleeced upon departure, we went tonight and four of us were seated in the side room.

Service was surprisingly friendly but a bit disorganized, Wrong menus at first, no offer for dessert at the end. Other examples not worth citing.

Butterscotch vodka was interesting and drinkable. Food was better than awful. Okay even. But with mains mostly priced at $35, clearly overpriced. Heavy sauces. Nearly all red-meat proteins medallionised. Etc, etc.

Definitely a very unique, quirky and eccentric place out in the middle-of-nowhere-Great Falls. Not nearly as bad as I'd feared it would be but also not a place I'd recommend to anyone. Unless they're really jonesing for lion, in which case I wouldn't know where else to send them. Don might know. :D

That is all.

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