{"id":27803,"date":"2026-10-12T19:43:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T17:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flash.hr\/?p=27803"},"modified":"2026-10-13T09:10:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T07:10:33","slug":"puntijarka-who-says-turkey-with-mlinci-and-blood-sausages-dont-go-well-with-sparkling-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flash.hr\/en\/2026\/10\/puntijarka-who-says-turkey-with-mlinci-and-blood-sausages-dont-go-well-with-sparkling-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"Puntijarka – Who says turkey with mlinci and blood sausages don’t go well with sparkling wine?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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People often say, “Things were better before. We shouldn’t have changed anything…!” If everyone followed that logic, we\u2019d never have made it past the caveman stage. The world moves forward thanks to those who implement changes and one such person is the new owner of the restaurant Puntijarka, \u017deljko Brigljevi\u0107 Briglija. He\u2019s a man who has seen the world and he got fed up with watching the crowd in the Dolomites living it up with champagne while the long-suffering people of Croatia were stuck drinking tea from a tea bag.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u017deljko told his family: “We aren’t going to the Seychelles this year. I\u2019ve hired ”Dear Leader Joe” to promote Puntijarka and that costs a fortune. We need a bit of glamour up on Sljeme. I\u2019ve even ordered French sparkling wine just to make sure he shows up. If only I\u2019d stayed in the Communist Party, I\u2019d have a red carpet for him. Now, as it is, I have to humiliate myself in front of one of the biggest tycoons in Croatia.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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It had been raining since early that Saturday morning. I thought to myself: “Is the sky weeping for Yugoslavia? Who would climb Sljeme in weather like this?” Fortunately, my Ukrainian colleague Ekaterina suggested we drive up in her car and Mia and Vana joined us as well. As the ancient Latins would say, “Hannibal ante portas” or in translation: “Better to arrive at Sljeme with three pretty girls than with just one.”<\/div>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Mia, \u017deljko, Dear Leader Joe, Vana i Ekatarina
Photo: Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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I wanted to impress them right away. I said to \u017deljko: “Give me the most expensive thing as an appetizer! Give me the homemade strukli, made with real homemade cow’s milk cheese and full-fat cream… absolutely no trace of margarine.”<\/div>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eating strukli without sparkling wine is like eating a Philly cheesesteak without the steak. For those who don’t know: for a sparkling wine to be called Champagne, it must come from the Champagne region of France. If the exact same wine or even a better one is produced just two meters outside that region, it can no longer be called Champagne; it must be labeled simply as sparkling wine. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s like someone from New Jersey moving to Brooklyn, wearing a Yankees cap, and claiming they\u2019re a ‘born-and-bred New Yorker.’ Look, buddy, you can say ‘tawk’ and ‘cawfee’ all you want, but you\u2019re still from Jersey. To be a real New Yorker, your great-grandparents needed to survive on dollar slices here.<\/span><\/p>\n

But look, that’s like the whole ‘deep dish pizza’ debate. Chicago can complain all they want that Chicago-style is the only real pizza, but deep down, we all know it\u2019s just a lasagna with a crust.”<\/p>\n

\u017deljko quickly realized he could source top-quality French sparkling wines capable of competing with many Champagnes, but at much more affordable prices, since they don’t come from the Champagne region. P.S. There is one Champagne in the photo, too. Expose JUDAS.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At Puntijarka, you can order sparkling wine by the glass for ”5\u20136 euros” or a whole bottle for just around 40 euros. Something doesn’t have to be expensive to be good, nor does it have to be cheap to be bad \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Vana I Mia
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Ekatarina
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The strukli vanished just like Slaven Bili\u0107\u2019s hope that the football match against England would end with fewer than five goals conceded. The difference, however, was that these strukli didn\u2019t leave a bitter taste in the mouth.<\/span><\/p>\n

We told \u017deljko we were all in training so he should put together a modest platter for us. Just a little bit of everything: turkey with *mlinci* (flatbread strips), mashed potatoes, breaded chicken, sauerkraut, polenta, roast pork, Samobor-style steak, fresh pork sausages, venison goulash, a bit of buckwheat stew, and some salad for a splash of color. No need to go overboard with anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vana\u2019s gaze was Mongol-sensual, yet as mysterious as a nightstand.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Vana
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Who says turkey with *mlinci* and blood sausages don’t go well with sparkling wine? Admittedly, there were no blood sausages since it’s not the season yet, but they’ll be here soon \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For traditionalists, the menu at Puntijarka remains unchanged. They\u2019ll be adding salt cod and squid stew to the lineup and they even have a cake warmer so you\u2019ll never be able to complain that the cake is ” as cold as a whore’s heart.” Prices have remained nominal, with most dishes costing between 6 and 10 euros. \u017deljko emphasized that Puntijarka is set to become a zero-waste restaurant, though I\u2019m not here to promote saving the world, just myself \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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While we were waiting for the cakes, Vana asked me to take a photo of her in the new pants she had sewn herself. They are part of the new clothing brand she\u2019s launching. She insisted that everything looks\u00a0 as spontaneous as a miscarriage, so it wouldn’t look like a paid ad \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Vana
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Vana
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u017deljko mentioned that their selection of cakes includes walnut roll, poppy seed roll, pineapple and apricot strudel, apple strudel, apple and plum strudel, sour cherry strudel, cheese strudel, Me\u0111imurje layer cake… I told him not to bother listing them all, but just to bring everything to the table \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After this adventure, I’m changing my nickname to FAT JOE \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n

Ekatarina and Mia rebelled after the cake, but not because there was too little cake. Mia said: “You only took pictures of Vana in nature, and you skipped us.” The fact that she was satisfied with the quality of the coffee and the amount of milk in it for the first time in a while did not help either.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Mia
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I explained in vain that Vana was promoting clothing. Ekatarina added: “Either you take photos of us, too, or you walk down from Sljeme.” Not even Zelenski threatened Putin like that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pixi the cat couldn’t believe his feline ears.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Pixi
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Ekatarina
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Mia
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In a show of solidarity with the working class, I decided to have a beer, or as the locals call it, “champagne for the poor.” Puntijarka has a contract with Zagreba\u010dka pivovara, so their selection includes O\u017eujsko, Beck’s, Griff, Franziskaner, Staropramen, Tomislav, Vukovarsko, and more; yet, out of all those options, I opted for the patriotic choice: Madri. Yo soy Jose \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme
Photo: Dear Leader Joe, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Puntijarka – Sljeme – Dear Leader Joe
Photo: Vana, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They also offer non-alcoholic beverages, but my faith forbids me from publishing them.<\/span><\/p>\n

What message to leave you with? Whatever you do, don’t head to Sljeme on a Monday or Tuesday, as Puntijarka is closed then. From Wednesday through Sunday, feel free to make your way up, whether on foot, by cable car, or by car and enjoy the delights of traditional Croatian cuisine amidst the fresh mountain air.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the smile of a man who transferred his savings meant for the Seychelles into the Dear Leader Joe’s account. You, too, can have a smile like this if you get in touch with me and transfer a hefty sum in euros. It\u2019s the least I can do for you \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n

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Puntijarka – Sljeme – \u017deljko Brigljevi\u0107 Briglija and Dear Leader Joe
Photo: Vana, Flash.hr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

#Withturkeyagainstcaviar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Author: Josip Novosel aka the poor man\u2019s Vin Diesel, self-proclaimed Dear Leader Joe, recreational spell-caster from \u010cu\u010derje, corresponding member of the magazine *Tea Bags for Everyone, Champagne Only for Them!*, friend of the wealthy, and above all a human being, and only then a tycoon and Gastro Snob.<\/span><\/p>\n

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www.instagram.com\/dearleaderjoe<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dearleaderjoe<\/a><\/p>\n

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@dearleaderjoe.official<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n