Where: Cafe Čokl

What: espresso etc.

His Twitter name multikultivator is spot on: Marko Brumen is an economist, marketing aficionado and cultural manager, but mostly he just makes sure people find themselves at the right time with the right equipment at the right … stage. Or that a project is polished off, finances worked out, audience guaranteed. Štajerska man in Ljubljana, who never drinks beer after wine, has the desire to feel holy from time to time, and wants to cook with Grizzly Adams.

If you compare arts scene in Maribor and Ljubljana, how is it?

Maribor arts scene is fairylike … like Sleeping beauty. Every now and then it is awake like a brave prince, and then falls asleep again. Smaller, more modest, but full of zeal, stubbornness, sturdy, tough. When it hits, it hits real hard … but it takes a while to hit (us). In any case, I feel that the last one who made Maribor teeming with arts virtuosity was, sadly, Tomaž Pandur when he first lead SNG. Apart from that …. we are left only with the short-lived Lent festival and Borštnik theatre festival. And of course Poštna street and stage. Don’t forget Poštna which is becoming gastro-musical heart of Maribor! And I still haven’t given up hopes that one day Pekarna will rise from its ashes …

Beer or wine?

First beer, then wine. Never the other way round. But please, give me something new, not just another random thing. Otherwise I democratically drink what you offer me. But for some reason the hardest thing is to get a decent apple cider: Matic and Adam from Hotavlje … mmm.

Coffee or tea?

Or? Why or? Espresso, please. For endurance I take Assam and »plebby« PG Tips tea bags. Jasmin green tea three times per year, if / when I feel I should get more holy. That doesn’t include bread – although spirals with ocvirki from Kodila don’t count …

Where do you shop for groceries?

Eggs from a family farm/garden, vegetables the same (yep, me very lucky!), meat at a local butcher or straight from koline. Fruit at the market, Assam at Bilja in ?ajEk, PG Tips at Viennese Naschmarkt when I get lucky.

Do you cook for yourself?

You can’t live off 30 different styles of preparing eggs. Therefore, no.

Favourite Ljubljana cafes and restaurants?

Jesus … Striček, no doubt. Horrible location, but eht inn, kudos to them to even exist in Ljubljana. XXI because it is amusing, modest, unpretentious and chilled – dishes and service alike. Sushimama, but only for small, and big celebrations. And jiaozi at 8 min, Chinese take away vis-a-vis train station. Das ist Valter or Sarajevo 84 – at times. Coffee headquarters are at Čokl, followed by Čokl. 🙂 Then Daktari. And LP, because its staff, and coffee too, is suitably freh. SEM because of its patio and Stara elektrarna nearby.

Anything you miss in Ljubljana dining scene?

Street food, take-out food. Cheap and good Turkish, Japanese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Lebanese food. More falafel hubs, sushi delivery a la Maribor Njamisushi, Indian the way Tandoori does. I miss a cheese shop, the real deal. And oh, of course, if only someone at the famers market or in a deli would sell some fantastic rye bread.

If you could, who would you cook with?

Grizzly Adams. He’s a TV dude just like Bear Grylss, but with more style and character. Otherwise whoever wants me for their apprentice!

Thanks for reading!

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