Dish No. 97: Hospoda’s Rabbit in Aspic

Welcome to the 2011 Edition of 100 Dishes to Eat Now, Fork in the Road’s handy list of some of our favorite dishes — old standbys and new finds alike. Over the ensuing weeks, we’ll be counting down our beloved eats, all leading up to our Best of 2011 issue.

Terrines can be hit-or-miss dishes. If done right, they’re a great balance of tender meat and savory jelly. Done poorly, they can taste like a mouthful of boogery slime. Thankfully, the rabbit in aspic at Hospoda, the new “modern” Czech restaurant adjacent to that country’s embassy, falls into the first category.

Listed as an appetizer on the $32 two-course set menu, the terrine is a hunkering portion of shredded rabbit inlaid in a rich, salty, meaty aspic. The version we sampled a couple weeks ago was topped with lightly pickled shredded carrots and with micro-herbs, though the restaurant changes its menu frequently. The new topping now seems to be white cabbage and apple. In any event, this tasty plate isn’t your grandmother’s aspic. And that’s a very good thing.