…..with 10 of my closest friends…..
…..in Budapest…..
Actually….they were my only friends in Budapest. And……actually, they weren’t friends until the “meeting” part of the “eating” experience. But, we quickly became comrades as we were “wined and dined” at the “Meet and Eat” dining experience in Budapest. The 11 of us gathered in the condo of a local Budapest “foodie” and were served a “real” Hungarian meal prepared in her own kitchen. Not only did we learn about the nuances of Hungarian cuisine, but we also connected with other “foodie” travelers.
What a great concept!
I have to say that the first part of the adventure had nothing to do with the food. It was all about finding the condo where we would have dinner. One of my rules as a woman traveling solo is that I don’t stray too far from the hotel at night by myself. The location of this dinner was not close to the hotel. I would need to get a taxi to go there, and I had no idea where “there” was. All I knew is that it would take me about 15 minutes to get “there”. I considered the wisdom of attempting this on my own. But, in the end decided that I would take as many precautions as possible and forge ahead. I had the hotel help me with a trusted taxi service and was on my way.
The driver and I motored a long way out of town on the highway. Then, we went through an industrial section. With the passing of each generic building, I, again, began to wonder whether it was a good decision to do this on my own. I knew the condo was near the Danube. I didn’t see anything that even resembled the Danube. No water at all. I even mentioned it to the driver, who was perplexed by this, too. Finally, we pulled up behind a condo building. As I peeked around the corner of the building I could see the Danube and also a sign for a Yacht club
OK. This was more like it.
I had been given specific directions on how to access the condo. They were like the cryptic directional clues that add to the tension in a good spy novel. I was provided a code for general access to the building. Then, I would need another code for the elevator to get to the correct floor. After that, I would locate the number of the apartment and knock 3 times to get in…just kidding…..ha! The building itself also had that institutional type of bland architecture, just like the other buildings I had passed on the way. It was a grey, concrete block style structure. I entered the cavernous lobby and checked in with a man behind a desk who was monitoring visitors.
It was creepy.
The elevator was big enough for just about 4 people, and it was dark. I punched in the code. When I reached the designated floor, I emerged from the elevator into a dim hallway. I could barely see. When my eyes adjusted, I looked around. What I could see was a linoleum floor below me, and a series of mops and buckets lined up in a corner. The hallway was lined with metal doorways that had tiny apartment numbers etched on them.
As I walked tentatively along, I made up a story about a gangster who would pop out and take me to a torture room. He would shine a spotlight on me as I sat, tied up in a chair in the middle of a bare room and grill me for information that I would not be able to provide.
Oh no…..!!!
I have seen way too many crime TV shows…..adds to the angst on activities like this.
Anyway, just as I was thinking about turning back, I found a way to get light in the hallway. Whew! I located the apartment and went in. Everyone was assembled in the living room and was having a shot of “Palinka”, the local liquor that is used as an aperitif. After the adventure of getting there, I decided I deserved to have a small libation. So, I joined in.
It was the start of a memorable evening.
This unique experience is the brainchild of Suzie Golbach, a local Budapest “foodie” whose mission is to transform your thoughts about Hungarian food. It’s not just goulash and paprika, and she wants you to know that. Suzie, and her gracious parents who were her trusty assistants, took us on a culinary adventure that none of us would soon forget. Suzie was our gracious host and food educator for the evening.
Her mother prepared the meal…
…and her father made sure that the 3-course dinner we were served moved along at a nice pace. He also made sure that our wine glasses were full with the carefully selected local wines. The 11 of us gathered in the windowed dining room and found a seat at their dining room table. We watched the sun setting over the Danube….
…..as we stuffed ourselves silly for the next 3 hours. As we dined, Suzie told us about each item we ate and the part it plays in the Hungarian food culture.
Hungary is a very agricultural country, so there were plenty of vegetables with each course. There was plenty of meat, too. But, I hadn’t had too many vegetables up to that point. So, I assumed it was a culture of all meat and not much else. But, this is not so.
We were served a plate of 4 small appetizers.
The only thing I had trouble eating was the one with the “head cheese”. It’s not actually cheese made of brains, which is what the name implies. But, is instead a spread made of pork cracklings. I tried it, but it wasn’t my favorite. Perhaps if it had another name, it would be easier to get down. I’m not sure. The rest of the small bites were quite tasty.
Our first course was soup made of celery root. Per Suzie, this is typical vegetable used in Hungarian cuisine. The soup was prepared, I think, with a chicken stock base. It was light and delicious.
The main course was a chicken leg stuffed with something. I don’t know exactly what. It is a secret recipe of Suzie’s mother. The best I can say is that there was some bread, some sausage and some peas in there. But, whatever it was, it was certainly delicious and ample. The leg was served with parsley potatoes and fresh asparagus, which was in season when I was in Budapest. I had it with almost every meal, which was OK with me!
We were not served anything with paprika on or in it. Per Suzie, although paprika is touted as a Hungarian spice, it is not widely used by the locals in their cooking. Very surprising.
Dessert was a yummy vanilla cake. This particular cake is the favorite for special occasions. It was paired with the famous Tokaj wine, which is generally sweet. This wine wasn’t sweet, though. It was a dry wine, which was a perfect pairing for the cake.
It was a great way to end the evening.
My journey back to the hotel was much less dramatic than the ride to the condo. I’m glad. With my tummy now full and my head spinning from the wine, I don’t think I could have figured myself out of a difficult situation. Or…….maybe that would have helped me. It’s hard to say. What I can say is that I’m glad I didn’t have to find out! I’m also glad that I made the effort to do this. What a fun way to end the day!
Travel With Betsy 
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