contributors: erik d'amato
Mar 10 '10
How About Some Czech, Mate?
Among the many reasons why I am a Very Special Person is that (drumroll) I actually like Czech food. No, I'm not making a joke at the expense of Central Europe's most scoffed-at cuisine. Maybe it's because I lived...
Feb 22 '10
New Culinary Gurus to Tackle Eternal Tokaj-Tikka Masala Mystery This Thursday in Budapest
Longtime readers may have wondered why we haven't seen more from our esteemed contributor Carolyn Bánfalvi. Well, in addition to all her various book projects and children, she and her husband/collaborator Gábor have also been busy with a new...
Feb 09 '10
Why Are Budapest's Best Chinese Restaurants Always Halfway to Hunan?
We've got a lot of tasty stuff coming up over the next few days, but before we get to that let me quickly follow up on my recent post bemoaning the distance you have to travel from central Budapest...
Jan 06 '10
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade. Same With Hungary, Liver and Terrine de Foie Gras.
While for some reason I managed to avoid adding the traditional kilo or two during this year's holiday break, it wasn't for a lack of trying. Seriously. Like many foreign foodies living in Hungary, I regularly enjoy dishes made...
Dec 08 '09
Most! a Most Welcome Addition to the Budapest Restaurant Scene
According to one of my colleagues over at the drink-focused Pestiside.hu, the recently-opened Most! is a most welcome addition to the Budapest bar scene. Good news! And it gets better, because in my view it's an equally welcome addition...
Nov 24 '09
Some People in Budapest Are More Serious About North American Seafood Traditions Than You Might Think
Despite being the nephew of a Maine lobsterman and an all-around shellfish nut, for some reason I never made to any of the previous gala "Canadian" lobster dinners hosted by the local Canadian Chamber of Commerce before this last...
Oct 19 '09
Oh What I Wouldn't Give Right Now for Some Traditional Hungarian Chili Dogs and Deep-Fried Pickles
They say you learn a new thing every day, and here's what I learned today: The best - or at least most punishing - hot dog in America may be of Hungarian origin. Via this recent blog post on...
Oct 13 '09
Usual Hamming Around, Unusual Ham at This Year's Pálinka and Kolbász Festival
So just a quick follow-up to my post last week urging everyone to attend the big Budavári Pálinka- és Kolbászfesztivál, which was, as I promised, exactly as a sausage and fruit brandy festival should be. But while there were...
Oct 06 '09
"Winemaker of the Year" Gets Booby Prize for Doctoring Wine
I've always been pretty dubious of the whole "winemaker of the year" business in Hungary, on the assumption that it is as much an award for good PR and connections as good wine. And now I'm vindicated! Last Thursday, regional...
Aug 14 '09
First Look: The Emporio Armani Caffé
It's been so long since I first saw the "coming soon" signs for the long-promised Emporio Armani Caffé (follow link for contact details and user info) that I was slightly startled when a friend told me it had finally...
Jul 30 '09
Today's Exciting Korean Group Food Porn Brought to You by Arirang
I was just sitting down to write a review of District III Korean restaurant Arirang (follow link for contact details and user feedback) when something occurred to me: I don't know anything about Korean food. Okay, sure, I've eaten...
Jul 10 '09
Special Lunch Specials: Salad with Shrimp and Sea Bass with Veggies, Ft 1,200 @ Central Kávéház
We're back! I'd apologize for the lack of posting, but will be dishing out enough juicy tidbits over the coming days to more than make up for it. While there are some longer, multi-visit reviews and other items pending,...
Jun 29 '09
Food Warnings (II): My Friend Just LOVED Tesco's Sale Tenderloin
While we're on the topic of tainted food being withdrawn from the shelves of Hungarian retailers, I might as well mention a related incident I experienced first-hand this past Saturday. On the way out to my little countryside spot...
Jun 19 '09
Maltese Café Chain Expands to Budapest as Budapest Curry-Wallah Decamps to Malta
Even though the global recession has probably taken a bite out of restaurant revenues in every country around the world, in all of these markets there are no doubt some in the business who think the picture is much...
Jun 12 '09
Dolce Osteria is Sweet!
Customary apologies for taking my sweet time between reviews, but I'm currently stuck on the idea that restaurants should be visited more than once before being subjected to a big write-up. So before getting started, I will saw that...
May 29 '09
Is Stand Bistro the Budapest Restaurant We've All Been Sitting Around Waiting For?
As I argued a while back, Hungary's ongoing - or at least looming - "restaurant apocalypse" may not be such a bad thing, as there is plenty of dead wood in the national eatery trade that deserves to be...
May 13 '09
The Bizarre Coolness of the New Művész Café
Even though I live quite nearby, and love classic old cafés, until last night it had been quite a while since I'd stopped in at the Művész Kávéház, one of Budapest's handful of genuine "landmark" cafés. At some point...
May 08 '09
Is There Anything Closer to a New York Pizza Parlor in Budapest Than This? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Even though I grew up going to family events with people who could have walked straight off the set of the Godfather - Grandma D'Amato warming the escarole pie on the radiator while Uncle Rocky teased Cousin Johnny about...
Apr 24 '09
Okay, Yes, Costes is Among the Best
With just a few irregular contributors and no real official budget to speak of, this editor is not going to apologize for failing to review every new or notable restaurant in Budapest. But if I was going to act...
Apr 15 '09
Does a Better Budapest Really Need the Best of Belgium?
One of the most common conversations that seems to take place among Budapesters keen on international cuisine is the seemingly random distribution of different national "kitchens" around the capital. Why are there a half-dozen Indian restaurants in a relatively...
Mar 20 '09
Smiling Through the Hungarian Restaurant Closing Apocalypse
If you live in Hungary, you don't need to read the newspapers to know that an increasing number of restaurants in the country are either closing down, or in obvious financial distress. Indeed, when I went looking yesterday for...
Mar 18 '09
Grandmasters of Wine (II): Why Every Hungarian Waiter Should Have Lunch at the Kempinski
Monday's post about the Bortársaság's "Wine Academy" reminded me to follow up on a related story I've been sitting on for a while. Back in January, I heard that the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest had just finished putting the...
Feb 24 '09
Closing Time (I): Lou-Lou Aimed for the Michelin Stars, Fell to Earth
Last March I wrote a piece entitled "For Now, Lou-Lou (and Hungary) Will Have to Settle for the Top 33" about how a high-end Budapest restaurant that had been openly pining for a Michelin "star" would have to console...
Feb 20 '09
Much-Maligned Bikavér Shines in Mixed Blind
Speaking of Bikavér-bashing, an interesting brouhaha recently broke out over a high-end version of Eger's most famous red made by Gróf Buttler. Setting it off was this post on Index.hu's Művelt Alkoholista blog, in which the writer wondered whether...
Feb 06 '09
Mangalica Mania (II): Champagne, Caviar and Pig Grease
Speaking of Mangalica mania, I recently sampled a very interesting product made from Hungary's favorite "luxury" pig. The jar of "pumpkin seed Mangalica fat with truffles" you see nearby is made by a firm called Aranyszarvas-Gomba Kft (Golden Stag...
Feb 04 '09
Blind Justice (II): Surprise Survivor Triumphs in Taste of Top '97s
While "blind" wine tastings may be the new rage among Hungarian wine fans, I and a small group of discriminating Budapest boozers have actually been doing them for years. I haven't ever written one up for the simple reason...
Feb 02 '09
Oh, Great - Now I Get to Give Culinaris Even More Money...
While most of the restaurant news in Budapest so far this year has involved places closing down, there has been at least one notable opening: the "luncheonette" attached to the Culinaris gourmet shop which opened late last summer near...
Jan 26 '09
Hungarian Fruit Brandy Loses Ground to Vegetables and Coffee, Gains on Diesel
A quick bit of advice to anyone pondering opening a store that exclusively stocks pálinka or a restaurant with a similarly obsessive devotion to fruit brandy: it probably won't work. Over the last few months I have seen several...
Jan 23 '09
I Went on Vacation in America and All I Got Was this Fake Hungarian Salami
Sorry for the lapse in posting, but your dear editor (that would be me) was away for a few weeks visiting the United States. As usual, my visit to America involved numerous trips to local food shops, to partake...
Jan 13 '09
A New Golden Age for Aranyszarvas?
Like food itself, restaurant reviews are perishable, meaning that after a certain period of time they always go off. In some cases, though, a review can remain valid for years. Back in the summer of 1998, for example, a...
Dec 22 '08
The Babel About Budapest (II): Blog Blab Mixed on Babel Delikát
Regular readers may have noticed a flurry of recent comments on this site from folks who claim I and my co-authors don't know anything about food, and are thus unqualified to review restaurants. (You can "enjoy" some of the...
Dec 12 '08
Luxury, Lost
Usually I like to end the week here with something nice for readers to chew over. But unfortunately today is not one of those days, as I have the distinct displeasure of reporting that longtime Chew "Top 33" member...
Nov 07 '08
I Have a Hunch this is the Best Hotel Brunch in Hungary
It is currently around 3:00 p.m on a Friday, which means that lots of local foodies are right now busy pondering where to go out for dinner over the weekend. But a smaller subset of these avid eaters will...
Nov 05 '08
An Olympic Achievement in Culinary Invention
The two most recent restaurant reviews I've written on this site - of glamorous Japanese dining spot Kyoto and the more humble Chinese eatery Wang Mester Konyhája - were both very positive, but prefaced with lots of grumbling about...
Oct 27 '08
Master Wang Masters the Top 33
As I wrote in my review last week of Kyoto, posting has been light as of late in part because of a general sense of "blahs" about the local dining scene I have recently been experiencing. Another reason is...
Oct 20 '08
No Real Reason to Say No to Kyoto
Regular readers will notice that this site has of late been pretty bereft of proper restaurant reviews. There are a few reasons for this, but the biggest is that the chief editor - that would be me - has...
Oct 09 '08
Actually, Do You Have any Frozen Fish on the Menu Today?
Though the above pic won't come as a shock to most long-time Budapesters, I still get a thrill (or a chill) whenever I see people "cityfishing" in the middle of town. I saw these horgászok while taking a little...
Sep 26 '08
Breakfast of Champions: The Két Szerecsen Bundáskenyér / Bécsi Virsli Combo
Among the restaurants that have been on our "Top 33" list for a long time without a proper review is District VI bistro Két Szerecsen (follow link for contact details and user feedback). That will have to wait, as...
Sep 25 '08
Some Blessed Ice Cream at the Basilica
With the sun having just popped its head over the clouds and the long and grim winter already on the horizon, now's a good time to pop out for a nice tasty ice cream. If that logic makes sense...
Sep 22 '08
Hunt Continues for Elusive Killer Serb in Budapest
Today's earlier review of a supposedly great Balkan restaurant up in Szentendre has left me feeling really hungry for food from the meat-mad lands just south of Hungary, and pondering this question: with Serbia so close, and so many...
Sep 19 '08
These Tipsy Peasants Think You Don't Have the Nerve to Come to Tomorrow's Csákberény Wine Festival
And neither do I! But just in case you want to see what a real village wine festivals is like - as opposed to those fancy-pants things in Budapest - a good example will be taking place tomorrow from...
Sep 19 '08
Culinaris Opens Third Gourmet Store; Putting Final Touches on "Second Fastest" Restaurant in Budapest
Anyone who knows anything much about fancy food in Budapest will already know about Culinaris (click link for contact details and user feedback), the locally-owned chain of gourmet food stores that began with humble roots in District VI before...
Sep 12 '08
10 Reasons to Get Your Sleepy Behind Up on Saturday Morning and Go to the MOM Organic Market
We should have written this article at the beginning of the summer, not the end. But since autumn is also a time when Mother Nature is at her most productive, produce-wise, it's still a fine time to sing the...
Sep 10 '08
The Easy Exoticism of Magyar Arabesque
For internationally-minded foodies living in Hungary, the soaring cost of eating out is only one stomach-churning problem. Even if you do your culinary traveling at home, you have to deal with the hassle and often eye-popping costs involved in...
Sep 09 '08
Not to Mention Stagger, Gurgle and Groan
In case you were wondering how last Thursday's inaugural Bitch, Moan and Wine Society tasting was, the answer is… hell, I can't exactly remember. Hahahah - no, seriously: This was a very solid start to what I hope becomes...
Sep 01 '08
Hungary's Most Predictably Boring Wine Award Awarded
Wine buffs in the English-speaking world often refer to unexpectedly great bottles as "sleepers." But the other, more traditional use of the word "sleep" might be better employed to describe my reaction to the oh-so-predictable announcement last week that Vylyan...
Aug 01 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: We May Have a Loser!
Since we've just published a review of what may well end up to be the winner of the Budapest Burgerwar™, it seems fitting to pair it with a review of a burger that has a good change of coming...
Jul 30 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: The Farger Brutál Burger
Even when not pitted against others in a savage competition like the Budapest Burgerwar™, restaurateurs often give dishes with lots of animal protein names that make them not only big, but big and mean. The local burgermeister which seems...
Jul 25 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: The Claro Texas Burger
It may sound cruel to say so, but with just a few exceptions, all the burgers I've eaten as part of the Budapest Burgerwar™ have been not just inferior to the average American restaurant burger, but something akin to...
Jul 18 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: The Goa Brie-Shitake Burger
With the Budapest Burgerwar™ now being joined with the Budapest Asian Invasion™ to form a massive, two-front campaign to eat as much foreign food as possible in the Hungarian capital, it's only natural that our next burger up is...
Jul 08 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: The Inter-Continental Corso Burger
As I recently explained, our desire to bring the now almost year-old Budapest Burgerwar™ to its long-overdue conclusion has meant putting aside all the "lizard meat" burgers and other burgers of indeterminate animal origin now widely available in Budapest...
Jul 03 '08
Visit Hungary and Die of a Heart Attack and Alcohol Poisoning
Someone recently passed along the above video about Hungarian food and wine, which was apparently produced by some independent video production company for use by travel-related websites. While my tipster seemed mostly concerned by the fact that the thing...
Jun 13 '08
French-Hungarian Bistro Offers Head-Turning "Down Under" Wine Dinner on Monday
So while I was being wowed at Artisano on Wednesday, who should walk by but Lajos Tisza of the nearby Café Bouchon, carrying a bag of very home-made-looking sausages, for a "trial" of the menu he was putting together for...
Jun 11 '08
Artesano Too Astonishing to Wait for a Proper Review
One of my biggest faults as a restaurant critic is that I always end up waiting forever to publish reviews of places I've been to, in part due to simple laziness and incompetence, but also because I keep thinking...
Jun 09 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: If You Can't Name the Meat, It Can't Compete
In a review last week of a particularly notably delivery-only burger, I briefly noted how the proliferation of such burgers was one of the primary obstacles to a more speedy resolution of the Budapest Burgerwar™. But the problem isn't...
Jun 04 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: The Taco Express Cheeseburger
One of the reasons for the "ceasefire" that brought the Budapest Burgerwar to a halt for several months was the question of what on Earth to say about all the more or less interchangeable "delivery-only" burgers that ended up...
May 27 '08
Budapest Burgerwar: The Pampas Angus Burger
Since the day this site was launched, I've wanted to do a full review of the Pampas Argentine Steakhouse, which for just as long has been sitting pretty on our "Top 33" list of better Budapest restaurants. I don't...
May 22 '08
We're Sure This is a Retek, Just Not Sure It's a Sörretek
When I decided that what Chew.hu - and the world - really needed was a comprehensive English-language encyclopedia of Hungarian food and drink, I assumed the work involved would be painstaking but relatively uncomplicated. After all, how difficult is...
May 19 '08
Long Wait for Stylish Sit-down Turkish Continues at Café Kara
Three hundred and twenty four years after the Ottomans were booted out of Buda, the Turks are back in force in the Hungarian capital - at least when it comes to food. On any given avenue in Pest, you're...
Apr 25 '08
Prices Not Only Thing High at Budapest's Latest Gimmick Restaurant
Not already burned out on Budapest restaurants where the prices are sky-high and the food plays third fiddle to high design and high concept? Good news, because I've just found a recently-opened eatery that elevates the local form-over-function and...
Apr 09 '08
Budapest's First UK-Style Gastropub, or Just a Smoky Kocsma with Square Plates and High Prices?
I know I sound like a broken record, but it never ceases to amaze me what "trend slaves" Budapest restaurateurs are. Given the choice between simple good eats and some highfalutin' new concept, décor or foreign cuisine, most seem...
Apr 04 '08
Fly to the Nightingale Before the Spring Birds Really Start to Sing
Despite a weather forecast for this weekend indicating gray skies and icy-cold rain, it's otherwise clear that Spring has finally arrived in Hungary. While in general this is a great thing (especially if, like me, you like your fruits...
Feb 15 '08
Thank God for Tacos, But Thank Mo for Arriba Taqueria
If you're in the restaurant review racket, pretty much the worst 10 words a friend can call up and tell you are "Hey, I've just opened my new place - come on over!" If the place turns out to...
Oct 16 '06
Taste of Bulgaria Leaves Budapest Culinary Critic Near Tears
Posting was a bit light last week, as your trusty founding editor was taking a little break from Hungarian food and drink in nearby Bulgaria. Because this site is dedicated to Magyar culinary goings-on, I won't go in too...
