As most of people reading this site are never likely to visit Cleveland, Ohio, and as most of those thousands of Hungarians in what was once Hungary’s second city by population have already been to Little Budapest, it is difficult to know where to start this review, or review of sorts. It is probably a little obvious to point out that the restaurant finds itself stranded in the distinctly un-Hungarian surroundings of a strip mall – if the Hungarian Restaurant at the End of the Universe was a Douglas Adam’s book, a picture of little Budapest would be on the cover. It begs the question, how Hungarian can a Hungarian restaurant in the suburban sprawl of Cleveland really be?
Stepping into Little Budapest feels very much like a step back in time, or at least a step into countryside restaurant out of touch with the cosmopolitan airs and graces of downtown BP. Although the Hungarian décor is far from traditional, it is a strangely convincing snapshot of socialist-era Hungary, a time when choice was a luxury and fixtures were bought to last, rather than to be tossed away with the changing fashions. And that’s no doubt what Americans expect of an “Eastern European” restaurant.
The difficult-to-define yet unmistakable character of the place is reflected in the owner, József, a friendly and lively Hungarian who is quick to spar and joke with the not-obviously-Hungarian patrons (rather than proffer formulaic “have a nice days”). His background certainly explains a few things. He told us he walks with a limp after sustaining a series of knee injuries while playing soccer for Vasas in the Hungarian first division, and I hear he was once quoted in a local newspaper boasting he was the “Michael Jordan of Hungarian soccer.” At the end of his football career, he went into the restaurant business, working in the once-famous Gundel and owning a string of Budapest restaurants. It was only when the state confiscated his restaurants (there is no doubt more to this story) that he fled to the West in 1987. So although the restaurant doesn’t have the traditional décor or ambiance of a csárda or the faded glory of a Gundel, it does give the feeling that it has seen very many good times, shady business deals, hearty meals and spilt shots of Unicum in the best Hungarian traditions.
But what of the food?
You can probably guess what is on the menu, even if you couldn’t turn every Americanized translation back into a recognizable Hungarian dish. (The Viennese may also protest the appropriation of their own speciality, the Schnitzel.) There is stuffed cabbage, lecsó, chicken paprikás and all the rest, as well as the obligatory flaming Gundel pancake. And the one thing Hungarian and American cuisine certainly have in common is the daunting portions. Little Budapest lives up to both stereotypes. Take a “small” portion if you have eaten in the last 48 hours.
Next time you are in Cleveland, check out the West Side Market. There is a Hungarian butcher there, and the double-smoked bacon was delicious.
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