Fine Hungarian Cuisine

In June of 2011, Judit Szamosszegi introduced the flavours of the old country at Paprika Euro Deli. Just off Main Street in Newmarket. The smallish store featured, among other things, meats, dry goods and hot table. So popular was said hot table that a year later when the adjoining spot on main street came available, she jumped at it. She and her husband George opened The Goulash House serving York Region some of the finest Hungarian food in Canada.

I’m told it doesn’t get as cold in Hungary as it does ‘round these parts in the winter. While that’s probably a good thing for them when the mercury does dip, Hungarian cuisine seems to be just about the best comfort, stick to your ribs, stay warm kinda food that is perfect on a cold snowy night.
Sometimes called Magyar Cuisine after the primary ethnic group of Hungary. Rife with meats and fresh vegetables, owing to Hungary's farming heritage. The cuisine in general seems to have a nice blend of what one would consider eastern and western European dishes. Things like schnitzels and perogies would be fine examples of those.

Location, location, location is what they say and this place is all over it. It sits in a corner unit of a heritage building with beautiful, large front windows. If you don’t mind being in a bit of a fish bowl, those tables there are great. Inside wood and exposed brick dominate. The whole place just has a nice warm feel that the food supports nicely. It’s just a great place.

So let’s get a look at this food of which I speak.

The Hungarian Sampler platter is an assortment of cheese and meats from the attached deli. Everything on the plate was at least very good but the two stand outs were the Smoked Mozzarella (top right) and the Smoked Salami (bottom right). The Liptauer (Cheese Spread) (bottom left) was also quite enjoyable. It came with some very nice bread.

Chicken Paprikash is as synonymous with Hungarian food as Goulash. This example (the only one I've ever had) was simply marvelous. Not very spicy and very smooth. The chicken was nice and tender and the Nokedli (Hungarian Spätzle) was a perfect vehicle for the extra sauce. I added some of the offered hot sauce (very similar to sambal) and it gave it just that much more punch. 

The national dish of Hungary is Beef Goulash and as such, you’d best make it well if you have a Hungarian restaurant. Especially if that’s the name on the door. Well, this is every bit the hearty, delicious dish I know. A rich, thick, yet delicate flavoured gravy with chunks of tender beef shank swimming in it is poured over Nokedli and served in a kettle. The hint of caraway and paprika gently flavour the dish. It’s somewhere between soup and stew. Quite frankly, it’s simply incredible and would be the best thing on the menu if not for….

…Potato Paprikash. This dish has so much going on and is just so incredibly delicious. Slices of potato are simmered in a paprika broth that’s flavoured with Csabi sausage and garnished with a piece of Debreceni sausage. Served with the Nokedli it’s just so tasty. As much as I wanted to say the goulash was the best, this dish is just that much better.

The Dobosh cake is really good. a 7 layer torte topped with caramel (in this case a caramel topped cookie like thing). It had good over all taste and wasn't sickeningly sweet. We quite enjoyed it.

Not nearly as much as the Somlói Galuska. A mixture of Chocolate, Vanilla and Walnut sponge cakes with custard, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, topped with a cherry. It's heavenly.

So there you have it folks, some fantastic Hungarian food a little north of Toronto

You can find The Goulash House at 200 Main St. S, Newmarket, On.

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You can also find them on facebook.


Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

Pittsburghese

Perhaps the biggest thing that makes up the character of the United States is the many different regional accents or topolects. (regional dialects). One could never confuse a person from rural Louisiana with someone from Brooklyn for instance. As much a part of the fabric of the US it’s also part of the Pop Culture. Go to your local Books-A-Zillion and you can find many, many dictionaries on the subject.
In the American Rust Belt there are a few variances on a certain dialect and one can be found in and around Pittsburgh. The fine folks of Steeltown have a speak that while similar, is different from those of Buffalo or Chicago. Affectionately known as “Pittsburghese.” Of course not all residents speak it and in fact, it’s considered more how people think Pittsburghers speak than how they actually do. But if you find yourself faced to face with some speaking this local tongue, just use this handly little translator.

Playing on this topolect in Pittsburgh is Eggs N’At. The little breakfast and lunch place “with plenty of home made recipes and a jaggin' around (fun) kind of atmosphere.”
Sometimes I think the single best word you can use to describe a breakfast place is “Solid.” Since they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it gives you a solid foundation for your day. Without that, it’s just a house of cards. Couple that with a very friendly staff. You’ll have a happy tummy and mind as you set out for the day. (or continue your day if it’s lunch you’re after) Walking in the door you’ll immediately be confronted with your first Pittsburghese question, “Jeet jet?” If you haven’t, you’re in the right place.


Eggs N’at’s dining room is comfy and cozy. Which is to say not very big. Two dozen or so seats if you don’t  count the ones on the back deck. The place is clean, bright and decorated with framed Classic Rock album covers. For someone of my age, it was a trip down memory lane. There’s also a couple flat screen TV’s for your entertainment pleasure.

So let’s have a look at these solid breakfast items. Or as the say in Steeltown, “a looky at dese solid breffis items.”

Mrs. Sippi's sausage and eggs were straight on good. There's not really much to say about the eggs. Over easy, cooked to perfection they were just as they should be. The link sausage was quite nice. Not overly seasoned but with a hint of country breakfast sausage but tasting mostly of pork. The whole wheat toast was really nice. Fresh made every morning from a local bakery. The best part was the home fries. Chopped up potato griddled on the flat top with some onion and a bit of bacon. Ya, I said that, BACON!!! How could they possibly be bad??

 My Corned Beef Hash was very good. Again, prepared on the flat top for a nice crust it was pretty much a 50/50 mix of potato and meat. I'd like to have seen some onion but I won't complain. The eggs were just as Mrs. Sippi's. My toast however was excellent. Caraway Seed Marble Rye. It was fantastic. Nicely toasted with a nice taste of rye and caraway seed. Just terrific.

You can find Eggs N’at at 8556 University Blvd. in Moon Township, Pa.

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You can also find them on the web, facebook and Twitter.



Woll ats alls fer now folks, see ya next time in da food court

Davwud

 

Stay Full All Day

If you’ve never heard of Ooltewah, Tennessee you’re probably not alone. The tiny town of well less than 1,000 folks is somewhat a burg that time forgot. Once occupied by Union forces during the “Late, Great, Unpleasantness” it didn’t get it’s first restaurant until 1976. At one time it served as capital of the long ago bankrupted James County. The old courthouse is still there and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 

If you have heard of Ooltewah, there’s a good chance you’ve been to Countryside Cafe. Owned and operated by Ponder and Marlene Geren it began life in 1990 and has had happy Chattanoogans (and many others) heading out into the country for some of the best Southern cooking in the area. Not too surprising to find a great respite at Countryside. The name Ooltewah is Native American for “Resting place.” Another story tells that it comes from the Muskogee word meaning “Town.” That said many residents will tell you it means “Owls nest.” Not so co-incidentally the local High School team is named the “Owls.”

Countryside Café sits at the corner of two country roads about a half hour outside Chattanooga. In what looks like a ranch style house. The parking lot is a large and just about always crammed to the point of busting. Not to worry though, the staff inside is quite efficient and wait times are usually short. Even for large crowds. Inside there’s obviously plenty of tables in the dining room. Another way to keep the line moving.

As usual at these great Meat n 3 places, they do pretty much everything from scratch in the kitchen. 

So let’s have a look at what’s coming out of that kitchen.

The corn bread was good and completely Mrs. Sippi style. Which is to say denser dry than what I prefer. There was nothing wrong with it, in fact it had a nice corn flavour. Great with butter naturally. I just like mine moister and with a crumb closer to cake. The dinner roll was fairly bland but that's how I wanted it. It was to be a vehicle to sop up the goodness left on my plate. In that it succeeded very well.

The Country Fried steak was very good. Nice and tender with a crunchy crust. The White Gravy could've had a bit more character but all in all it was good. The White Beans were only okay. There wasn't much seasoning in them and no pork so they had to carry the ball on their own. The fried okra was also only okay. I’m not a big fan so I’m not much of a judge. The carrots were of course carrots. So a good plate all around. The main of course being the star.

The Meatloaf was very nice. I was asked if I wanted gravy and of course I did. I was surprised to find that it had a tomato sauce baked onto it like you'd expect. Which would've alleviated the need for gravy. Oddly enough, the combination of the tomato sauce and gravy on the meatloaf made for quite a tasty bite. I don’t think that I’d opt for that again but for a surprise change, I think it was welcomed. The broccoli casserole was great. I'm trying to ween myself onto broccoli for health reasons and while I doubt it was healthy, it might help bridge the gap. The Hashbrown Caserole was your typical type and there's nothing wrong with that. Just a good ole work horse starch. The Black Eyed Peas were fabulous. I don't know how they did them since there wasn't any pork to be found but they had that good earthiness they are known for and some depth as well.

The Coconut Cake was excellent. This is what I refer to as new style. It's a single layer cake with frosting and coconut. A traditional coconut cake takes hours to make if you do it from scratch. Most places just won't dedicate the time anymore. This particular cake as you can see used a yellow cake and had the traditional 7 minute frosting sprinkled with grated coconut. Basically, if you made 2 and piled them on top of each other you'd have the old school version. Also, this one wasn't round.

The Hot Fudge Cake was very good but I honestly think it didn't taste as good as it looked. I just don't think it did the picture justice. Don't get me wrong, this was a very good dessert. The cake (buried under all that whipped and ice cream) was a bit of a cross between a cake and a brownie. It had a mild chocolate taste. Not a rich, knee buckling smack from the Dark Lord. The whipped cream was very light and tasty but the ice cream was only okay. The hot fudge sauce did have that blast of chocolate that you want. The best part was where everything had melted in the bottom. Scoop some of that up with a piece of cake and it was fantastic. The bottom line is, it just wasn't decadent.

So there you have it folks. Some terrific country cooking in a nice country setting.

You can find Countryside Café at 8223 County Hwy 1124 (Mahan Gap Road) Ooltewah, Tn.

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You can also find them on the web.



Well that’s all for now folks, see ya next time in the food court.

 Davwud

Battlefield Fries

You probably had to have been living on Mars, in a cave, under a rock for the last hundred and fifty or so years to have not heard of the battle of Gettysburg. THE iconic battle of the Civil war. What you might no know however is why Gettysburg. What brought two massive armies to a small town that was little more than a way point on the road to somewhere else.
While there are various reasons for the Confederates venturing into the north and the Union maneuvering north to defend Washington, the simple fact is this. To move massive, marching armies you had split them up and move them along congruent roads. Well, in south central Pennsylvania at that time, all roads lead to Gettysburg. So well laid out and positioned it was, 10 roads culminated at or around the town square. The two armies were literally on a collision course that had them slam into each other outside the tiny hamlet of 2,400 in early July, 1863.
The 3 day battle would open to the north east of town.  The Union would be pushed back to defensive positions south of town for the second and third days fighting. The main part of the battle and of course battlefield park lay to the south.
The town of Gettysburg today would all but not exist if not for the battle. Virtually every business is there to support the tourist industry. Outside of hotels, banks or gas stations, pretty close to every proprietor sells either souvenirs, food or kitsch.
And speaking of food, that brings me to Hunt’s Café.

A short walk up Steinwehr Ave. from the battlefield sits Hunt’s. Much like many of the businesses along the road it occupies an old house.
One part restaurant and one part souvenir shop Scott Hunt is serving  up some of the best eats in the town. Featuring fresh cut fries, great burgers and “The best darn cheesesteaks out side of Philadelphia.”
The interior as you can see is small and cramped. Plastic outdoor furniture outfits the dining room and the smell of beef cooking on a flat top hangs in the air. As does the smell of fries cooking in hot oil. The walls are concealed by head shots of famous guests, hats, posters and just about anything else they sell.
A neat place doesn’t always translate into good food but in this case, Hunt’s delivers the goods. The sign outside advertising fresh squeezed lemon and orange juice was to portend the goodies inside.

The lemon and orange ‘ades were great. So fresh tasting (go figure) and nice to refresh ourselves after a morning in the heat at the battlefield.

The double cheeseburger had a really nice beef taste but was somewhat overcooked and a little too weighed down with condiments. For instance, there’s no need for tomato on two different levels IMHO. I’d give it a passing grade but it could be a lot better. Next time I’ll ask to have it more streamlined and tuned into my tastes. Less tomato, lettuce and I’d ask for it cooked to medium. That will probably kick up its grade a few ticks.
The cheese steak was beyond good. We don’t really have them in TO so I don’t have much to judge it against but this was easily the best I’ve had. We had ours with onions and mushrooms and the beef had a nice peppery taste. It was simply incredible.
The fries were good. Really good in fact but ultimately not a paradigm shifting experience. I don’t know whether my life long exposure to frozen fries has ruined me for fresh cut or I was expecting too much. I just wasn’t blown away. Perhaps there’s only so much you can do with french fries. Perhaps french fries just don’t move me.
All in all a really good place to eat that could still do better I think. I look forward to a return trip.

You can find Hunt’s Battlefield Fries and Café at 61 Steinwehr Ave in Gettysburg, Pa.
 
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You can find them on the web here or on facebook here.
 


Well that’s all for now folks. See ya next time in the food court.
 

Davwud

“Pure Country Cookin’”

Late in January of 1951 the Greater Nashville Area was pounded by snow and freezing rain for 4 days. In it’s wake, the storm left middle Tennessee under 8” of snow and ice, grinding it to a stand still. Roads were closed or otherwise impassable. Trees were downed taking power lines with them. Thousands were without power, heat, telephones and ultimately food for days.

One of the few businesses to remain open during the storm, Dotson’s Restaurant in Franklin became an oasis.  The little restaurant kept the locals fed with the “Stick to your ribs” food that keeps you warm on a winter’s day. They also went above and beyond the call, making home deliveries to those unable to get out. For many of Franklin’s old timers, the “Great Blizzard of ‘51” and Dotson’s are forever linked in their memories.

Opened by Clara and Chester Dotson in 1949 serving home cooked meals (They’ve since relocated to the banks of the Harpeth River; 1978) the now 63 year old restaurant is an institution for the locals. The building and it’s wood paneling and creaky floors is pretty typical of a meat n 3 place in appearance.  In other words, with most of them, the money is in the steak, not the sizzle. Decorated with autographed pictures (mostly country music stars) and memorabilia it’s almost a hall of fame. Perhaps the biggest stamp of approval is the framed face of Martha Stewart. 
Rumour is, another move is in the works as the city tries to redevelop around the river.

So let’s get to the food.

I had the meatloaf, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with gravy and cream corn. Mrs. Sippi went with chicken and dumplin’s with white beans and sweet potato casserole. We also sampled a piece for fried chicken.

The meatloaf, oft thought of as the best in Franklin was excellent. Nicely dense yet tender covered with a tomato sauce that tasted very much like salsa. A bit of an odd choice that seemed to compliment very well. The mashed potatoes were very good, simply seasoned and the gravy was excellent. I like my gravy a little on the salty side and this was perfect. I opted for the dinner roll to sop up any gravy or other goodness that may have been left on the plate.

The fried chicken was very tasty but not the earth moving experience I’d convinced myself it would be. Supposedly a perennial winner of best fried chicken it was simply seasoned and fried crispy but not VERY juicy.  The cream corn is cut fresh off the cob in the kitchen and it shows. It had a nice bright, fresh corn taste and was easily the best part of my meal.

Mrs. Sippi’s chicken and dumplin’s hit the spot as she said. A rich chicken broth with dumplin’s, topped with shredded chicken. As down home southern as it gets. The casserole was tasty and not as cloyingly sweet as I’d expected with marshmallows as part of the recipe. The white beans were very nice with a simple seasoning to highlight the earthy flavour of the beans. She also very much liked the corn bread. Straight ahead southern.

The famous cream pies were fantastic. The meringue was nice and thick and the fillings were very creamy. The crust also had a very nice flavour.

Mrs. Sippi had the coconut.
I had the chocolate.



All in all, Dotson's doesn't measure up to the standards set by Stan's and Bell Buckle Cafe but it's still good solid food, worthy of praise.

You can find Dotson’s beside the Harpeth River in at 99 E. Main St. in Franklin, Tn.

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You can also “Like” them on Facebook
 

Well that’s all for now. See you again in the food court.
Davwud

Welcome to Hell

Perhaps it was a German tourist who said "So schön hell!" ("So beautifully bright!"). Commenting to his travel companion. It may have been local wives who’d say “He’s gone to hell” when their husbands would get drunk on whiskey at the tavern. Maybe just maybe it was the hellish terrain and bug problems that plagued early explorers. No one really knows what made George Reeves tell the state “Call it Hell for all I care….everyone else does” when asked what he’d like to call his town. But on October 13th, 1841, “Hell” became the official name of the tiny burg in central, lower Michigan.

Settled by Reeves in 1838 around a mill and a general store on the banks of what is now known as Hell Creek, the tiny, blink and you’ll miss it town  has become quite legendary. (George would later add the tavern.) There’s car and bike rallies every year as well as plenty of weddings. Unofficially the population sits at 266 and about the only thing that’s changed since then is the height of the dam and the addition of electricity. Although Reeves businesses have long dried up.

Hell has only one industry now. Kitsch. They survive on the selling of all things “Hell.” Tee shirts, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, you name it.  Letters are stamped “I’ve been thru Hell” and are singed before being postmarked.

There’s the fictitious “Damnation University” (Damn U) from which you can get a diploma. The general store is named “Hell in a Handbasket” and the local watering hole is named “The Dam Site Inn” (also for its location right in front of the dam).

Opened in 1948 the Dam Site Inn is a nice rustic place with chains hanging from the ceiling and fake pyres throughout. Recently it was purchased by Jim Mills and his partner and they’ve pretty much kept the menu the same. Most things are made in house. A notable exception is the pizza dough made by a local bakery. They roast their own beef, make their own chili and hand form their own burgers.  All of this means nothing if they don’t deliver and deliver they do.

So lets give the Devil his due as it were.

We split a (pepperoni) pizza. I had the "Smitty" Burger and Mrs. Sippi had the Hot Beef Sandwich.

Mrs. Sippi’s sandwich was great. It came with mashed potatoes and smothered in a rich, home made gravy. The beef was tender and flavourful (leftover prime rib after all) and the potatoes came skin on and had a slight fruitiness to them.

My Smitty Burger is so named for the previous owner and inventor of the “Special sauce.” The burger came medium well without even requesting it and was very juicy. I wasn’t excited about the sauce. It was an amalgam of hamburger condiments (Ketchup, mustard, onion, pickles, etc.) and truth be told, I’d just as soon have them put on, individually. All in all, a great burger though.

The pizza was really tasty. Thin crust, I kept it simple with only pepperoni. The best part was it had a great cheese taste. It also warmed up really well the next day which is always a good sign.

You can visit the Dam Site Inn at 4095 Patterson Lake Rd. in Hell, Michigan. (not to be confused with the Dam Site Inn in Pellston, Michigan)

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You can also visit them on the web.

Well that’s all for now. See you next time in the Food Court

Davwud

White Bar Be Que Sauce

It would be next to impossible to do a review of Big Bob Gibson BBQ in Decatur, Alabama without paying homage to the King. Simply put, Big Bob is the Patriarch of Alabama BBQ. A style that bridges the gap between the vinegar and mustard based sauces to the east with the tomato and molasses based sauces to the west.

Bob Gibson was a railroad man with a passion for BBQ. On weekends during the early 20's he'd entertain friends in his back yard at his make shift picnic tables. Wood planks nailed to Sycamore trees. Bob would crank out pork and chicken from his home made smoke pit for his guests with a unique twist. There was a white BBQ Sauce. It's not a cook in sauce but a finishing sauce. Cooked chicken would be dipped into it before serving. They call it "Original White Sauce" while others call it "Alabama White Sauce." It's both creamy and tangy and works well with white meats.
One thing's for certain, unless you live within a 50 mile (or so) radius of Decatur, you've likely never heard of it. Much less tried it.
Bob's grandson Don McLemore offered this recipe to the Food Network. He claims it's not the one used in the restaurant but it'll be close.

Bob opened his first store in 1925 and immediately grew out of it. Over the next number of years his restaurant would pop up all over Decatur like a game of Whack a Mole. Always moving to a larger location.

Chris Lilly was selling hospital scrubs when he met Amy McLemore, grand daughter of Big Bob. Before long they would marry and they'd become the 4th generation to join the team. With Chris aboard things would really start to grow for the Big Bob brand. Chris could sell and sell he did. First off, the commercial red sauce in the dining room would have to go. A year and a half hard work paid off in what has been judged "Best BBQ Sauce on the Planet." There would also be a competition BBQ team. A very successful BBQ team. Over the last decade or so they've been competing all over the country. The list of awards is staggering. You can't walk into the 6th Ave. location without tripping over a trophy. This type of advertising can not be bought.

From a back yard with chicken, pork, slaw and chips to a full menu, Big Bob Gibson's is now more than just two restaurants and a BBQ team. There's catering, books, DVD's and you don't make a TV show about BBQ without talking to Chris or Don. OLN and Chris even developed a show called "All Star BBQ Cook Off."

To say that everything was great would be like saying "The glass of water quenched my thirst." Obviously.
I will point out two major disappointments though.
First of all, the tea was lousy according to Mrs. Sippi. I don't like the stuff so I concur.
Secondly, they were out of ribs. I've had the ribs before on several occasions so it wasn't all that big a deal. They are truly magnificent though. As good as I've had. Them and Dreamland are definitely the best.

As for the food we did have, well........

We split a BBQ sandwich. It comes on the standard nondescript white bread bun with slaw only. No sauce. I added a little bit to my half. The sauce is a rich molasses and tomato sauce with a bit of boldness to it. The slaw was a simple vinegar slaw.

We also split a plate of brisket and chicken. The brisket is the smokiest I've had and I liked it above all others. You can see the smoke ring.
The chicken is just plain good but the white BBQ sauce for dipping makes it.
The beans are quite good with a definite jalapeno bent. Not so much hot but the flavour of the pepper really shines through.
The tater salad is very smooth and creamy. One of the best I've had at a BBQ joint.

For desert we had coconut cream pie. A delicious, (but not as good as Dixie Freeze) custard with meringue and coconut on top, pie.

You can find Big Bob Gibson at 1715 6th Avenue, SE and 2520 Danville Road, SW, Decatur, Alabama


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You can also visit them on the web. Check out the awards and recognition section.


Well, it's time to put my feet up on the coffee table. Til next time.
Davwud