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BudaCatchUp

It’s been a terrible, ridiculous, complicated few weeks since that trip to Budapest. Clearly, things haven't worked to my advantage in terms of writing much either. But as a quick means of catching-up ...

1. You can read my other piece about Budapest (the one I actually finished) over on the other side.

2. Goose liver and fruit brandies. If I had to add any specific, distinct, driving, and unforgettable memories to my recollections of this trip, those five words would do it. In three days on the ground in Budapest, I ate more goose liver than I have in the previous three decades. I should add: it was all delicious. As for the fruit brandies, it seems to be a Hungarian tradition to drink them as an aperitif rather than as a digestif, which certainly does set a tone for the meal. By and large, these drinks were delicious, and the quince-flavored variant I had Muzeum Restaurant was a real treat.

3. Food overall was a highlight. I don’t know what I was expecting – and it certainly helped that one of my guides was a former restaurant / food critic – but everywhere we ate, everything was delicious. Great flavors, very different kinds of flavors than one typically has here, and even different cuts of meat. In my piece on Budapest architecture, I mentioned the strudel we sampled, and I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to have more of this while I was there. We did have phenomenal desserts, too, but not much in the classic vein of pastries (like strudel) that one might associate with Hungary.

That will have to do it for now. But for anyone reading this and considering a trip to Budapest, I highly recommend it. Also, the so-called “art’otel” was a nice place to stay, right on the river bank in Buda and an easy trip over to Pest via the nearby bridges. There’s a lovely buffet breakfast available, the rooms were very nice and modern, and the views east to Pest with the rising sun are just delightful.

posted by The Editor @ 5:01 PM