THE GERLÓCZY CAFÉ PAPER
THE UTUMN NEW A OMING C U N ME SOON
OYSTER SEASON KICKS OFF – CHESTNUT MACAROON FOR THE AUTUMN – REPORT ON ETYEK KÚRIA – TEATIME WITH ANA – LE BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU EST ARRIVÉ!
TIBOR BABIZKY ---->
FOREWORD TO THE AUTUMN ’IT IS TIME’ SAYS THE BARMAN OF OLD CALVADOS, THIS INSTITUTION WITH A SUGGESTIVE NAME, AFTER HAVING CONSUMED TO GLASSES OF CIDER AND SOME WHITE PUDDING TO YOUNG MAIGRET, AND HE FETCHES TWO SHOT GLASSES. It’s nine a.m. Subsequently, in every half hour they drink eleven calvados shots, then old Paumelle goes to have a nap at two in the afternoon. But before he leaves, he says ‘I’m from Pontfarcy’. He states this with such significance that one might suspect his words have a hidden meaning. Maybe they carry the meaning of the white pudding? Or is having a glass of calvados in every half hour what people from Pontfarcy do? Maigret ponders about it then begins the first investigation of his life. ’It is time’. This is an autumnal sentence. It has the autumn in it. ‘Herr, es ist Zeit’ begins Rilke’s Autumn Day. ‘Bid the last fruits to be full; / give them another two more southerly days, / press them to ripeness, and chase / the last sweetness into the heavy wine.’ Investigation is the good word here. Spring is for making plans, summer is for delaying and drifting. It is easy time. Everything that’s unfinished in the spring is expected to be executed in the autumn. The shallow blonde beers and strawberry blonde, especially the pale pink, spritzers give way to sunset-coloured wines: the church yellow, the red and the claret. Autumn is for making an inventory. The sight and concrete sensation of life, that is summer, are connected to the guts and instincts, not to the soul. Preoccupation. Indulgence. Only in the proximity of death, in the autumn, watching the magnificence of decay does our inner core move. We have no choice but to think about our lives. We investigate buried desires and unfinished plans in our past. We peek into old dead end streets again. And all this calls for wine. Wine is a scar on the universe. Cabernet comes from the veins, siller is from the artery, rosés are from the capillaries. As Doubting Thomases we need wine, a physical experience, to find evidence for a higher power. Wine is a sacrifice. A scar. Man is the tourniquet. A gauze roll. White at first, and dirty later, the blood slowly percolates through it, and it’s thrown in the trash. It praises the rhythm of the autumn, before the big darkness, beyond the dead and the all saints. It offers absolution on Martin’s Day. The new wine, be it Csabagyöngye or Beaujolais, always brings something back from the state of carefree oblivion. It doesn’t deepen the shadows but colours and creates the picture. It makes, in advance, winter nights bearable. The origin of wine drinking is not the need for flighty entertainment but the need for self-knowledge. In wine there are youth and love, past and death, rapture and chatter, loneliness, thought and soul. Remembrance, if needed. Forgetting, if needed. If neither is needed, it is itself. ’It is time’. It’s nothing to be expected, it is coming. It’s nothing to object to, it is coming. The most one can do is to find a quiet table by the window, carefully study the menu and the wine card, as if accepting what one cannot change. That one has no choice. That one will be chosen once. Let’s have veal stew with egg dumplings. With a glass of siller. It’s good for a start. It’s something one can put up with.
MUST-TASTE DISHES FROM OUR NEW AUTUMN/WINTER MENU: - Marseilles fish soup with saffron - Grilled goose liver with warm hummus in ginger glaze - T-bone steak with orange and hazelnut pesto, and butter green beans - Rabbit thigh wrapped in bacon with creamy tagliatelle - Salmon fillet baked in its skin with lentil stew
GERLÓCZY ---->
? GUESTS’ RESPONSE WHAT IS A GUEST AT GERLÓCZY LIKE? WE ASKED OUR REGULARS, AND WE KEEP ASKING THREE OF THEM FOR EVERY ISSUE, HOPING THAT WE CAN SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF WHAT MAKES A GERLÓCZY GUEST.
KLÁRA SZIRÁKY
BÁLINT ÖRDÖGH
BENCE MATTYASOVSZKY
To my delight we moved to a house in the summer. It has a garden where we can play badminton, it’s fantastic! I ate lots of good foods, my favourite lecsó (vegetable stew), melon, peach, and the best after the mini breakfast at Gerlóczy was the butterfish.
Fortunately, quite a lot. Most often I ate one of my summer favourites, cold squash stew, the way I like it. It’s paired with meatloaf in my left hand, the more kinds the better, including meatloaf with lemon and made of tuna. And I had plenty of lecsó too.
Unfortunately I couldn’t go to many places due to previous engagements, but I tasted the specialities of Greek cuisine on Rhodes, and had a real, genuine Sacher cake in Vienna. But the determining factor of last summer was my friend’s lecsó chicken which he made pretty often.
How did you find Gerlóczy?
I’ve been watching how the restaurant changed since the opening. Our office is in Semmelweis utca, and I popped in on the second or third day. It was good even then. I wonder if there is anyone still working here from that time.
It was about two years ago, at the time of the first one night stand series. I loved the concept, and the way you communicated it. It made me curious, so I walked to Kamermayer square. Since then, I’ve been to the picnic too.
Katona József Theatre is less than a block away from here, so I found you right after the opening, and I’ve come here ever since. I meet my business partners and friends here at least once or twice almost every week. And I always look forward to the oyster season.
A book you recommend...
A great read of the past couple of years, Russian Winter by Hungarian-Canadian Daphne Kalotay hasn’t been published in Hungarian yet, unfortunately. What everyone should read is Roadside Picnic (aka Stalker) by the Strugatsky brothers followed by Tarkovsky’s film.
Nick Hornby: 31 songs. It’s good, casual, honest and perfect for relaxation before going to sleep. Or Just Kids by Patti Smith, the grandiose memoir of one of the godmothers of punk and pop.
I recently read New York nostalgia (only published in Hungarian) by Ágnes Heller after my first visit to America. I recommend it to those who’ve had the chance to spend some days there, and to those who haven’t. It is wonderful to see the everyday life of a vibrant metropolis through the personal experiences of a compatriot.
The dishes of the lunch menu make me wonder about the otherworldly attitude necessary for these creations. This is where I learnt to experiment with food without fear. I dare to taste almost everything at Gerlóczy. It would be fun if not only the hotel but also the kitchen organized one night stands. Perhaps a cooking class...?
I believe good food brings people closer together; so Mister Chef, do it casually with good taste and then everyone will be happy.
I love his kitchen. I prefer light dishes and I always find something I like on the menu. I hope I can enjoy his cooking for a long time.
I represent Finnish companies in Hungary; currently I’m working on a safety-related project. I admit I’d love to work on being able to spend more time in Budapest and on the terrace of Gerlóczy.
I worked all summer, was up to my neck in two books besides the magazine (Good Food, eds.), so now I’m looking forward to their reception and feedback. I hope we can say at the end we happy, Vincent.
Our first and foremost goal is to turn 30-year-old Katona into an all-day community space in the heart of Budapest. Following years-long preparation, last summer we could finally renovate the foyer of the theatre, and thanks to the new functions, similarly to theatres in Western Europe, it’s worth popping in for a bit more than just buying a ticket.
What did you do and eat last summer?
What would you say to our chef?
What do you do and what have you been up to lately?
RITA BENYÓ ---->
OUR LAVENDER MEN THEY ARE THE RED ONION JELLY SUPPLIERS OF ONE OF THE MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS IN BUDAPEST. THE BEST RESTAURANT AROUND LAKE BALATON USES ONLY THEIR LEMON JELLY AND THE GERLÓCZY WOULDN’T TRUST ANYONE ELSE WITH THEIR LAVENDER SQUASH EITHER. AT FIRST, THE TAMÁS WINERY IN CSOPAK WAS FAMOUS FOR ITS ARTISAN WINES, BUT ITS HERBAL SQUASHES AND JAMS ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE POPULAR IN BUDAPEST. We paid Jenô and Ervin - father and son - a visit in Csopak. Uncle Jenô opens the gates. He says hello when he sees me in the distance, he remembers me although I haven’t seen them for more than 3 years. There’s no explanation for the gap between the two visits, for he’s one of the greatest story-tellers I’ve ever met. He leads me to the tasting room. There are wines, jellies and squashes all around, like in a pantry. We are about to pick up where we left off with Uncle Jenô (he’s not at all uncle-like, so let’s call him senior) when his little quieter, little more distant son Ervin, whose eyes sparkle just like his father’s. ‘He’s the boss now!’ says Jenő the senior, so I start asking Ervin, first about the lavender. They know this charming lilac flower is fashionable now, and they think their job played a part in making it so. The lavender jelly and lavender squash of the Tamás Winery were the first consumable products made of lavender besides herbal teas. They’ve always used lavender in the family, knowing its fantastic beneficial effects and wanting to share them. ‘The ancient Greeks already knew lavender was the only herb that had both relaxing and animating effects’- butts in Tamás Sr. And why lavender? Every secret has a woman in the background. It’s especially true for the Tamás family, where Ervin’s mother is in charge of the witch's brew. ‘It’s always mum who thinks of local delicacies which are typical for this region only. The French, the Italians and even the Tyroleans have their own specialities, but for some reason it’s missing here. Even though the Csopak area, especially Tihany is the home of lavender. Lavender should remind people of us, of this region.’ This is the guiding principle of their artisan winery. They emphasize the local flavours. Therefore the red soil in Csopak hasn’t been fertilized for decades, as they think it would be like cultivating tomatoes in a glass house. They let the minerals live and the grapes suck in the local flavours. Even if it’s not profitable; as artisan viticulture is expensive. But Uncle Jenô believes this is the only way. ‘We can’t give up, for the name that’s attached to longevous, full-bodied artisan wines earns trust. And that provides for my son’s future.’ Their love for the soil, nature and their craft made it possible that the Tamás name is recognized for the witch’s brew beyond the artisan wines. Whatever grows in their garden or beside the vineyard, they cook it. Not even the most abundant flower, the dandelion can avoid the cauldron. Dandelion squash and jelly have become this year’s hits. The elderflower, acacia, ramsoms, lemon, green almond, green walnut and red onion of the estate become ingredients of jellies and chutneys in the hands of the Tamáses. ‘When we sit down with my wife in the evenings, we talk about spices and herbs we could use next time, and about what goes with what. Then we discuss it with my son on the next day. Then we give it a try. With us even thinking is a family business.’ All you need is a good idea, intention and a tiny kitchen. ‘The kitchen is always like a battlefield. There are preserve jars everywhere, and there’s never enough room for everyday things like paprika potatoes. These delicacies are really from granny’s kitchen.’ When you think I’ve sampled everything, Uncle Jenô modestly notes that his the vinegar master, and places a shot of raspberry and a shot of lavender vinegar in front of me. I have no words to describe the taste, so I suggest you visit the Tamás Winery (I surely won’t wait for another three years), or ask the chef at Gerlóczy to order some of those too.
LOOKING BACK TO SUMMER - LAVENDER AT GERLÓCZY: lavender lemonade and lavender macaroon until the end of September
BEAUJOLAIS PARTY AT GERLÓCZY ‘LE BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU EST ARRIVÉ!’ Voila: gherkins, Serrano ham, pâté –Beaujolais arrives at Gerlóczy on time Take your first sip of the French new wine that comes with an authentic Beaujolais menu.
DATE: 15 th November, 2012 at 7 p.m. VENUE: Gerlóczy Café, Terrace Beaujolais Menu: Freshly sliced Serrano ham, Home-made pâté, Cornichon in vinegar, Home-made bread and a glass of Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages Primeur 2012 The menu costs 3,800 HUF/person - The Beaujolais Menu is available until the end of November at Gerlóczy Tradition has it that at one past midnight on the third Thursday of each November an hour after midnight, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau (French new wine) begin their journey from small French villages to Paris for shipment to all parts of the world. Banners proclaim the good news: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! "The New Beaujolais has arrived!" One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world begins, and by the time it is over, over 65 million bottles will be distributed and drunk around the world. It has become a worldwide race to be the first to serve the new wine of the harvest. Beaujolais has been carried by motorcycle, balloon, truck, private jet and even rickshaws to get it to its final destination.
MARCI GERLÓCZY ---->
PICNIC IT WOULD BE A LIE TO SAY I HAVE OFTEN HAD PICNICS IN MY LIFE SO FAR. And if I want to want to be more honest, I have to admit that I’ve never been on a picnic, and to be completely honest I’ve never wanted to. Although I remember having picnics on one-day school trips, but it was never my idea but that of Misses Gabi, Mari and Ildikó. The drank tea and wolfed down cold-cut rolls, and they didn’t let me go for a pee because the suburban train was coming, and I never suffered as much as on that train heading to Budapest, and I never went on school trips anymore if I could skip them. Picnicking for me is similar to skiing and horse-riding; it requires too much equipment, one has to travel too far and there are strict codes of behaviour, dressing and undressing, looking for loos, getting wet and getting cold, falling down and falling off, and what have you. But the worst is the packaging. All those napkins, cling film and tinfoil. Out of the question. That’s why I find the idea of the picnic hamper a great one and I’m happy I could give it a try. Especially because then and there by Lake Balaton I had something at my disposal that’s essential for a picnic: I was hungry. Thanks to this terrible hunger, I ate my sandwich so fast that I can’t recall its flavour, but the lavender-flavoured macaroon was so interesting that I tried to place one into the mouth of János Váth’s statue. But then I didn’t as I realized it wouldn’t be a nice thing to do. The ‘writer of Balaton, János Váth died in 1962 and published fifty-three volumes, of which I’ haven’t read a single one unfortunately. I consumed the contents of my hamper by the statue dedicated to him, so from now on having a picnic won’t remind me of the suburban railway but of János Váth. And of the lavender macaroon.
Fancy a PICNIC without having to sort out a picnic hamper? Rent your hamper filled with delicacies from Gerlóczy, and enjoy the autumn.If you want to treat your loved one to a truly wholesome autumn outing, go by a rickshaw. Picnic hamper + rickshaw ride to Margaret Island: 30 euros. For more info call toll free: +36 80 102 600
ANDRÁS NAGY ---->
HAPPINESS IN THE VINEYARDS
ETYEKI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2011 IN GERLÓCZY
WE TOOK ONE OF OUR REGULAR CUSTOMERS, ANDÁRS NAGY TO SÁRA MATOLCSY IN ETYEK. READ ON FOR THE ACCOUNT OF HIS VISIT.
Sára Matolcsy Etyeki Kúria - Executive Director
I’m no wine expert. I socialized in a college dorm where we drank things that would give even a mentally strong sommelier a crying fit for days. (There was that canned red for example, that left an everlasting strip of red paint on the bottom of the glass.) Then age brought along wisdom, so now I can pronounce the difficult French names tolerably, and I can nod confidently when somebody talks about fruity notes or the Kopár 2006. The fact that I’m no expert is not a serious obstacle in itself I think to myself on the way to Etyek, because one: Sára Matolcsy could do it (though she probably never tasted the above mentioned toxic liquid in a dorm), and two: I might one day have some money to invest, I might win the lottery or what have you, and I’ll be a winemaker (once I gave it a go in New Zealand where I pruned grapes for three weeks. I was so thorough in my pruning that the end result was on par with phylloxera; wherever I went I left practically barren lands). On the bumpy road to the Etyek wine cellars I quickly list in my head what I know about the village: although it has a silly name, I’d love to move out here (pro: beautiful location, con: no rail transport). There’s a film studio where I’ve nearly been once. There’s also a festival at the end of September called Kezes-lábos which I’ve been to once but my memories of it were clouded by alcohol. And this is the cornerstone of the Etyek-Buda wine region. As we arrive at the Etyeki Kúria Winery, it is as if we’ve been teleported to Tuscany. Sára Matolcsy, the adorably loud hostess invites us to take seats on the winery’s terrace under the walnut tree (note: if I really move here, I must have a walnut tree). ‘Before I came here, I’d work as a financial investor in the US for thirteen years’, says Sára, ‘I’d never drunk wine, and I‘d never seen dirt roads or winemakers in my life. I imagined the grape was somehow produced on supermarket shelves. I didn’t even have winter boots as I didn’t need them: I arrived at the office garage in my heels and suit and I went home from them in the evening.’ ‘My siblings, who used to live in Budapest at the time, used to come here for hikes. Them made friends with Tibor Báthori (Vintner of the Year in 1992, as the second winner of the award that’s been around since ’91), and when his winery was put up for sale, they took it over. Five years later they moved to Austria. So they need somebody they could trust and who could take over the management of the estate. So they called me.’ ‘And I thought why not. I put my car in the garage and came here for three years. It happened in 2001, eleven years ago’ laughs Sára. While we’re sipping on our Sauvignon Blanc (it’s a cathartic experience), she goes ahead with her story. ‘As soon as I arrived, I had to manage the harvest. It was awful. People took me for a fool, drank up the old wine, some of them got dunk by the afternoon and fell into the vines crashing whole rows. But then I found my bearings; right at the start we hired an Austrian vintner who came once a week. I was following him around in the vineyard taking notes of whatever needed to be done in a notebook. But this method couldn’t when the estate expanded (now 28 hectares are cultivated only in Etyek), we needed a permanent oenologist.’ Soon after that, with the help of a recruitment agency, they found the old oenologist of the late Tibor Gál, Sándor Méhész. He worked in California and Tuscany, but he’s been with Etyeki Kúria Winery ever since. One of the best wine brand designers of Europe did the brand image and the labels, who used the local Swabian women’s needlework stitches as the main motif. This design is visible on the Etyeki Kúria Winery website too (http://www.etyekikuria.com). As the portfolio was reduced, to six wines are produced today. Sára set about work too; she put on her willies and worked hard ‘I pruned the vines, filled the baskets at the harvest, and transported the workers when it was needed. I did everything.’ I nod and swallow my third glass of Chardonnay enthusiastically while Sára is telling me about the incredibly professional running of the estate. They regularly seek advice from a French consultation firm, study the surface and vegetation on aerial photos, plant nitrogen-content inducing plant communities prior to vine installation, and geologists study the soil. ‘We drive the workers crazy during the harvest; we don’t harvest row by row but in patches depending on what the soil is like under the vines.’ I ask her about her favourite vintage. ‘On this level we can’t allow for vintages to be too different. If it happened, it would cost the oenologist his job’ she replies with a smile. ‘We managed to get an excellent quality even in 2010. How much it cost us to make it excellent is another story.’ I’m wondering about how consciously the whole winery is organized and operated, the design, the excellent oenologist, the technology, everything. I suspect the placing of the walnut tree wasn’t accidental either. There’s a new cellar being built now, and soon the whole winery will be expanded into a building complex, the plan already hangs on the wall. I’m looking at this ex-investment expert. Does she think about investments and portfolios? Or does she enjoy this at all? Sára Matolcsy, as if she knows what I’m thinking, fetches another bottle and laughs while pouring it. ‘You see, I’m happy here. Before Etyek I had sun allergy, and here it’s gone. I’m happiest when I’m alone in the vineyards.’ I nod. I believe her.
TAMÁS T.NAGY ---->
WORLD PEACE FREE ASSOCIATIONS ON LUXURY CHICKEN BREEDING The bare-necked, the bearded, the feather footed and even the Malaysian Serama have it better when it comes rights. Let’s face it, they get a special treatment. All in all, I’m about to lose the game. I have no sandbox, no yard, no bird perch, I only own some fenced in nests at most where I can lay eggs. I’m a rooster, so the end result is not marketable. The violence and being chased with a hoe are over. It’s time for full contact combat in the coop. In the civilized way! After keying in the code of the coop, one has to politely ask for admittance so that he can collect the eggs in exchange for the corn carried in by the wheelbarrow. When one of the hens underperforms, we take its blood pressure, check its pulse or talk to it. If the hen faces up to its poor performance, we issue its pensioner ID. Donors get special treatment. Volunteers are accepted out of turn into the soup and stew. Accidents occur in the coop; in critical moments after the cut throat and bleeding out the injured party’s heart, liver or gizzard may come in handy for someone. Freedom tastes amazing, and has a yellow juice and thick gravy. To this effect, the well-being can be enhanced. A stationary bike and a bench press can contribute to an active lifestyle. A hula hoop can definitely give the hens’ behind a more muscular shape. Realizing this would turn the roosters up and they’d grab the hens’ arse from dusk till dawn. Then an expert sex therapist would come to cool these overheated emotions. (If it were up to me, I’d dedicate a separate chapter to the rights of lesbian hens, for it’s high time we addressed the issue.) Seriously, sometimes one loses track of who’s in the cage. Let’s turn a page or take a spoonful. Let’s look at the other or better side of things. Let’s suppose that hens don’t dope. They regularly go to the gym, and when they catch a cold they don’t take antibiotics. Instead, they lick honeyed ginger, sharing it with the roosters if needed so that they can cock-a-doodle-doo.
In summary, the rules of fairplay are obeyed. . We respect their rights, in exchange for which they don’t explode like a grenade in the pressure-cooker. So, without prohibited substances their breasts and thighs would grow to bring pleasure to those who like to dip bread in them. Whether they’re fillets or cut into pieces, stuffed, fried or sous vide for the sophisticated stomach. That would be a real reform, man and animal could live together and conspire in peace, like in God’s original plans, shocking everyone. How nice would it be to ladle such chicken on my plate? I wouldn’t be ashamed, and I could take some to my mother. I would give the finger to the arrogant rooster and I’d crush its revolt. While collecting the eggs, I’d swing the hoe towards the rooster in a friendly way so as the coop would be order again. There’d be peace inside the coop and out. In return, whoever feels the need could lay at least an egg a day, so that everyone’s rights would be respected. So that chicken and man can say in unison, world peace is here!
NEW AUTUMN SNACK MENU There is no better way to prepare for dinner than by eating. To be a little sinful while waiting. Just a little bit –but often. Ah, it’s good to have a snack. And sharing it is even better.
ANA'S SWEET SNACKS: Brioche with sultanas, Vanilla Bundt cake, Pistachio cake, Chocolate Madeleine, Macaroon , Butter / jam ANA'S SAVOURY SNACKS: Home-made pâté, Salmon rillette, Aubergine paste with olives, Flute Rustical
The choice is yours. Sweet or savoury? Coffee or coffee cocktail? Green tea or Rooibost? With champagne or without? Whatever you go for, it won't disappoint.
DÓRA ESZE ---->
ANA ANASZTÁZIA BOTOS, NEWLY APPOINTED RESTAURANT MANAGER OF GERLÓCZY CAFÉ IS A WOMAN WHOSE SMILE REFLECTS STRENGTH. SHE SURELY PUTS HER DETERMINATION TO GOOD USE IN OTHER AREAS OF LIFE TOO. You’re very young. How many places have you worked at before Gerlóczy? Around fifty. During a summer job at the age of 18 I realized catering was the path for me. ant with my brother, who is a chef, one day. So far, I’ve consciously tried myself in every areas of the job: I worked in big and small venues, on a boat, in a hotel, in a disco, behind the bar, in the kitchen, and waiting tables. Six years of all this I spent abroad, you could say I worked all around the world. This is the only method that enables you to draw useful consequences at the end. I can see how one can get a job like this for the second, third and umpteenth time, but for the first time? How does one break the walls? If they see you are good at what you do, previous experience is not always essential. Many of the crucial questions get asked at a job interview anyway. Positive attitude is much more important than such past experience that you can acquire along the way. What are the requirements of such a role? You must be able to deal with people, to pay attention to the kitchen and the orders and you have to understand the processes. One of my hobbies is reading books on psychology. I started with the classics, with Introduction to psychoanalysis by Freud and I know Berne’s Games People Play and a number of modern works. I find these books helpful not only in my private life but also in my job. Do you miss the freedom that goes with travelling? I can travel the world, but a glass of Crystal champagne drunk alone is beaten by a glass of water I drink with my friends, or by the fact that I can pop into my mums’ after work anytime. I’m from Pest and it’s very important to me. I’ve seen a lot of cities but I still find Budapest the most beautiful. Have you had to make any tough decisions? I’m not the type. I make decisions easily. During your travels what broadened your horizons the most? The people I worked with and the fact I could meet customers from many different cultures. It enables you to guess who will order what to eat and drink. The Spanish, for example, ask for still water straightaway, as they can’t drink tap water at home. I memorize the orders instead of writing them down. I train myself. I’m good for up to a table for twelve. This is how I remembered everything through the years. How do you cope with the recession? drinks for Keanu Reeves and Leonardo di Caprio among others. Here at home the recession is tangible unfortunately, the catering industry tries to go below purchase prices and have special offers. One of the advantages of Gerlóczy is that it’s based on a great concept, and there’s a demand for its unique style. What’s your favourite from the Gerlóczy kitchen? Desserts, although I’m on a massive diet. The sex appeal of our kitchen is that it’s elegant yet easy-going. And that describes the whole Gerlóczy ambience too. What’s the hardest part of your job? My predecessor had different ideas on managing the restaurant. The best method is consistency. When I stand up to a situation, everybody knows I have my reasons. We don’t confront without reasons. In my estimation it will take a year to arrange everything to my liking. I spend every day in the restaurant. This way I hope to achieve my goals. People trust me. And that in itself makes me optimistic.
BREAKING NEWS FROM BRETAIGNE The oysters are growing nicely. From EARLY OCTOBER you’ll find the freshest specimens on our TERRACE
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ITT
GERLÓCZY IN THE MOST VALUABLE LUXURY BRAND, LOUIS VUITTON’S CITY GUIDE The luxury fashion brand with a 150-year history, Louis Vuitton has been voted the most valuable luxury brand of 2012.* Upon hearing the name, one thinks of the timeless trunks and the artistic window displays at first. Then one might remember the counterfeits sold in the subways of the world’s metropolises. It’s not a well-known fact that Louis Vuitton annually publishes a city guide in which the brand’s own journalists introduce a city. In 2013, the guide will be about Budapest. When their journalist arrived from Paris last spring, we were happy to show him around in the city. Surprisingly, the book features places you wouldn’t think fit the Louis Vuitton customers. First and foremost, the author was looking for curiosities that one only finds in Budapest, a touch of luxury at a reasonable price. Tiny gingerbread workshop, a hat maker, a chocolate workshop and a shoemaker made his shortlist, along with Gerlóczy. He fell in love with our rooms so much that as soon as the copy went to press, he returned to us with his family. The Louis Vuitton City Guide will soon be available, introducing an exciting face of Budapest. *According to the Millward Brown BrandZ Top 100 survey
ENGLISH SUBTITLES BY ARANKA
SZABÓ
The translator of the English version of Gerlóczy News, the editor of FUNZINE events guide, Aranka Szabó is a real Anglophile. Truth to be told, Aranka is British deep inside, her heart is in London, and sometimes in Barcelona. But she’s most at home in Budapest, where she’s taken up cycling from the 6th district to work in Lónyay utca. On Fish Fridays she’s a regular sight on the terrace of Gerlóczy, nibbling on her Fish and Chips. She’s open-minded, smart, witty, accurate and reliable – she’s a true reminder of the song that goes ‘Aranka, I love you’...
ST MARTIN’S DAY We celebrated it with the coolest Marcis in town. Traditionally, we invite all Mártons (and Marcis and Martins) to our terrace on 11 th November at 11 for a celebratory toast of pálinka, goose cracklings and macaroon. Are you called Márton? Come to us! Do you know a Márton? Tell him to come!
JUCI AND CSABI: 8 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP BEHIND THE BAR It all began at Centrál Café. It all could have started in Keszthely, though, where they both went to school. But they met years later behind the bar at Centrál where they worked for five years and made friends. Then they continued to work together at Gerlóczy. The harmony is tangible between them behind the bar and beyond. Not surprisingly, as Juci says they’re one another’s best friends. Hearing this, waiter Pisti shouts ‘there’s no friendship between girls and boys ...’. ‘Yes, there is!’ comes Csabi’s reply.
GIFT CARD Wedding gift? Birthday? Give a Gerlóczy Gift Card. This stylish little card works like a top-up card. You buy it, top it up with a certain amount, and your friends use it to settle their bill in the café. Valid for a year!
GERLÓCZYRecommends: BEST OF AUTUMN: CHESTNUT MACAROON You obviously loved our home-made lavender macaroon in the summer. We prepare for the autumn with chestnut macaroons.
FROM PANNONHALMA WITH LOVE: Pannonhalmi Rajnai Rizling 2011 With the personal recommendation of Zsolt Liptai, the oenologist of the Abbey Winery Pannonhalma. Chyrstal clear Pannonhalmi Rajnai Rizling 2011 is the perfect match for fish dishes this autumn again. Choose the squid, butterfish, shrimp or swordfish steak from the Gerlóczy menu, and enjoy the combination with the Riesling with hints of citrus fruits, grapefruit and a touch of tangerine. Enjoy the beauties of the autumn!
PINOCCHIO AT KATONA Katona József Theatre presents its very own version of Pinocchio directed by Tamás Ascher, with Tamás Keresztes and Péter Haumann in the leads on 13 October. This special production is the first decidedly family show in the history of Katona, offering primary school children an accessible and exciting theatrical experience. The framework of Lajos Parti Nagy’s witty and eventful variant is the same as the plot of previous versions. A curious and ill-advised wooden puppet’s trust is abused by malicious animals and people, and his many adventures make him realize that everything he left behind is really dear to him. Although the plot is similar, but within the well-known framework, new adventures, challenges and friends await Pinocchio. Initial Reading
Storiesfromthebarcabinet WHISKEY IN THE WINEBARREL In the past 20 years the Scottish whisky industry, just like everywhere in the world, has grown at a rapid pace. In parallel with this growth, the number of different barrel maturations has also greatly increased. Especially wine cask maturation shows an amazing diversity. Before we talk about this, however, it is worth mentioning why maturation is such an important part of the whisky itself. It is the oak barrel maturation that turns the raw grain distillate into a sophisticated beverage. During the maturation, the beverage dissolves the flavours and fragrances from the wood of the barrel, undergoing a complex a chemical transformation. The drink is also very much in contact with the air, as the oak barrel breathes, the air passes through it. That's why it is so important how the barrel was hardened, and what it was used for prior to the maturation process. For example, only newly made oak barrels can be used for American bourbon. However, in other parts of the world the barrels usually were used in the aging process of other drinks. This traditionally means used bourbon and sherry (Spanish fortified wine) barrels. In addition to these two types of barrels, different wine barrel (other than sherry) (post-) maturation methods are becoming more and more popular, especially in Scotland. This process was pioneered by the Scottish Glenmorangie. The distillery had long experimented with different barrel maturations before they introduced their ‘Wood Finish’ range in the ‘90s. Thus used wine barrels of Port, Madeira, Burgundy and Sauternes have become the centres of interest. Glenmorangie perfected these maturations, incorporated them into its basic selection, and turned them into some of the most complex whiskies in the world. Besides Glenmorangie, other distilleries have also started to employ wine cask aging methods. One of the best examples is Bruichladdich, in whose recent revival French wine merchant Mark Reynier and Jim McEwan, the doyen of the Scottish whisky industry played a great part. Thanks to its great contacts and expertise the distiller is releasing its excellent wine cask matured products. Suffice it to mention the series called The Sixteens, in which the same 16-year-old whisky is matured in used barrels of top Bourdeaux wines to demonstrate what the wood of the barrel can do to the whisky. The maturations come with astonishing sophistication and elegance. Besides these examples, the Arran Distillery is also worth mentioning. In the past decade, a number of aging methods were tested her, including Italian, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Hungarian (Tokaji) wine barrel maturation processes. Multiple distillers have experimented with Tokaji cask maturation, but the Arran and the BenRiach Distilleries’ drinks achieved the biggest success in Hungary. Arran put a young, 8-year-old whisky into a used Tokaji barrel for about 9 months, and BenRiach post-matured an older, 18-year-old malt this way. Today the use of wine casks is widespread in the maturation process. Many distillers have realized the endless possibilities of indirectly mixing two such complex beverages. Naturally, this requires great expertise and intuition on the part of whoever decides which whisky to mature in which barrel. This method gives way to complex whiskies which introduce us to an incredible richness of flavours, multileveled spiciness and fruitiness. If you’re ready to learn more about malt whiskies, you’ll inevitably come across these exciting wine cask matured products. www.whiskynet.hu
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GERLÓCZY:Café with rooms There are many exciting people staying in Gerlóczy from all over the world. Who are they? In each issue, we introduce one of them.. DÓRA ESZE ---->
THE PRINCE OF BALF WINES FRANZ WENINGER WAS BORN INTO WINEMAKING. ALTHOUGH HIS FAMILY IS AUSTRIAN, HIS FATHER CULTIVATED WINE IN THE SOPRON REGION OF HUNGARY. A FEW YEARS AGO FRANZ SWITCHED TO BIODYNAMIC CULTIVATION, EVERYTHING IS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY ON HIS ESTATE, YET HE’S ENCHANTED BY THE TINY DETAILS OF URBANE BEAUTY WHENEVER HE’S IN TOWN. Is a wine expert’s taste in wines different from a casual consumer’s? As an expert tastes a huge variety of wines, he can improve his tastes in a certain direction. It is true, however, that a person’s taste changes all through his life. Breast milk teaches us what sweet tastes like. Later, as we eat quality food the horizon expands. Our preferences and taste improve with practice, there’s a possibility for everyone. Usually for a winemaker too much tannin or acid in a wine can’t be a problem. Because he knows these wines will mature nicely with time. Can the recent sensation, the Juniborász (junior winemaker) generation change the reputation of Hungarian wines? Without a doubt. Young people always bring along a new perspective. The Junis realize that a wine has to reflect a personality, it has to be unique. Wine tastings and wine journals are taking the back seat. What do you like about the Sopron region? The climate and the lake. This microclimate is perfect for red wine production. The warm Pannon air mixes with the cooler winds from the Alps, and this gives birth to wines of a strong character. Hungarians tend to misunderstand the point of this region, as the expression ‘Lower Alps’ suggests cold, although we get two thousand hours of sunshine a year. This is one of the largest amounts of sunshine in Europe. I suppose you’re no longer in the manual part of winemaking. Yes I do, very much. I think it’s very important that I do. I believe you can taste it in the wine. I supervise every process in the cellar from the pressing to the tasting. Which is your favourite product? It’s without a doubt my Blaufränkisch Spérn Steiner that reflects the region perfectly. What do you like about Hungary? That the people believe passionately in their country, that they’re proud. That Budapest and Sopron are so different. The fish soup. The architecture of Budapest. That the Danube runs through the city. The bridges, the castle. And the history. What do you think of the wines at Gerlóczy Café? When I was there I had a coffee, but I took a peak at the wine list and I liked what I saw. As a real cosmopolitan you must have travelled a lot. How did you like your room at Gerlóczy? The touch of the fabrics, the perfect harmony between the building’s and the furniture’s style, the small balcony and the stylish bathroom all got me hooked. Kammermayer Károly square is called the handkerchief-sized Paris of Budapest. I agree. It lends a holiday feel to the street, and I imagine Gerlóczy is a perfect venue for weddings. As for the archaic ambience of the building, I love that atmosphere. A person and all his problems shrink in such a building. Because he realizes that this kind of architecture survives us all. And what I especially like is the staircase with its perfect symmetry. I took a picture of it when I was staying at Gerlóczy, and it’s till my profile picture on Twitter. ARE Y OUR F OREIG BUSIN N ESS PA R TNERS COMIN G TO T Sleep OWN? th em in Ger lóczy! Reser +36 8 vation at 0 102 toll fre 6 e num 00 ber.
The rooms cost 90 euro/night/for 2 + 12 euro/breakfast/person or try our new attic rooms on an introductory price at 75 euro/night+ 12 euro/breakfast/person Gerlóczy Rooms de Lux above Gerlóczy Café: 1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy u. 1. IMPRESSUM: Contributors: Tibor Babizky, András Nagy, Tamás T. Nagy, Rita Benyó, Marci Gerlóczy, Regina Bruckner, Dóra Esze, Eszter Szegô English Editor: Aranka Szabó Design/photo: Péter Flanek, Ôry Dániel, Ervin Tamás Printed by: Intruder --- e-mail: marketing@gerloczy.hu Published in 1500 copies by Gerlóczy Kávéház Ltd., 1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy utca 1. Open: all days 7am - 11pm