As a child of Hungarian parents and immediate family, I grew up eating home-cooked Hungarian meals. There was never enough paprika in the house. Goulash, paprikas and palachinta, reigned on at least a monthly (if not weekly) basis. While I may have taken some of these pleasures for granted as a child, as an adult I have come to have a fuller appreciation of my roots and the culture I come from. These days there are not many Hungarian communities in the United States, and because of that the food is hard to find especially in Philadelphia. As a child, I remember eating Hungarian in Montreal; Stowe, Vermont (random); and an old “Hungarian Club” in Northeast Philadelphia. That was about it. Fast forward nearly 20 years and there is still no Hungarian restaurant in the Philadelphia area. There are Hungarian dishes on local menus, and some of them certainly deserve some praise. Bauhaus Schmitz has a tasty goulash while Abe Fisher’s Hungarian duck is the best duck I’ve ever tried. However the search for a purely Hungarian comfort-food restaurant in and around Philadelphia has been met with continuous futility. Coming from a culture that is recognized so little and with no true familiarity in the US, this makes finding places that much more special. Sure everyone knows what goulash is, and many people think they have even tried a true traditional one. But real, unique magyar food deserves a chance at the spotlight too.
New Brunswick, NJ has one of the most active Hungarian communities on the east coast. However, the number and quality of Hungarian markets and eateries diminished into obscurity over the last 20 years. Local churches and clubs open their kitchens during the Hungarian Festival in June. If we are lucky, the entire Rajczy clan heads up together to enjoy an important part of our history and culture every year. And maybe imbibe in some Hungarian liquors that are hard to find anywhere else. There is a Hungarian restaurant in neighboring Woodbridge but that basically rounds out that area. However,in order to enjoy some soulful Hungarian we actually traveled to Ewing, NJ, about an hour and change north of Center City. Located a couple miles off Interstate 95 is Barbara’s. This is an unassuming BYO Hungarian eatery located in the midst of a strip mall. We opted to check this out on a recent Saturday trip to New Jersey.
Once inside the establishment you can easily tell this is family-owned and run. There are simple organized clean tables with traditional Hungarian wall decorations, including embroidered napkins, shirts, and family photos of the owners at important Hungarian landmarks There is nothing flashy or cluttered. This couple is trying to simply bring their food and lives to their neighborhood simply and in the tastiest way possible through the food rather than the decor.
The menu is straight-up Hungarian favorites. Variations of paprikas included traditional chicken, beef or pork. Magyar goulas was on the top of the list but other menu options included stuffed cabbage, stuffed peppers and breaded chicken and pork cutlets. I opted for the goulash while Cassie tried the pork paprikas. The goulas came out piping hot. The broth was beefy but still harnessed the bright red of fresh paprika. (Note that most goulash in non-authentic Hungarian restaurants rely more on a thicker beefier broth. This can be a tasty spin but authentic Hungarian goulash is a soup not a stew and its natural color is red not brown.) Cassie ordered pork paprikas which was perfectly porky and tender. Their paprikas was thick and the pork cut in the traditional cubes. This was overtop nokedli (Hungarian version of spaetzle) For a quick dessert we split a palachinta, a traditional dessert similar to a crepe with various filling options and powdered sugar. Their options for filling were peach (our choice) or cheese. Yes, traditional palatinata is usually served with cheese curds or cottage cheese. However, this cheese typically has a sweeter taste.
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| Magyar Goulas |
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| Pork Paprikas |
Barbara’s was a split-decision stop for lunch on the busy Saturday before Christmas. The restaurant is simple with its comfort food and modest prices. It’s a great opportunity to glimpse at a food culture that thrives on flavors from simple ingredients and spices. It’s also a great option for Hungarian not too far from a region that has been deprived of such an experience.
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