"A couple of weeks ago, my wife Erzsébet and I were in the Kamara-erdő forest where she indulges in her hobby finding and picking mushrooms.I wandered down to a grassy field where, it turned out, about 50 or 60 people, mostly members of a Budaörs church, were picnicking. To my surprise and delight, a young woman came up to me and invited us to join them.We got into line and were served some delicious pörkölt (beef stew). While eating at one of the tables, we learned that the food had been prepared by the Teri néni étterme, a restaurant in Budaörs. The quality of what we were eating was enough to make us decide to pay a visit a couple weeks later.
Getting there involved a 20-minute ride on Bus 40 (express or regular) from Móricz Zsigmond körtér.
The restaurant is located among a huge group of apartment buildings nestled on broad green swards dotted with flower gardens. There was a school, two soccer fields and no litter anywhere. From the outside, the restaurant has a vague resemblance to Arby’s restaurants in the United States.
With an orange roof and colorful décor both inside and out, it is a reconstructed ABC grocery store.
It is not a sit-down restaurant, but a cafeteria. However, neither is it a fast-food buffet – the ubiquitous style to be found in every hole and corner of downtown Budapest.
It is the kind of cafeteria that reminded me of those times in the Great Depression when my parents took me to our occasional meal at the Forum Cafeteria in Minneapolis, where I had my favorite walleyed pike. Ah, memories!
The étterem has checkered tablecloths and a bright, cheerful interior. It also has long lines of customers. When we arrived at the door, there were probably 25 people standing in line, working their way up to the serving stations.
Popularity
The long line was symptomatic of the étterem’s popularity, although the offerings were not exotic, they were very hearty and wholesome – home-style Hungarian cuisine.
Erzsébet and I both had soup – two kinds were offered: green pea (not pureéd) and French onion. I chose the pea soup, while Erzsébet opted for the onion. For the main course, Erzsébet chose Vasi Pecsenye (a kind of pork cutlet) with chopped boiled potatoes. I selected a cabbage-tomato stew with a meatball nestled in it.
She took advantage of the salad bar, using fresh vegetables and dressing them with oil and vinegar. I passed up the salad, but chose a huge linzer torta cookie for dessert.
At the bar, we ordered a glass of red wine for her and white wine for me. The wine was delivered to where we were sitting. There were carafes of water on all the tables.
Besides wine, beer and soft drinks were available. All the food was served in ceramic plates and bowls, not the usual plastic (or paper) dishware found in fast-food eateries. The silverware was metal, not plastic. All for Ft2,490 for the two of us.
We relished our meal with real gusto. Big portions, well-seasoned. My cabbage-tomato stew was tart and tasty.
While we were there, a group of more than 20 young children, probably from a summer day camp, trooped in for a lunch. All very cheerful and noisy. And not eating junk food!
The étterem also delivers meals to nearby areas, and a party service is available."
Teri néni étterme
Friedmann ház Budaörs
2040 Ifjúság utca 22
Open: Mon-Fri 11:30am-3:30am;
Sat 11:30am-2am (closed Sunday)
Tel: 06/23 420-801
Atmosphere: *****
Quality of food: *****
Service: *****
Value for money: *****
Source: Budapest Sun
14.07.2008