Fraternity-Testvériség, 2002 (80. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2002-10-01 / 4. szám
FRATERNITY Page 11 definitely wasn’t in New Jersey anymore)! As I discovered, Tony Packo, the son of Hungarian immigrants, opened the restaurant in 1932 (the last year of Prohibition) and it has been going strong ever since, still being owned and operated by the Packo family. Virtually any celebrity who has come to Toledo in that time has eaten at Packo’s, as you can tell from the autographed hot dog buns, hundreds of which line the walls of the cafe. The buns run the gamut from presidents and politicians to rock stars and actors (some say the distinction is becoming blurry, but that’s a topic for another time). If your stomach can take it (or even if it can’t), a visit to Tony Packo’s Cafe is well worth your time and effort. You can also visit their web site at www.tonypacko.com to learn their history, take a virtual tour of the restaurant, review their menu and purchase food packages on-line. That evening, after some brief ceremonies, the traditional Waiters’ Race was held, in which teams of wait staff from local taverns and local non-profit organizations compete in a relay race, demonstrating their skills by trying to carry pitchers of beer on a serving platter without spilling them over a 4 block course along Consaul Street - the “main drag” of Birmingham. After the race, there was an evening of Hungarian folk music and dance at the Calvin United Church, with performances by Csik Zenekar, one of the most prominent Hungarian folk bands in Europe. Their virtuoso playing and energetic dancing was enjoyed by young and old alike late into the evening. I am pleased and proud to note that the HRFA was a co-sponsor of the band’s appearance. On Sunday morning I had the pleasure of worshipping with the members of the Calvin United Church, who welcomed me warmly, and presenting a donation to their Youth Fellowship from the HRFA. After church, the opening ceremonies began at St. Stephen’s Church, with the posting of the colors, singing of the Hungarian and American national anthems and greetings and remarks from (many) local politicians, including City Councilman Peter Ujvági, who later presented the HRFA with a beautiful City of Toledo commemorative glass as a token of appreciation. (Incidentally, Councilman Ujvagi was recently elected by an overwhelming margin as State Representative for House District 47 -Gratulálok!) This was followed by a brief parade. All along Consaul Street and in the church parking lots there were booths from vendors hawking their various wares: Hungarian books and pictures, all sorts of craftwork and food, food, food! All types of food, Hungarian and otherwise, were available for purchase. Among the Hungarian items were kolbász sandwiches, paprikás csirke (chicken paprika), töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage), kalács (nut roll and poppy seed roll) and palacsinta (crepes filled with lekvár, apricot jam or farmer/pot cheese). I also saw several signs advertising “Hunky Turkey.” Having never heard of this delicacy, I knew that I had to try some. As I sauntered up to the “Hunky Turkey” assembly line at the Calvin United Church, I was surprised to discover that “Hunky Turkey” was what I had always known as zsíros kenyér (“greasy bread”) and is also referred to as szalonnasütés. For the two or three people reading this article who don’t know what this is, you take a nice slab of Hungarian bacon (szalonna) and pierce it through with a stick or barbecue fork. You then hold it over an outside fire until the bacon begins to drip, and you let the drippings fall onto a piece of fresh rye bread. You then garnish the bread with chopped bell peppers, chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, and/or sliced radishes according to your taste preference (many people - including myself - insist that the garnishes be placed on the bread before the bacon drippings, but I have seen it done both ways) and eat promptly. There are many different schools of thought on exactly how to properly cook the szalonna (which is also great to eat, once cooked) and how to apply the drippings - however, they all taste great! L. to r.: Lou Kozma; Mary Bacho, former Manager of HRFA Br. 21, holding a family portrait; and William B. Puskas, Jr. Both Mary and her late husband Albert Bacho have faithfully served the HRFA as Branch Managers for more than 40 years. I have spent a lot of time on the subject of food in this article (I simply couldn’t help myself), but the subject I really want to address is the people of Toledo and its environs. During Sunday afternoon, I had the pleasure of manning a display table on behalf of the HRFA with our local Branch Manager, Lou Kozma. Lou is a real gentleman and seemed to know everyone who was passing our table. It was great to spend time with him and to get to meet so many of the local members. I received warm greetings from virtually everyone I met there - they really conveyed to me a sense of how glad they were that I had come to their Festival. This response came from the old and the young, the longhairs and the crewcuts, the civic leaders and the regular folks. Also, the cross-generational participation and attendance at the activities - whether preparing or eating food, listening to rock ’n roll or Hungarian folk music - was really heart-warming. The sense of family and community was manifest and contributed greatly to everyone’s enjoyment - particularly mine. My good friend, Rev. Imre A. Bertalan, the Executive Director of the Bethlen Home, served as
