The Eighth Tribe, 1981 (8. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1981-02-01 / 2. szám
February, 1981 THE EIGHTH TRIBE Page 13 Continued from, page 8 . . . Saturday, and Sunday following Thanksgiving 1981, then you may write for information to: Dr. John Nádas, 1450 Grace Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44107 And, remember to tell him you heard about it in the Eighth Tribe. THE BALATON— Restaurant features Hungarian Specialties What restaurant best reflects Cleveland? Well, there’s Seaside and Fitzgerald’s. Both of these restaurants have gone the way of the city in recent months —they’ve defaulted. On a more serious, upbeat note I acknowledge there are, in fact, several delightful places to take a one-time-only guest. The Balaton, however, stands out as a unique spot. Located on the city’s east side just steps away from the once-elite Shaker Square, this modest restaurant provides a classic historical overview of Cleveland while satisfying raging appetites as well. Driving to the Balaton it all becomes so clear. The wooden sign that welcomes you to the Buckeye Road neighborhood is printed in three languages. As you make your way to the green-scalloped canopy that distinguishes the Balaton you can’t dismiss the history lesson. There’s Kardos Meats, Riczo’s Funeral Home, Lavdis Liquor Store and Lucy’s Bakery and Strudel Shop. Like the Balaton, they’re not fancy places, but ever so real. The inside of the Balaton is just a notch above Mel’s diner in decor, but never mind. You’re here to see the heart of Cleveland; and what Terezia Nevery serves up from her kitchen behind the counter will quickly dissipate any fears of another bowl of lousy chili. An efficient waitress with a heavy accent will most likely direct you to a table and in no time return with menus and rye bread slices covered by a folded paper napkin. The offerings are limited to Hungrian specialties but there are plenty of decisions to be made. The Gulyás Soup, a hearty broth with meat, potatoes and vegetables comes in various sizes, from a cup to a meal-sized bowl. By all means save room for dessert. It will be difficult after such beginnings, but how authentic would the evening he without strudel, dobosh torte or sweet palacsintás? The strudel sheaths are light and mouth-watering, as true a sign of the real thing as you can get and the palacsinta, a crepe-like favorite, is filled with apricot jam, chopped nuts and smothered in powdered sugar. Hungarian specialties in king-sized portions at The Balaton proffer a taste of Cleveland The Balaton, 12523 Buckeye Rd. (216) 927-9691. Reservations: None Price range: Moderate-—expensive Hours: Tues.-Wed., 11:30 a.m.—8 p.m.! Thurs.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.—9 p.m. Closed Sun. and Mon. Credit cards: None. From Ohio Magazine’s Restaurant Guide. Named for the famous Lake Balaton in Hungary, the Balaton is in Cleveland’s old Hungarian neighborhood on Buckeye Road, near Shaker Square. (Shaker Square is a predominantly Jewish neighborhood.) In the area on the corner of Buckeye and 118th, you will find the Magyar Árúház (Hungarian Department Store), which features everything from books, to records, to wines, to embroidery, to crafts, to Kolbász sausage. In addition to a number of obvious Hungarian stores in the area, there are many of the pioneer Hungarian churches: Presbyterian, Lutheran, Reformed, Greek Catholic, and Roman Catholic. The latter three churches are large, while the first two are rather small. The three Hungarian restaurants in the neighborhood are the Balaton (which is very good), the Tip Top (which is a few doors away), and Settler’s Tavern (which is larger, has a gypsy orchestra on weekend nights, and is across the street and down a few doors). The Bit of Budapest is Cleveland’s largest and most modern Hungarian restaurant. It is in Parma on Pearl Road. Szarvas is a nice Hungarian restaurant on the far west side on Lorain Avenue. The Crown Safe on Lorain Avenue is a sixth spot serving Magyar food. The Crown is closest to the West Side Market (Cleveland’s Farmer’s Market), which sells Kolbász sausages and other Hungarian food. A. A. B. Columbus, Ohio
