Bah dum bum. Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?

So last weekend Brandon and I were fortunate enough to travel to Budapest. We stayed at the wonderful Hotel Andrassy. If you’re ever in Budapest and need a place to stay…we highly recommend it.

We were excited to hear from one of Brandon’s co-workers that there would be a food festival going on the weekend we were in Budapest.  We were a tad peeved when the shuttle driver dropped us off a few blocks away from our hotel due to road closures, but that was soon replaced with giddyness when we suspected that the road directly in front of our hotel was blocked off for what seem to be a set-up for some sort of festival…

Lo and behold we walked out of our hotel room the next morning to find this…


and this!

and this!

and omg, this!

and not to mention this!


So we hurried down a few blocks to the nearest ATM to get some of these-

So that we could get some of this- (well, we REALLY wanted to buy the fried chicken that the grandma in the first picture was frying up, but discovered that it wasn’t for sale! She was cooking it for the festival workers. Sigh…it smelled and looked so good. I bet the Colonel ain’t got nuffin on her!)


after scarfing down that,we washed it down with these-



So turns out the festival was really for horses or something, blah, blah…but really, c’mon, its all about the food. But for the sake of absorbing some culture other than the food culture of the countries we visit, I snapped some shots of the non-food related attraction.


After the food and the horses it was off to enjoy one of Budapest’s treasures…the Turkish Baths. These are basically complexes with indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, and spas.





We enjoyed the pools, caught a few rays, and some z’s for Brandon and even treated ourselves to a massage. Heck! We were in Budapest where the currency exchange made us feel like millionaires compared to the paupers we feel like in Paris.

Thoroughly baked, kneaded, and refreshed we headed back to our hotel. On our walk through the park, there was a party going on and there was someone’s pet horse just munching away on some grass.


Luckily a NY Times article had reviewed the restaurant at our hotel, Baraka, favorably so we decided to dine there. 




Yummy butter with house-made bread.


an amuse bouche from the chef - potato leek soup.


Brandon’s appetizer: Nord Sea baby prawn “club sandwich”


My salad with grilled asparagus and roasted goat cheese. So GOOD.


My green pea soup with tempura tiger prawn…left me speechless.


My salmon duo: thai marinated sashimi and tartar with yogurt.


Brandon’s main course: twice roasted honey glazed pork with spinach, roasted onions and potato puree.


The pork…AMAZING.


For dessert: creme brulee trio - strawberry, coffee, and vanilla bean creme brulee.


and a fruit plate, with the best grapes we’ve ever tasted.

The next day it was round two of the food festival. Ding! Ding!

After stuffing ourselves with more festival food we decided to explore the city.

And if you’re reading Matt…this one’s for you.


Crossing over to the Pest side…











Needed some refreshments…and of course only something from home would do.


Inside the opera house.


And then it was time to pack up and go home.


Enjoying our last few moments in Budapest with a snack on the hotel patio.


Delightful tomato consomme with spinach and ricotta wontons.


The Buda-and his pest. :D


That’s all for now. Oink! Oink!