Paprika's
1180 Main Street, Hellertown
With a last name like Drabenstott, the last thing you'd expect me to admit was that I'm half Hungarian. Well, I am. My maternal grandparents were both Hungarian. Their grandparents came over on the boat. So while I've confessed that I'm not an expert in many cuisines, I can confidently say that I grew up eating the most authentic Hungarian food this side of Budapest. (For some reason we affectionately referred to the Hungarian capital city as the center of the universe. I have yet to figure that out.)
For me, the new center of the universe is in Hellertown: Paprika's. I had heard good things from friends and read a favorable review in The Morning Call. So I had to check it out for myself and see if it could conjure up memories of my Grandmother Mimi's cooking.
The interior is plain and bordering on unfinished. A galvanized ventilation duct cut across the center of the ceiling and appeared to be a patchworked afterthought. Other than a few Hungarian posters and maps, it looked like a standard restaurant.
Perhaps that's because they focus their energy on the food. I started with a bowl of chicken soup that was obviously homemade. Thick with cabbage, carrots and noodles, the hearty soup was
everything I would have expected, and set the tone for the rest of the meal. For my salad dish, I ordered a traditional cucumber salad, which featured cukes in a sweet, creamy, thin, sour cream-like sauce. Again, fresh and delicious. (My wife had a standard dinner salad -- nothing special.) Our entrees arrived once they were completed in the kitchen. My wife had the Chicken Paprika's (paprikash): delectible chunks of tender chicken were enveloped in a paprika cream sauce and served atop small dumplings. Sublime. Like the soup, my Hungarian goulash was simple yet soulful -- perfectly cooked cubes of beef, potatoes and carrots swam in a rich beef broth. I ate more than I should have. It was that good.
Certainly, my meal at Paprika's did more than fill my belly. It evoked recollections of my childhood, sitting at the dinner table with my grandparents. That's the power of food -- it has a remarkable ability to leave an indelible print on your sensory memory.
All this pleasure came cheap: under $30 for the both of us. It's BYOB. Of course, that could also stand for Bring Your Own Buttonbox. For after a dinner at Paprika's, you'll be inclined to dance the polka all night to work off your wonderful meal.
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7 comments:
Glad your experence was good at Paprika's, mine was not. I too grew up eating this food and no it did not bring back memories for me, cause Grandma served HOT food not cold potatoes!
The owner after being informed of the problem acted like the soup nazi. He really thought I was trying to beat him out of a scoop of potatoes? and speaking of prices, 2 dollars for a single scoop of potatoes. The stuff cabbage was ok, but where was the sauce? His parting words were don't come back, I will not
Thanks for your comments. I'm glad I had a better experience than you did. Regarding stuffed cabbage sauce, I never had the tomato sauce on top until I moved here. I don't recall my grandmother making it. Then again, I remember as a kid squirting ketchup on my cabbage rolls. (I guess that was my version of the sauce.) She always served them with sour cream.
I had the stuffed cabbage this past weekend and found it to be quite good. My grandmother too was Hungarian, and I never recall any sort of sauce. It was served soaked in a tomato juice, as it was served at Paprika's. I was disappointed that there were only crepes for dessert. I had gotten my hopes up for kiffles.
i have a question about the chicken paprikash--was it really heavy? i have an issue when cream sauces dominate a dish. my parents used to have a fantastic hungarian restaurant near them in nj called the red hen and i've been pining for a good hungarian restaurant that visits the cuisine, but with a slightly more modern--less totally homespun--touch.. not sure if this is the place though?
The chicken paprikash was on the heavy, creamy side, so this might not be the dish for you. I remember my grandmother's recipe being more brothy than creamy. And she used to top the stockpot with dumplings that would steam-cook once she put the lid on. Like any traditional dish, there are different variations on the theme. If you want something that's not creamy, try the goulash. Happy eating.
I'm headed there tonight - can't wait to try it!
My grandmother and grand father were from Hungary. My father and my aunts and uncles spoke hungarian at home. I've visited budapest. The food at Paprika's is as authentic hungarian food as you can find in the United States. It is fantastic food. Don't go back more for thoese that appreciate good food
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