What to Eat in Pittsburgh

First of all, a brief explanation, Right after our last post in May, we adopted two amazing little babies! Both adopted at birth, three weeks apart. We are over the moon happy, and also pretty sleep deprived and not as capable as usual of putting together a coherent sentence. But, having kids has made us as committed as ever to exploring Pittsburgh through food. It’s a great way for our littles to get out and about, have new experiences, and meet new people. But most importantly, we want to teach them to love all kinds of good food, and show them that it’s possible to shine a spotlight on amazing people and places through writing. So to sum it up, we are back in the blogging saddle, with the tiniest foodies in tow! (Hopefully this doesn’t ruin our anonymity…shhhh!)

Now on to the post!

We are big Anthony Bourdain fans (moment of silence, may he rest in peace). So when he came to Pittsburgh and went to Jozsa Corner last year, we were like, well, we knew about that place but now we’ll never get in. Let’s wait 2 years to try it and in the meantime, we wonder if there are any other Hungarian restaurants around!

A quick Yelp search showed us that yes, indeed, Pittsburgh is also home to a new-ish place called Huszar Hungarian. A quick text to friend-of-the-blog Harry  of Tana post fame and we had plans to check it out together.

Huszar is on a busy North Side corner. We parked easily less than a block away. This is what it looked like when we stepped inside:

Immediately you get the impression that it is a small, no-frills, homey, neighborhood place. We were seated in a cozy booth and began to scour the menu.

Our server, who was more like a guide to the whole experience, told us she was of  Hungarian descent. She loves to cook Hungarian food and helps the chefs at Huszar from time to time, so she knew the menu like the back of her hand. She helped us decide what to order. I hate to admit that this was our first experience with Hungarian food, but it was, and we needed a lot of help. We told her that we wanted a representative sampling of meat dishes, as well as anything else she felt we shouldn’t leave without.

First, the potato pancake. As a Jewish person of Ashkenazi descent, whenever I see a potato pancake, I feel as if I am culturally obliged to order it, and our foodie tour guide also pointed us to this selection. This one was incredible. Perfectly fried, crispy on the outside and soft and flavorful on the inside, topped with cream and cheese. I have to add that this is a particularly beautiful potato pancake; look how colorful the plating is.

 

Next up, the cucumber side salad. Our guide recommended ordering it as a way to cut the heaviness of everything else we had ordered. Good call. Although it’s covered in cream, it’s not heavy at all, and especially when paired with everything else I’m about to show you, is really refreshing.

 

For our first entree, chicken paprikas. A classic Hungarian dish of chicken stew and small dumplings that reminded us of spatzle. The stew was hearty with lots of flavor, and when mixed with the soft, just slightly doughy dumplings, made for the perfect comfort food plate. This was a great dish for a warm summer evening, and would be an incredible way to warm up in a Pittsburgh winter.

 

We love stews, and with our guide’s help, we ordered a second stew, this one beef. The beef was so incredibly tender. Again, the dish was served over dumplings, which soaked up all of that delicious extra sauce.

 

Lastly, the gypsy pork loin. A large cut of an incredibly juicy pork loin, served over fried potatoes and with a piece of bacon on top for good measure. Decadent.

 

Huszar is a wonderfully cozy spot, and invites you to linger. Which is a good thing, since after you’ve eaten all of that you don’t exactly want to jump up and go for a jog. And while lingering, we started wondering what was for dessert. We were lured in by the large case of desserts by the bar:

We solicited advice from a woman eating at the table across from the case. We told her we wanted to try something as authentic as possible, and she recommended this:

A decadent chocolate layer cake with a bruleed top. She explained that if you were to travel to Hungary and stop at a roadside cafe, this would be a must-eat. And it was – rich and moist.

Of course, we also had to try a few others, you know, take one for the team. You’re welcome.

First, the gundel palacsinta. A thin-as-paper crepe filled with an apricot-walnut mixture topped with a delicious chocolate sauce. It tasted just like it looks:

 

And finally, the sour cherry rete. A chewy, tarte dessert. A lovely end to the meal.

We spent a few more minutes talking to the woman who walked us through the dessert case. She explained that her family is of Hungarian descent, and while she was born in the US, she speaks fluent Hungarian and has spent a lot of time traveling through the small towns and back roads of Hungary.  Huszar was formerly a bar owned by her parents for many years. Her mom had always been an amazing cook, and when she passed, her daughter decided to turn the bar into a restaurant that her mom would have loved. She wanted it to feel like the kind of place you would find on any Hungarian back road – a cozy place to stop for a traditional comfort food meal.  That vision really sums up our experience. Stepping into Huszar really does make one feel transported to a different place.

As we made our way outside, we took time to admire the facade:

It’s a sweet little Hungarian roadside restaurant, and you only have to cross a few bridges to get there.