Tourist Menu

I first came across the "Tourist Menu" in Rome. Some restaurants there offered a choice of starter, pasta, main course and desert for 15 Euros. That really suited my teenage sons, and they didn't understand the sign we walked past that said. "We are against war and tourist menu!" Who could be against large portions of cheap food served with atmosphere?  Since then I have come to realize that not everyone appreciates eating a bland selection of dishes prepared in a way so as to not offend the tourist's palate.

Today was another rainy day in Budapest, and we had arrived too late for the walking tour. Wet and cold, we headed inside to eat. We encountered the Hungarian "tourist menu", and decided immediately that it sounded like a good idea.

The first course was goulash, which we all recognized as being Hungarian, but international as well. This goulash turned out to be a red soup, heavily flavored with paprika, with potatoes and meat.  It was very tasty, and hit the spot on a cold, rainy day. Bring on the next course!

This was paprika chicken, of course, with pasta and cream.  It was both delicious and satisfied our expectations as to what Hungarian cuisine should be. Adventurous but safe at the same time. Now where is the desert? And don't forget the coffee!

These were suitably called pancakes, but were more like crepes, filled with chocolate. Now isn't that European? The coffee was espresso, which is the perfect ending to any meal in my opinion. So we paid our bill and left the restaurant like we had behaved as tourists do in Budapest. And why not, as DC stated, "I am a tourist!"  Which made me remember the guard at the border asking me why I was entering Hungary. "Tourist," I answered, and he waved me by.  There is nothing wrong with being a tourist at times, if it means you can appreciate what a place has to offer.