Although my grandmother was off-the-boat Hungarian, I didn't appreciate her cooking when I was a kid. Toffee cake? No thanks, I'd rather have a Snickers. Veal paprikash? Schnitzel? What, we can't go to Taco Bell?
But when I come to Balaton I realize what I missed. This place has seriously some of the best Hungarian home cooking there is to be offered in the states. You know it's old-school ethnic when there's a guy sitting around the dining room sipping from a glass of wine, and it looks like his only job is to smile at people as they walk by.
As for the food, it's fantastic. The bread alone is worth it, but definitely order a cucumber salad with a veal, chicken or mushroom paprikash, and you will leave here a better person. They have two choices for most dishes: small and large. I ordered a small, and it still looked like they dumped the whole pot out on my plate. Daaaaamn good stuff. It almost makes me want to go to the east side more often. Almost.