Hungry Hound :
Homemade Hungarian goulash
By Steve Dolinsky , Lifestyle and Food Reporter, ABC 7 News
December 22, 2004 - This week's cold weather is perfect for a steaming bowl of goulash but very few restaurants offer the Hungarian dish, let alone make it from scratch. But our hungry hound has found one such place on the city's far northwest side.
Goulash comes in two forms: both as a hearty soup, and as a rich stew. As we all stumble into the first week of winter, with temperatures plunging, there are few better ways to fight the chill than with a hot bowl or plate of either one.
No one goes hungry in Hungary - at least in the wintertime. The hearty, rib-sticking food is perfect for a Chicago winter, and at Paprikash - in the Cragin neighborhood on the city's northwest side - it's all about gulyas.
"You have gulyas soup and you have beef gulyas. Beef gulyas is more like a meal, the soup can also be a meal in itself," said Michael Clements, Paprikash.
And that soup takes quite a while to make. After white onions are sautéed until translucent, tomatoes and bell peppers go in. While those cook, beef is cut into cubes. It gets added to the vegetables, and cooks for just a few minutes. Then some seasoning: caraway seeds and a few tablespoons of spicy Hungarian paprika - the hallmarks of the dish - adding a crucial layer of flavor.
"It's got more kick to it, it's not the same paprika you put on deviled eggs by far," said Clements. "The stuff we have here, it's got a lot more kick."
Sturdy vegetables, like carrots and celery go in toward the end, along with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. The Hungarian dish wouldn't be complete without potatoes of course, and finally, for a little bit of kick, some Hungarian red wine, called Bull's Blood.
Once the gulyas is ladled into a bowl, a little parsley for garnish, and it's ready to eat. The gulyas is rich and flavorful, and comes in your choice of three bowl sizes.
The beef gulyas, on the other hand, is essentially a beef stew served on a plate with tiny spaetzle, a type of dumpling. It's fork tender with undercurrents of assertive paprika. Clements says this time of year, his kitchen cranks out both types of gulyas...especially the soup, which is peasant feasting at its most basic level.
"We sell a lot of bowls of guylas soup with some bread, some cheese, some wine, I mean that in itself is a meal too."
Restaurants:
Paprikash
602 W Northwest Hwy
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
847-253-3544
Best of Budapest
Hungarian fare spices up Paprikash
BY DEBORAH PANKEY
Daily Herald Food Editor
Posted Thursday, July 27, 2006
I grew up eating chicken paprikash.
My mother, who claims Hungarian ancestors, didn't serve it every day, but saved the stew-like dish with its chewy homemade dumplings for special occasions. I loved saying the word "paprikash" even before that famous scene from "When Harry Met Sally" (no, not that scene - the one with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in the museum).
Anyway, I've been to dozens, of restaurants over the years and have seen paprikash on the menu at only one - the appropriately named Paprikash Hungarian Restaurant. The down side was the restaurant (the only Hungarian place in a six-county area, maybe even the state) was on Diversey in Chicago, and I live in Palatine. My family made the trek three years ago, and as much as we enjoyed it, we just hadn't made it back.
It turns out that a number of Paprikash's customers live in the suburbs, so the owner, also a suburbanite, opened one in Arlington Heights earlier this year. The Chicago restaurant remains open as well, but owner Mike Clements hopes to sell the original location soon and concentrate on the suburban restaurant.
The Arlington Heights eatery plays the role of favorite child quite well. The building that formerly housed Rapp's has been beautifully remodeled. Paintings of Hungarian sites adorn the golden-hued walls; pendant lights in red and green brighten the room, and mismatched hurricane lamps add interest to the white-clothed tables. The spacious lounge features televisions and a number of seats at the bar as well as several high-topped tables for more casual eating.
The main dining room boasts high ceilings, and on a recent Saturday night the room buzzed rather loudly with gay conversation competing with the trio playing traditional European tunes. Only when the crowd started to dwindle around 8:30 p.m. could my mother and I comfortably converse.
When we weren't talking, we happily ate forkfuls of traditional Hungarian fare prepared by Bela Olah, who studied cooking in Budapest and came with Clement to the suburbs.
While reading the menu we pulled off pieces of flat bread (langos), kind of like carnival elephant ears fried and dressed with garlic and oil. We moved on to chicken paprikash crepes, an interesting way to sample the namesake dish if you're not ready to jump into a whole plate of it. The mix of light and dark chicken meat mingled in an evenly spiced cream sauce. Paprika might resemble ground cayenne, but it lacks the fiery punch.
We passed on the mushroom soup and goulash for a cooling cup of sour cherry soup. Cinnamon and sour cream tame the dark red cherries bobbing in this vibrant dish. The soup is so spectacular I asked for a cup to take home.
The mixed vegetable salad, resembling coleslaw more than a plate of greens, perked up the palate as well. Carrots, cabbage, onion, pickles and peppers go through the shredder before getting tossed with a slightly sweet vinegar dressing.
The dinner menu presents a variety of Old World options - goulash in beef and pork varieties, schnitzel, sausages and roast duck with steamed red cabbage, among them.
We tried the veal paprikash and found chunks (as opposed to strips as my mother remembers from her youth) of tender stewed meat in the same rich paprika-infused sauce that came with the chicken appetizer. The co-star on this plate was the nokedli, homemade freeform eggy dumplings that boast just the right amount of chewy texture and made a perfect foil for the extra sauce.
I wish I had ordered the dumplings or spatzel (like the nokedli but generally smaller) with my Budapest-style filet mignon. The tender meat was heaped with a chunky ragout of bacon, peas, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes. The menu says the dish also has calf's liver in it, but I couldn't detect it, which was a good thing since I don't particularly care for that cut of meat.
When the owner stopped by the table (I wasn't recognized) my mother asked if there was any dobos torta in the kitchen. When we dined at the Chicago restaurant they were out of this labor-intensive layered cake and, given the crowded dining room, she didn't want to be left out again.
As soon as our dinner plates were cleared the dobos torta with its thin cake layers (six of them!), light and creamy chocolate frosting and crisp caramel crown arrived and gave us something to savor while we waited for the apricot crepes. The crepes, rolled with fresh farmer's cheese and homemade apricot compote, presented a lighter complement to the tort. For those who want a little show after dinner, walnut cream crepes studded with rum raisins can be flambed tableside.
For liquid refreshment, Paprikash offers an eclectic array of wines, including several Hungarian varieties. Proving that the restaurant isn't stuck in the old country, the bar has a martini menu as well. I tried the Puszta Cocktail, sweet or dry wine mixed with apricot brandy and Hubertus, a Hungarian elixir with orange and herb overtones. This pleasant mix (I opted for dry wine) was meant for sipping, which I did through my entire meal.
Our service was erratic, but the waitress was friendly. In fact, everyone was friendly, from a man in the band who chatted with us briefly up to the owner. And that welcoming feeling, along with the fabulous food, will bring us back.
Paprikash
602 W. Northwest Hwy., Arlington Heights, (847) 253-3544
www.paprikashrestaurant.com
Cuisine: Traditional Hungarian and Eastern European fare
Setting: Modern room adorned with Hungarian images and pendant lights
Price range: Appetizers $1.95 to $8.95; soups and salads $2.25 to $9.50; entrees $6.95 to $19.95; desserts $4.50 to $6.95
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday; closed Monday
Accepts: Reservations (recommended on weekends); American Express; Visa; MasterCard; Discover
Also: Lunch buffet; full-service bar; carry-out; live traditional and contemporary music nightly; dancing once a month; private parties
Restaurant reviews are intended to provide a detailed look at distinctive suburban restaurants. Reviews are based on anonymous visits. Our aim is to describe the overall dining experience while guiding the reader toward the menu's strengths. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend
Hungry Hound
Hearty Hungarian cuisine fits the bill
By Steve Dolinsky , Lifestyle and Food Reporter, ABC 7 News
December 1, 2006 - A blast of winter is well-suited for heartier eating -- and Hungarian cuisine
fits the bill.
Diners of a certain age will no doubt remember Louis Szathmary's beloved restaurant "The Bakery" in Lincoln Park. It's been closed for some 20 years, but the Hungarian chef's legacy lives on. One of his former employees - and fellow Hungarians - is recreating some of those traditional dishes in Arlington Heights, at the aptly-named Paprikash.
You can always count on Hungarian food to fill you up. At the warm and welcoming Paprikash - a little Northwest of downtown Arlington Heights - the menu is made for winter.
"The chicken paprikash, the beef goulash, it's basically all stews," said Mike Clements, Paprikash.
Everything is made fresh, including that beefy, complex beef goulash. Garlicky Hungarian sausages are also good starters -- paired with purple cabbage and a zippy mustard dipping sauce. Entrees stay true to their ethnic origins: an oven-roasted pork chop is topped with mushrooms, ham and smoked cheese, then served alongside caramelized cabbage and egg noodles. Even the beef stroganoff is a little different.
"It's made with pickles and tomatoes. You don't really see it too much when you look at it, because it's still in a gravy, stew-type sauce. But it has a very unique flavor."
The restaurant's signature, however, is the Beef Wellington - a recipe the chef learned to make from fellow Hungarian Louis Szathmary, at The Bakery in Lincoln Park 20 years ago. Homemade dough is rolled out, topped with a generous slice of Hungarian goose liver - perfectly legal in the suburbs - then spread with mushroom paste..topped with seared beef tenderloin and completely covered up by the buttery dough. It's baked for about 20 minutes, then served alongside grilled vegetables and parsley potatoes.
"The beef wellington is something special. When Louis Szathmary, when he had his shop at The Bakery, literally 52% of his sales, which is unheard of in the restaurant business."
Desserts are exquisite: crisp streudals come in apple or cherry flavors; the flaming Gundel crepes contain walnut cream and rum raisins, and the dobos torta is one-of-a-kind: six layers of cake and chocolate buttercream topped off with a hard candy crown.
Live music on the weekends lends an authentic, almost festive mood...not to mention the busy bar area. Clements says he's staying true to his Hungarian roots from the sweets and wines to the namesake spice.
"And I import all my paprika, it's a lot different than the paprika that you buy here. It's different altogether."
Paprikash
602 W. Northwest Hwy., Arlington Heights
847-253-3544
ABC7 News Team
Paprikash adds a touch of Hungarian spice
Paprikash Hungarian Restaurant
602 W Northwest Hwy, Arlington Heights
Open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Closed Mondays. 847-253-3544
www.paprikashrestaurant.com
Thursday, December 21, 2006
By Elizabeth Schiele
Owners say it's the closest you can get to Hungary without leaving town and they may be right. Paprikash Restaurant, 602 W Northwest Hwy in Arlington Heights, opened last look and feel of the Old World Europe.
If you are planning on bulking up for the winter, Paprikash may be the place to visit. “We call it comfort food”, said Fred Jarosh, general manager. "If you like authentic Hungarian food, this is a place for the taste of Europe"
Paprikash, which means paprika in Hungarian, features such hearty, stew-like favorites such as the chicken paprikash, veal paprikash and goulash as well as stuffed cabbage. It is not only Hungarian food, but also German, Polish and even some Romanian.
"About 70 percent of our menu is Hungarian, but we also have a Romanian skirt steak, Austrian wiener schnitzel, steaks, chops and vegetarian dishes, " Jarosh said.
Some menu favorites are the Beef Wellington, a prime fillet seared to medium temperature, smothered in goose liver and white mushroom paste and wrapped in a butter pastry, served with baby asparagus and grilled red peppers in a Marsala wine sauce ($29.95), the Hungarian-style prime beef stroganoff ($22.50), the Polish-style beef goulash served over potato pancakes topped with sour cream and paprika and a side of sweet cabbage salad and the generous Hungarian homemade sausage platter ($17).
"I have yet to see one person finish everything,” Jarosh said. “Ninety-five percent of our guests take home food and that is probably because we start every meal with our deep fried garlic bread or Langosh."
If you can make it through the bread course while enjoying their extensive German and Polish beer list or any of the 25 wines by the glass, Paprikash offers some hearty meat dishes, but also such vegetarian favorites as the Töspecialkfózelék, shredded, sautéed zucchini in a light, creamy sauce with dill and Lecsó, sautéed mild peppers with sweet onions and tomatoes, served with boiled potatoes. For dessert, Jarosh recommends the Dobos Torta, a six-layer cake of chocolate butter cream with caramel glaze, which his Hungarian pastry chef cannot seem to make enough of.
A good bet is the daily lunch buffet with a tasting og 10 Hungarian items, including salad and dessert for $9.95. The dinner menu is a la carte, however, soups and salads are discounted with a purchase of an entrée. The average check is $20 to $30 a person.
On weekend nights, a musician with a cimbalom, a harp-like, percussion instrument traditionally played in Hungary, serenades couples enjoying a romantic evening out. But at 10 p.m. on Fridays, Karaoke night begins in the bar launge.
Paprikash satisfies with Hungarian fare
January 5, 2007
BY THOMAS WITOM Dining
The hearty stews and richly flavored soups of Hungary have an appeal that easily crosses ethnic boundaries. Unfortunately, finding a restaurant that serves authentic veal paprikash or tripe goulash is no easy task -- unless you know where to look. Hungarian restaurants in this neck of the woods are a rarity.
However, both of the aforementioned dishes -- and a lot more -- can be had at Paprikash in Arlington Heights. The restaurant, founded in 1995 in Chicago and widely commended for its food, relocated to suburbia in the spring of 2006.
The place, popular with families and couples, was jumping on a recent Tuesday night. Reservations aren't a bad idea, especially on weekends when there's live musical entertainment.
Dinners start on a high note with hat-shaped langosh, a warm, puffy garlic bread. Check out the drink list for a selection of Hungarian wines and liquors, imported and domestic beers and specialty martinis. Service is efficient and the staff is knowledgeable.
Though the menu changes from time to time, a standard such as Hideg Meggyleves, chilled sour cherry soup, remains a fixture.
We were in the mood for something hot, and Paprikash's fish soup ($6.25) nicely filled the bill. Paprika (a spice similar to ground chili peppers) figured prominently in this staple, traditionally made with onions and seasoned with black pepper, white wine and tomato juice. Chunks of catfish added a crowning touch.
Chicken-filled crepes, a farmer's platter and homemade Hungarian garlic sausage served with shredded red cabbage were among other appetizers.
Veal Paprikash ($19.50), in a mild paprika/sour cream sauce, was delicious. The fork-tender meat was perfectly complemented by a side of nokedli (spaetzle-like dumplings). Beef, chicken and lamb figured in other stews.
Tripe goulash, served with roasted potatoes on the side, wasn't listed among the entrees on the recently revised menu, but it still appeared as a carryout item and the kitchen was able to accommodate our order. We enjoyed it but concede that to some the texture of this organ meat (the muscular lining of beef stomach) is an acquired taste.
More mainstream appetites undoubtedly will gravitate toward baked pork loin, roasted duck, poached salmon and breaded wiener schnitzel. In addition, under the banner of "chef's creations" are stroganoff, beef Wellington and filet mignon.
Chestnut puree, a classic Hungarian treat, was among a handful of desserts on offer. The homemade retes (strudel), made with sour cherries or, if you prefer, apples, was laudable.
Thomas Witom is a local free-lance writer.
Chicago Tribune
Arlington Heights/Mount Prospect Dining
Chef/Restaurant Q&A Profile: Paprikash
Elizabeth Schiele
January 23, 2007
Paprikash
602 W. Northwest Highway
Arlington Heights
847-253-3544
Q What sets Paprikash apart from other restaurants in the area?
Paprikash differs from other restaurants in the area because of our unique atmosphere as well as our unique menu -- we combine a welcoming family-style feeling and friendly service with an unexpected, though delicious and satisfying menu. Basically we not only specialize in Hungarian dishes but we feature items from all across Europe, for example a Romanian skirt steak, Wiener schnitzel, a beef stroganoff, a Milanese noodle dish.
Q Tell us about your restaurant and the ambiance.
The ambiance of Paprikash is one that makes customers feel like guests instead of strangers. We strive to make sure that everyone entirely enjoys all aspects of their experience, from the second they walk in the door, during their meal, and on through our tempting desserts. We also feature live entertainment which is a traditional Hungarian band every Friday Saturday and Sunday.
Q. Please describe some of your signature items on the menu.
Some of our signature items would include Beef Wellington, based on the recipe of Chef Louis Szathmary of the Bakery Restaurant in Chicago. An 8 oz roasted prime filet mignon is placed on a buttery pastry dough in a bed of real goose liver and white mushroom paste. The dough then is folded to wrap the ingredients, and turned upside down to let the juices from the goose liver and the mushroom paste to saturate the beef. It is served with roasted red peppers, asparagus, and a Marsala wine reduction sauce. Another signature dish is the chicken paprikash, which is made with a sweet paprika flown in from Hungary. Our Dobos torte or cake is famous, consists of six individual baked bases filled with a chocolate butter- cream with caramel glazing on the top. Another best seller is our Ovari style pork loin, a bone-in pan fried pork chop, topped with lean ham, sautéed mushrooms and sliced smoked cheese and then oven finished. Served with square egg noodles with sautéed caramelized white cabbage.
Q. Please share your culinary background with us.
Chef Bela Olah first learned to cook in his grandmother’s kitchen, then at culinary school in Budapest. He worked at a handful of American and Italian restaurants in Chicago like Kennessey in Chicago, at the Cypress in Hinsdale, and for the International Gourmet Shop before Paprikash gave him the chance to make the cuisine he grew on. Bela started at Paprikash in 1995, four months after it opened. He moved to the United States from Budapest in 1991 when he was 44 years old.
Q. Please share a recipe that would be easy for the home cook to make.
Marhapörkölt or Beef Gulya’s (6 orders)
2lbs Fine diced onion
1 lbs fresh red pepper diced
1/2 lbs fresh Green pepper diced
2 medium size tomatoes also diced
1oz salt
1/2 oz ground caraway seed (you can also grind your own with a small coffee grinder)
1 head garlic chopped
1/2 oz black pepper
1 oz sweet Hungarian Paprika powder (ours is flown in but you can purchase yours at Bende Inc.
4 lbs triangle beef cubed in ½ bites
2 Cups of dry red wine
1/2 cup of olive oil
First sauté the onion till translucent in olive oil, then add your tomatoes and peppers, continue sautéing about 5-7 minutes. Once this is ready add your meat cook for another 6-15 minutes the add all of your seasonings. Cover and cook slowly for an hour to hour and half. Finally add your wine and bring back to a boil. Simmer until the meat is tender. It is served with boiled potatoes, homemade spatzel or even pasta.
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Paprikash
602 W. Northwest Hwy.
Arlington Heights 60004
847-253-3544
In the mood for Hungarian? This local stop - from the owners of the Chicago restaurant with the same name - serves up hearty portions of delicious Hungarian specialties. Favorites include lamb shank, fish or beef goulash soup. Don't miss the house specialty, chicken paprikash -- tender chicken spiced with paprika and served with sour cream. But admit it or not, what people really come here for are the desserts; the seven-layer dobos cake, sour cherry strudel and flaming crepes are all winners.
Av. Dinner Entree: $15-$25, $8-$15
Carry Out: Yes
Catering: In the works
Cuisine: Hungarian
Family Oriented: Yes
Live Music: Live band plays Saturday and Sunday nights
Meals Served: Desserts, Dinner, Lunch
Parking: Free lot
Payment Method: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover
Private party room(s): Seats 30 people, Can rent the entire restaurant on Mondays
Reservations Accepted?: Recommended for Friday and Saturday nights
Seating: Capacity: 100
Specialties: Chicken paprikash; Lamb shank; Fish soup; Beef goulash soup
Spirits: Full bar
Transportation: Metra train (across the street)
Wheelchair Access: Yes
WiFi: (free)
