Importance Of Snacks On Long City Meanders

I should know better! Always carry a little snack with you when you are out for more than a couple of hours. I go from hungry to hangry to … HEADACHE

And there is nothing I despise more. I HATE them but they’ve been with me for as long as I can remember. Only consolation is that they seem to be aging faster than me and I guess that’s good news! Here’s to hoping I’ll be headache free by the time I’m 80 😉

We are out exploring the Jewish quarter in Budapest and the plan was to go back to Kazinczy St. and try the food Karavan we had noticed next to Szimpla Kert Ruin Pub. If you are visiting Budapest, be sure to put this place on your must-see-list! Check out Bruce’s photos here.

Having had a late breakfast and knowing our exact plans for dinner, I didn’t pack any food as I usually would. So after 5 hours of walking in the scorching heat, I was dangerously getting close to Hangry. We headed towards our food destination but once there, we realized it was just burger type fast food. I was really hoping for Hungarian food. We (I) decided to go back to our own neighbourhood. Plenty of restaurants around. It can’t be that difficult to find something right?

Hangry was already upon me and my crankiness was casting an ugly shadow over us. We must feed it away!

So we walked towards Váci St. where our apartment is. We stopped at a place that shall remain nameless to check their menu and enters obnoxious salesman-waiter to tell you how wonderful their food is and you must try it! A Smart person says No and walks away but I’m not very smart when I’m in need of food. So we took the bait!

I don’t know why. Perhaps the fear of a headache that was lurking in the shadows ready to pounce? Or the fact I wanted the grump me to disappear. And we , let me correct that, I was sucked in. Yup, I said yes to this guy. What was I thinking?!!  Hey, it can’t be that bad? Oh it can!

No Hungarian food to order. Well, that’s disappointing. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad. I know boring!. Pizza for Kasm and some beef dish for Bruce. We settled in with our drinks hoping for the best and tried to enjoy the surroundings which wasn’t easy. Two tables over, the owners, or perhaps friends of the owners were having a very heated conversation. They did not sound happy!! The lady got up and started crying in the middle of the street! Our waiter was sitting right next to them but no attempt at trying to get them to act civilized. Oh well, free entertainment at least (not a very good one).

Ah, the food has arrived! I don’t even know how to describe my Caesar Salad. It was just a blob of goo on a plate. Only thing to do is put on the goggles and dive in the murky sauce! Kasm’s pizza wasn’t any better. It was just a piece of cardboard. And no sauce! Bruce’s beef on a plate of pasta passed for ok. We ate in silence listening to the lovely sound of the arguments. Once done, the waiter cleared our plates and ran off. I think he even knew their food sucks!

Lesson learned! Always carry snacks and don’t let the sales guy outside the restaurant convince you their food is the best. Because chances are, it ain’t!

Oh and who says Karma isn’t real? The next day we saw the salesman-waiter in a completely different neighborhood, pushing his jalopy down the street.