While cruising through California, the cosmopolitan cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco are the best places to look for ethnic food of all flavors and nationalities. You will find a fair share of Hungarian restaurants in California; choose between small bistro/grocery stops, top-notch gourmet meals and home-style cooking with traditional recipes.
Maximilian's Restaurant is a contemporary Hungarian venue, where traditional Hungarian plates are combined with additional European culinary techniques and popular dishes for a gourmet and eclectic menu. Executive Chef Laszlo Bossanyi is a native Hungarian who has practiced his professional skills in Hungary, Switzerland and Paris. The large menu features a wide variety appetizers, soups and salads, pastas and meat entrees. Appetizers include Hungarian mushroom soup and cucumber salads, while main dishes include veal goulash, steaks, schnitzel, pork chops, duck breast and a variety of chicken dishes, served with sides like parsley potato and jumbo asparagus. The wine list features a selection of imported boutique wines; additional drinks include champagne cocktail specialties. For dessert, patrons may choose between cakes, ice creams and sorbets, strudels and pastries.
Maximilians Restaurant
11330 Weddington Street
Hollywood, CA 91601
818-760-1300
maxiatnoho.com
The Hungarian Sausage factory is a small cafe in San Francisco specializing Hungarian sausages and entrees as well as other Eastern European fare. Patrons may order take out or dine it at one of the small tables or countertops available; however, the table wait may be very long during peak hours, for there is very little dining space. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Featured items include spicy kielbasas and paprika chicken. There is also a European grocery store attached to the restaurant, selling such items as pickled goods, cheeses, cured meats and Hungarian wine. The Hungarian Sausage Factory is open six days a week, closed on Mondays.
Hungarian Sausage Factory
419 Cortland Avenue
San Francisco, California 94110
415-648-2847
(no official website available)
In LA's Hancock Park neighborhood, Duna Csárda combines traditional Hungarian home cooking with Western European style and glamor. White linen table cloths and shiny marble floors add to the sophisticated decor, while occasional piano sets originate from the large, black piano in the corner of the restaurant. Lunch and dinner fare includes goulashes, stuffed cabbage, pork steak, beef dumplings and paprikash as well as pastries and strudels for dessert. The drink list features several imported Hungarian wines as well as champagne and cocktails. The restaurant is open seven days a week with live jazz on Monday nights.
Duna Csárda
5820 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, Ca 90004
323-962-6434
csardasrestaurant.com
