Hungary on a Plate

Tokaj

You don’t go to Tokaj to just eat, you go there to dine. To remember the finer things in life. To sip aged wine that (legend has it) King Louis XIV of France dubbed the “Wine of Kings, the King of Wines.” To indulge in the experience of a paprikash dish. Time slows down, and you realize, “Hey, I don’t have this moment forever.” My advice? Chew a little slower, laugh a little louder, and sit back and savor the stillness of it all. Because what’s the rush, anyway?

The restaurant is named Tokaj, pronounced “TOE-kai,” after a region in northeastern Hungary recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its tradition of wine production. The fine-dining establishment was opened in December 2017 in Gulf Gate by co-owners Eva Katz and Tamás Benkovics, two people who share the same mission: to offer authentic Hungarian food in the U.S.

Katz is from the Hungarian part of Slovakia and Benkovics is from Budapest.

“Any Hungarian restaurant that has opened in Sarasota has closed down because they weren’t [serving] real Hungarian food,” Katz said. “You have to serve the same thing that we are serving back home.”

Katz and Benkovics opened their first restaurant, Sunnyside Café, in December 2014. The café serves American fare with a European flair, known for its vegan and vegetarian options.

Chef Tamás has worked in the kitchen since the age of 12, spending summers honing his craft and learning about the restaurant business. He went on to study at a culinary school in Budapest. He was head chef at the Royal Castle of Budapest, later moving to the Aranyszarvas Vendéglő, a restaurant frequented by royal families and celebrities.

“This is what we’ve done all our life,” Katz said. “We’re used to working in fine-dining.”

Monday and Tuesday is spent preparing and “foraging” for the coming week at Tokaj. The vegetables are sourced locally, the fish comes from rivers up north, and the Mangalica pig is sourced from U.S. farmers who brought the Hungarian breed over long ago. The Hungarian paprika is imported straight from the motherland.

“It’s the most important spice,” Katz laughed.

You can taste the Hungarian paprika used in dishes like the Töltött Káposzta (stuffed cabbage). Chef Tamás published his own cookbook, The Big Hungarian Cookbook, through Amazon in 2018. It was written for a broader audience than just Hungarians, using U.S.-style measurements and only ingredients available in America.

“These are the most well-known dishes,” Katz said. “You spend some time in Hungary, you’re going to eat paprikash, stuffed cabbage, duck, these kind of things—it’s what the people know.”

Tokaj is open Wednesday–Saturday 5–10 p.m. and Sunday 5–9 p.m. If you’re looking for a romantic evening, Friday and Saturday a violinist is serenading away. St. Martin’s Day is celebrated on November 10 with goose and new wine.

“When I find new ingredients, I change the menu, so check online [for the updated version],” Chef Tamás said. With specials changing every day, it’s easy to be swept away into a royal castle full of flavor and delight.

Sunnyside Café is open for breakfast and lunch Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–3 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m.–2 p.m. and is now also serving dinner Tuesday–Saturday 5–10 p.m. The famous Lido Beach Lobster Roll of the former Lido Beach Restaurant can be found at Sunnyside Café, and both restaurants proudly sell desserts made by Sarasota local Andor’s Cake World.

> Tokaj: 6516 Superior Ave, Sarasota, 941-906-9444; tokajsarasota.com

> Sunnyside Café: 4900 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, 941-359-9500; sunnysidecafesrq.com