Gluttons rejoice as Torkos Csütörtök arrives in Hungary

Kiss that diet goodbye! The Hungarian Tourist Board has designated tomorrow - March 2nd - Torkos Csütörtök ("Gluttonous Thursday"). On this one day only, a whopping 500 Hungarian restaurants, including 75 in Budapest, will offer their entire menus, everything included, at a gut-stuffing 50% off.

How long have you been savoring that paprika lamb with sheep-cheese dumplings at Bagolyvár? Nursed a special craving for Alabárdos's cold salmon starter, marinated in tarragon and honey and served with red caviar? Have you been hunkering after Remiz's gargantuan goose leg? Sat up nights whimpering over Náncsi Néni's grilled, marinated teriyaki ginger-honey-soya chicken spiced with garlic-chili, served with egg-fried saffron rice, vegetables and Chinese mushroom, and a light Légli Chardonnay? Go all out tomorrow, live the dream, and let the Hungarian government (or whoever it is) pick up half the tab.

A list of all participating restaurants, can be had right here.

And as you return to your senses (the truffle cream from Biarritz's Mangalica pork filet dripping from your fingers), consider that this is just the kick-off of a 2006 nationwide campaign to promote Hungarian cuisine. Future events in upcoming months will focus on the cuisine of particular regions and organizations, with selected restaurants offering culinary discounts and other attractions.

Highlights in March include the so-called "gastronomic meeting" at Parliament, with the "First Hungarian White Table Equestrian Commencement Ceremony" on March 12. (For more information, call the Hungarian Tourist Board, at 438-8080.) The town of Kecskemét will try for a Guiness world record for cooking in their Tastes of Kecskemét Festival, March 17-19 (76/417-980). Also on March 17, the town of Nagzkanizsa will host an evening celebrating Jewish cuisine.

But frankly, no upcoming event will approach the all-out plunder of Gluttonous Thursday. Gorge on Mofarguru's sesame-seed fried veal, while saving money over buying frozen patties at the supermarket. Shovel in Café Pierrot's inventive pastas with live jazz piano, for one day cheaper than a Big Mac. OR - dare we even think it - drive down to Szeged's Fehértói Halászcsárda és Panzió for some famous fish soup, or the Nimrod Wild Game House in Sopron for some South Tyrolean roasted deer, and come out with a net gain over staying at home and cooking for yourself.

Make sure to call ahead to reserve your place, as you are sure to be in competition for these tables with every starving pensioner, every family with six screaming tykes, every tourist, every student, every immigrant, every pair of lovers - well, just everybody. Guten Appetit!

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