BITE INTO

SPRING

ON THE MENU – THE WINE OF SPRING: SAUVIGNON BLANC OF PANNONHALMA - TOP HERBS – OUR FAVOURITE IS THE ASPARAGUS – GERLÓCZY RICKSHAW RIDES

T H E G E R L Ó C Z Y C A F É P A P E R

THREE COURSES, THREE COURSES OF ACTIONIMAGINE A SMILING OLD LADY IN A WHITE COAT WITH A NURSE’S CAP ON HER HEAD AND CANVAS LACE-UP BOOTS ON HER FEET. HER CALVES ARE OUT OF SIGHT, BUT YOU KNOW THEY’VE GOT VARICOSE VEINS. A PALE WEB OF BLUISH GLOW UNDER THE SKIN. STANDING BY THE POT WITH A ONE-LITRE LADLE IN HAND, AND SHE’S ASKING SOMETHING. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SMILE.

TAMÁS T.NAGY ---->

If you’ve never seen anything like that, you can still imagine it. If you can’t, it might

be because you were born on the other side of the hill. That’s the smaller problem.

The other option is a more painful one: you’ll go home hungry. There’ll be less ‘csumi’

on your plate.

Csumi (noun) means menu. Csumidázlak (verb) means kissing the fool on the

mouth. Even a boy kissing a boy. It needs to be clarified before starting the

meal; I don’t want to take away your appetite.

So. There are only two people left in the queue ahead of us.

We’re pushing ourselves to grin harder, and as we’re

approaching Auntie Marika’s aura we pop the question.

‘Auntie Marika! How are you?’

‘I’m fine, my darling.’

A slice of meat goes under the ‘fôzelék’, another

goes on top, and my self-confidence immediately

gets a turbo boost. You could say we’ve absolved

the basics of conflict management no problem.

Things have changed since then. Auntie Marika is

now retired. She deserved it. Where csumi used to

be portioned is now a gym. We work out, hell yeah!

There’s no Auntie Marika, no csumi, there’s á la carte

menu. Look how the aristocratic audience is doing now.

Years of experience make one very careful. What else

could one do when all the old contacts are lost? You can tell

by the moves of the new bloke in the open kitchen that he’s

a phony. His retraining took six weeks tops, and you can see he hates

what he does with all his heart. His tattoo is alright though. You can read his skin

and his unique anatomy.

Needless to say, it’s difficult to find chefs who are wholesome representatives

of their profession. What is an even more serious problem is that the system of

professional training and recognition is such that it cleverly (but perhaps unin-

tentionally) prevents such people to emerge. So we can decide whether to keep the

practical in mind, to cope with the repugnant, or to try and stay aesthetically aloof.

The few remaining others we have to be able to convince that where everybody is

a nobody, there nobody is somebody. Come what may, the morality of give and take

must be forced upon everybody. This give and take morality is expressed in three

courses and three courses of action in Gerlóczy. Á la menu.

Three starters, three main courses and three desserts. Cold and hot, liquid and

solid, vegetarian or meat, and every mathematical variations of these three by

three. For less, we combine two.

I don’t know what Auntie Marika would say to all this; as far

as I remember her views were somewhat different.

She approached the issue with less emotion. When

one was hungry, one ate what was given to him.

In her defense it has to be said that SZÉP cards

and Erzsébet vouchers were unheard of at the

time. Eating and freedom come at a price.

Due to a special offer, we now have to

pay 30% less collateral cost. We are free to

choose, free to decide and free to pay the

price for it. Is it against anybody’s taste?

There’s no need to be picky. Just shovel it all

in. The cross talk is not on your plate but in

your ears. I don’t know if it’s important. I’ve

never queued in Erzsébet’s kitchen, and I admit

I didn’t know who she was. I wasn’t the only one

with this uncertainty though. A not representative

poll of who Erzsébet was resulted in answers from Sissi

through the ex-beauty queen Böske Simon to Erzsébet Spéter.

I myself didn’t think of the Rose Girl, the daughter of Andrew II and Gertrude

of Merania, Elizabeth of Hungary, the benefactor of the poor.

Dear Auntie Marika,

Due to the national taste in naming, we have to wait a little longer to pay tribute

to Auntie Marika. Until then, I look forward to having lunch with her. I promise that

the kale fôzelék and all its accessories will be served on a single plate. Even the

meatloaf will be assembled in a way that you’ll recognize what it is.

I’m looking forward to seeing you.

GERLÓCZY:‘THE BEST ELEGANT BUT CHEAP LUNCH’ TimeOut Budapest

MONDAY�

Breakfast

Lunch menu

Snack time

Dinnerpiano

7*12

12*3

3*6

6*11

TUESDAY

Breakfast

Lunch menu

Snack time

Dinnerharp

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast

Lunch menuMACKEREL

Snack time

Dinnerharp

THURSDAY

Breakfast

Lunch menu

Snack time

Dinnerharp

FRIDAY

Breakfast

FISH DAY

Snack time

Dinnerharp

SATURDAY

Breakfast

WEEKEND OFFER

Snack time

Dinnerharp

SUNDAY

Breakfast

WEEKEND OFFER

Snack time

Dinnerpiano

THE GERLÓCZY GUESTWHAT IS A GUEST AT GERLÓCZY LIKE? WE ASKED OUR REGULARS, AND WE KEEP ASKING THREE OF THEM FOR EVERY ISSUE, HOPING THAT WE CAN SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF WHAT MAKES A GERLÓCZY GUEST.

Gerlóczy is close to my husband’s office, so I came here with him at first. Then I’ve become a regular, I even brought along the first guest of the hotel. I started to get the hang of wining at Gerlóczy, so my taste in wine was hugely influenced by their wine selection at first.

I just enjoy the sunshine.Now that the weather is lovely,I can’t wait to get going.

I’m a carnivore which is not seasonal. Certainly I’m happy about the fresh vegetablestoo, I love asparagus and last year I also fell in love with wild garlic.

Salt. I also like thyme, rosemary and basil, preferably fresh.

The company I work for (Future Films) produces commercials, but in the last couple of years I’ve been busy with non-filmprojects which I love too. Lately, I’ve been working on an exhibition, and I hope everything will work out fine.

I first came here for business. Mónika Matolcsicontacted me and Reneszánsz with regards to stone flooring a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve become an avid fan and regular guest at this phenomenal café and restaurant.

Spring is the season of nature’s revival and freedom. It is the season to bathe in the first sunbeams of the year, to breath fresh air, to witness nature’s awakening, to listen to the joyful chirping of birds.

In my childhood, we used to plant, nurture and harvest the widest palette of vegetablesand fruits in my grandparents’ garden. I still remember the unforgettable flavour of tender green peas, spring radishes, and juicy strawberries. I love any seasonalvegetable or fruit, and spring is the first season to provide fresh flavours.

As time goes by, our tastes change in everything, not only in food and spices. Each period of my life could be characterizedby learning about a new spice; it’s not onlymelodies or smells but flavours too can helprecall nice memories. The more cultures, landsand cuisines you know, the varied your tastesbecome. Indian spices and their combinationsare my favourites, but due to their strong characteristics they’re not for everyday use.

With Reneszánsz, we’re working on the international promotion of the freshwaterlimestone from Süttô. I think natural stone is the crown jewel of architecture. It is also the most environmentally friendly and thelongest lasting building material which, when used with care and professionalism,gives a building or space a unique feel. The creativity of nature is brilliant. I couldn’t wish for working in a more satisfying field of architecture ...

Gerlóczy lives in all of us. You’ll find it if you’reopen, interested in anything new, and if you don’t run away from opportunities. I feel blessed by the fact that I could witness the birth and progress of the café from the time when we said ‘Good morning’ to old AuntieMarika who lived on the first floor. There was even a bank on the ground floor then.

Spring for me is the time when I leave the wallsand the city behind. Cycling is one of the things I do pretty intensely, the other is gardening. For me, early spring brings along the neverending,unequal struggle against moles too.

Fish. Lately I try to eat more fish and that won’t change in the spring.

Coriander, which is an essential spice in Thai cuisine.

My job brings along a lot of interesting things to do,some of them you might come across soon. We’vealso started a complex project which will phase out in the summer. It is the Garden Festival in Gyer-mely. It is a community-building civil project thattries to bring a valuable event and cheerfulness tothe village. The project could easily be copied elsewhere, but it hasn’t happened yet. That’s whywe’d like to introduce a new bike race in the areawhose highlight event would be the Garden Festival.We try to add some useful, modern features thatwill attract hikers of all kinds.

ORSI KMETTY RÉKA VERECZKEI BÉLA SZABÓ

How did you find Gerlóczy?

What do you like to do in the spring?

What’s your essential spring dish like?

What’s your favourite spice?

What do you do and what have you been up to lately?

GERLÓCZY ---->

?

SPICE - SHOWRITA BENYÓ ---->

They’ve built empires, improved loves, cured minds; their legend is thousands of years old.

It’s not surprising with such names as ocimum basalicum, helichrysum italicum, rosmarinus

officinalis, capiscum minimum, artemisi dranunculus… Some shake you up, some calm you

down, some clear your mind and some stupefy you. Spices captured the imagination of mankind

many millennia ago.

Cleopatra – if myths are to be believed – took a saffron bath before her rendezvous. The

emperors of the Roman Empire used pillows stuffed with the same special herb in order to

experience greater pleasure during their orgies. To this day, saffron is worth of its weight in

gold, and not only because of its colour.

But omnipresent rosemary is also a subject of superstitions of mythological proportions.

The fragrant herb was known even in ancient times. It was thought to possess magical powers,

so it’s still used at weddings in Italy. It’s believed to dispel bad luck and evil spirits. The herbs

and spices of Arabia were told to be guarded by sea monsters and demons, so it was only

exceptionally brave heroes could obtain them. Alchemists claimed that eastern spices could

only be handled by only those who knew their fiery and mysterious soul.

It’s no different in modern cuisine. One must know the secret of spices to achieve perfect

harmony. Harmony is essential to a great cuisine. Spices require respect and space to reveal

all their well-hidden secrets.

Although our grandmothers had a natural knowledge of the nature of herbs and spices, this

knowledge faded away in the past decades in Hungary. We’ve had to re-learn the Hungarian

flavours beyond those of red pepper, flavour enhancers and marjoram. We also have to realize

that oregano, which we identify with Italian cuisine, has been used in Transylvania for centuries

under the name of ‘tar grass’. The gastro-revolution of the past couple of years have brought

along almost as great an improvement in our taste in spices as everywhere else in the world

hundreds of years ago.

We rarely consider what effect herbs and spices, which are often also medicinal plants, had on

the development of western civilization. We might never have explored Asian countries or the

New World had the desire to find new flavours not driven the men of science. We can say it was

spices that led mankind out from the Dark Ages to brilliant Renaissance, bringing about a new

stage not only in arts but also in gastronomy.

Recent developments also mean that we no longer have to go to expensive delicatessens or

markets to buy fresh herbs; potted basil, rosemary, even coriander are available almost

anywhere. Fresh herbs reveal an indescribable world of flavours. I might have realized this

first when my mother made her first roast lamb for Easter twenty years ago. She rolled the

beautiful ribs in a rosemary crust.

I clearly remember the how fresh basil tasted in 2002, when I bought a bunch of basil and

buffalo mozzarella in the market in Florence. The perfect simplicity of the harmony of flavours

is unforgettable.

Maybe this is the key. Simplicity. Naturally, there are herbs that get on well together, but some

need their individual space to shine.

For example, tarragon for example is so intense that there’s no point in mixing it, whereas the

ingredients of tikka masala or herb de province make up a new spice in perfect harmony.

The spring menu offers both harmony and simplicity. It was inspired by the admiration and

respect for spices. The pea soup with mint underlines the freshness of the season, just like the

goat cheese with Provençal spices evokes the French countryside. The lamb with lemons and

chilli will shake you up; the orange duck with rosemary will stupefy you. The legend lives on

and inspires new stories in Gerlóczy.

SPICY DISHES ON THE NEW MENU:

- Green pea soup with mint- Jaipur curry cream soup with chicken

- Orange duck breast with rosemary and celery puree- Knuckle of lamb with lemon and chilli sauce and couscous

- Papardelle with saffron and porcini

TOP HERBS ON

THE NEW MENU

salt DILL black pepper NUTMEG marjoram GINGER

chilli CORIANDER mint SAFFRON rosemary THYME bay leaf

CURRY herbes de Provence SAGE morel CUMIN

WILL YOU HOOK UP NEXT YEAR?There will be new ‘One Night Stands’ at Gerlóczy next February.

This year, 29 couples had the chance to stay the night after dinner at Gerlóczy.

THE PARIS OF BUDAPESTWe catered for the ’victims’ of Malév for two weeks in March. They stayed the night after dinner, and had breakfast in the café. It was a pleasure to meet so many of them!

ASPARAGUS AT GERLÓCZY FROM MID-APRIL

Asparaguslike

ASPARAGUS DISHES ON THE NEW MENU:

- Spring roll with asparagus and fresh cheese- Green asparagus rolled in prosciutto with Hollandaise sauce

- Asparagus cream soup with shrimps- Green asparagus cappuccino with roasted almonds and baguette chips

GREEN GRASSWe’ve grown a lawn this spring. Our terrace will be green for three weeks.

If you’re curious to know how it all happened, look for ‘Gyepp-Hepp’ on YouTube.

The bank of Gerlóczy, Unicredit Bank also helped us nurturing the lawn. Thanks!

19TH MAY, FROM MORNING TILL THE EVENING AT KAMERMAYER SQUAREGASTRO MARKET, KIDS EVENTS, TANGO AND LOUNGING ON THE LAWN

COMING SOON!

GYEP-HEPP

EAT THE SEA AND RINSE WITH GOLDIf you’ve ever tried malt whisky, you know the incredible richness of flavours of this

drink. A well-chosen dish increases the value of whisky (and vice versa): neither tries

to overcome the other. Therefore one shouldn’t choose a heavy, spicy dish to a light

malt, or sip an intense, smoky whisky with a low-key vegetable dish.

The Scottish Lowland whisky, for instance, that reminds one of the freshly scythed

hay and flowery notes (Glenkinchie, Auchentoshan, or a young one from Speyside

such as BenRiach Heart of Speyside) is a great match to vegetables and legumes.

Fruity dishes and desserts go well with the fresh and fruity Glenfiddich and The

Glenlivet from Speyside, fragrant Balblair from the Highlands, or fruity Irish whiskeys

such as Jameson (it’s delicious with apricots).

Classic turf-smoked Scottish malt whiskey should accompany heavier, spicier dishes.

Unpeated whiskies that are under a heavy influence of the sea go well with shellfish,

drinks with rich earthy notes are perfect with mushrooms.

The type of the cask used in the maturation process also needs to be taken into consideration. Bourbon-aged whiskies are usually

for fish and seafood, while the more full-bodied sherry whiskies are harmonious with meat, especially beef and pork.

There’s no escaping the sea in Scotland, so Scotch whisky is a natural match to seafood, such as shellfish (clams, lobster,

crayfish, etc.), sea fish (like sea bass, tuna, mackerel, salmon and anchovy). Scotch whisky goes perfectly well with freshwater

fish, too. We recommend the smoky whiskey of the Bruichladdich distillery to go with our popular mackerel. The peaty taste nicely

brings out the dominant smoky flavours of the fish.

THE BEST TO GO WITH FISH:BRUICHLADDICH WHISKY

www.whiskynet.hu

SMOOTHIE OPERATORA Smoothie is the essential accessory of lounging on the terrace not only

during the summer heat, but also in warm spring afternoons. Any variety of

the creamy, fruity drink will light up your day. All you have to do is choose one .

Mango - green apple - cinnamon

Lychee - strawberry - rose water

Pomegranate - strawberry - mint

Cucumber - green apple - melon - chili

Paprika - lemon - ginger

Chocolate - coffee - cardamom

Strawberry - basil

The idea of a café equals the lust for freedom. For guests, a café means a free half-hour, conversations, important

decisions, and dates. And the fantasy of being able to live like that for ever. In most cases, disappointment is imminent.

But sometimes miracles occur. Gojko Mitic’ , the admired Winnetou of the Eastern Bloc never saw a Native American in

his life. Yet, he became the best of them.

I bet Eszter and Tomi, the proprietors of 2 Kockacukor (2 sugars) Café have never seen a Native American either, but

they still could be the offspring of Big Bear. Opening a café doesn’t mean you have to work the machine at home from dawn

till dusk, practicing. It goes like this: you wake up in a morning, brush your teeth, look in the mirror, and decide you become

a free man starting today. And then you open a shop.

It is exactly how it happened with the two sugar combs mentioned above. I wasn’t there when they christened their café,

but I suppose the naming of 2 Kockacukor on Kárpát street was similar to how my dog got the name Bögre (Mug). It had

ears, it was smiling, and I was holding a coffee mug. What can one do but capture the moment and name one’s dog Mug?

The name brought about many happy moments later on. One morning, for instance, I ordered a coffee in my hotel room.

As it happens, a couple of minutes later the room waiter knocked on my door. I said to my wife: ’Hold on to Mug, don’t

let him jump on the waiter.’ The waiter shouted from the other side of the door: ’I’m holding the mug!’ My wife replied:

’Hang on a minute, I have to hold him!’ The waiter shouted louder: ’I’m holding the mug with both hands!’...

Like everything in the world, a café can be misunderstood too. But when you’re honest with yourself, you can think

whatever you like of it. This is freedom. A café can be a home or day care, love or livelihood. The point is to give a plausible

performance, just like Gojko Mitic’ did in the Winnetou films.

Tomi is brilliant in 2 Kockacukor; he found his freedom. As he doesn’t wear an Indian headdress, he doesn’t own a toma-

hawk and he doesn’t smoke a pipe, it’s difficult to say how he makes peace. Not with me but with himself and with the

time he spends in the café. Eszter quietly waits for him at home. She might be reading these very lines now.

Films with Native Americans always end well. The wounds heal, the noise of battle dies down around the tepees, hidden

in the omnipresent silence there is hope.

This is the case with cafés, too. Everyone has a coffee break. Eszter and Tomi definitely had one. It’s too early to say

how they’ll like the aftertaste after the first gulps. Considering the two sugars, it probably won’t be bitter though.

COFFEE WITH TWO SUGARS THERE ARE THREE REASONS FOR OPENING A CAFÉ. YOU EITHER HAVE MADEA LOT OF MONEY ON EVERYTHING ELSE, OR YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOURSELF, OR YOU’RE INSANE.

TAMÁS T.NAGY ---->

SWEETFABRIKWe found an interesting workshop in the neighbourhood, CUKORKA (Sweetfabrik). Silky smoothing, kneading and rolling;there was no rest for the lollipop makers. Lollipop making is not a one man show. The ex-architect design shop proprietorand sweet manufacturer András Gerzsenyi was keen to share his sweet secrets with us. No wonder the Gerlóczy special edition Easter lollipop was made in his workshop, too. Look for the BLACK EASTER BUNNY in Gerlóczy!

... and pop in to Cukorka!1053 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 7.www.cukorka.com

YOUR WAITER IS HAPPY TO BRING YOU A COPY TO WHOM BUDAPEST: A CRITICAL GUIDE IS MEANT?

‘Not so much for tourists, rather to travellers, who want to explore the city themselves, who don’t believe the superlatives,the pretty photos, who want to be on the spot, to experience everything in person. The nice, the ugly, the grand, the naff,but nevertheless, remarkable things. In this book you’ll find hundreds of things not evident even for aboriginals. And there41 beautiful ‘idiotproof’, 3D maps, which make it impossible for the reader to lose the way. (Drawn by the illustrator AndrásFelvidéki –the trees even have shadows!).There are five circular walks in the book, with Gerlóczy café and hotel on page 202. So if you leave your table, you can startyour social safari right away... Just like Budapest, this book is a collective achievement –the author incorporated hundreds of remarks from the readers. He is interested in yours, too.’

András Török , author

Available at Gerlóczy Rooms deLux reception!

A GREAT SURPRISE FOR THE SPRING: GERLÓCZY RICKSHAW RIDESWe got our rickshaw and its rider from PediCab Budapest. The rickshaw ride departs from Gerlóczy and arrives to our terrace. It’s highly recommended if you wish todiscover the city from a unique perspective. Gazing out from a rickshaw is completely different from the usual forms of sightseeing, so taking a ride can be great funfor spring and summer evenings for Budapesters, too. András Török, author of Critical Guide was of great help in arranging the itinerary. During the ride the rickshawonly stops once at the market on Hunyadi tér. The journey continues once you have all the offerings of the season, the fresh strawberries and asparagus.

THE ROUTE:

Vitkovics Mihály utca 12. (What was the neighbourhood like 200 years ago?) - Semmelweisutca - Gerlóczy utca - Károly körút (the wide pavement on the Danube side) - Akvárium Club(Where the National Theatre nearly got built) - Crossing Károly körút - Király utca - The syna-gogue in Rumbach Sebestyén utca (Unused, almost completely renovated, the only buildingin Budapest by the renowned Austrian architect, Otto Wagner) - Dob utca - The synagogue inKazinczy utca (100 years-old this year) - Wesselényi utca - Deák tér - Andrássy út - The marketon Hunyadi tér (Among the five markets built at the same time, this is the only one that hasn’t been renovated yet. Hence its special charm) - Vörösmarty utca - Hôsök tere - Andrássyút - Kodály körönd (Where the great composer used to live. His home is now a museum) - Houseof Terror Museum, the Iron Curtain memorial - Oktogon - Opera (One of the most beautiful theatre buildings in Europe, with great opera composers on the top) - Hajós utca - NagysándorJózsef utca - Hold utca - Báthory utca - House of Hungarian Art Nouveau (The beautiful building, built in 1903, was renovated a couple of years ago by an art nouveau fan builder, he also opened the museum and café) - Szabadság tér - Interactive fountain - Nádor utca -Apáczai Csere János - Vigadó tér - Vörösmarty tér - Váci utca - Haris köz - Gerlóczy kávéház

We got our rickshaws from PediCab Budapest. (www.pedicab.hu)PediCab has a fleet of 20 US-made Main Street Broadway luxury rickshaws. Every rickshaw is equipped with seatbelts, handrails, signal, brake and corner lights, discbrakes, differential, and removable rain roof. Our vehicles are up-to-date, and are drivenby multilingual, driving licence-holder riders with an extensive knowledge of Budapest.

The three major advantages of the vehicle:- rickshaws can ride independently of traffic jams- they are allowed into areas otherwise closed to traffic- due to the foldable roof, visibility is guaranteed from every angle

GERLÓCZYRecommends:

GRANNY’S STRAWBERRY CAKE Our new dessert is a light treat for hot days ...

KAM-CHAT-KA The new staff uniforms are being made

by kamchatka. The designs are ready,

see our next issue for pictures of the

finished product.

Working in uniforms is fun!

www.kamchatkadesign.com

SPICE IN OUR SOUP This spring, our guests can wash their hands with the new’Unlucky for Dirt’ soap from LUSH. This vivid, colourful soapis the perfect combination of rose and oregano. It’s fragrantand antibacterial, and due to its honey content, it also moisturizes. The best post-sightseeing hand-washing companion.

BBJ FINE RESTAURANTS

AWARD 2012The editorial team of Budapest Business Journal

Restaurant Guide 2012 has named Gerlóczy Café

as one of the best restaurants of Budapest.

UNIQUE BUDAPEST WALK Recently, our receptionists joined a Unique Budapest Tour that’s ever so popular with guests and us. The tour,led by István Fehér, was code named Budapest Code after ‘Da Vinci Code’, and its route touched several memorable spots in the city. The interactive tour is full of games and requires participants’ creativity, so it’d be also ideal for team buildings. We were given a task at the reception: we had to decipher a cryptex to find our next stop. So we braved the cold and left Gerlóczy with a sense of accomplishment and full of curiosity, and headed to the city. On the walk we learnt what a ‘passage’ was, we talked about telling streetnames, the boulevards, old phone boxes and our art nouveau heritage.Did you know that there’s a Gomb Bolt (Button Shop) in the city centre? Or that the Little Prince at Vigadósquare is not a prince at all? If you get bored waiting for the blue metro at Deák square, find some Ady lineson the painted wall tiles in Portuguese, or look for Portuguese poems in Hungarian. Patient and goal-orientedparticipants have a great advantage here. At the end of the tour we learnt a bit of retro slang, and althoughwe skipped on the ‘Mafla’ (Meek) corner this time, there was nothing to worry about, as none of us became‘turul riders’, because we loved every minute of the tour.

www.uniquebudapest.com Heni Hegedûs - Gerlóczy Rooms deLux - Front Office Manager

AT EASTERWe welcome you with

grass, ham, eggs

and bunny lollipops.

We wish you a lovely weather

and happy Easter!

IMPRESSUM: Contributors: Tamás T. Nagy, Rita Benyó, Aranka Szabó, Regina Bruckner, Heni Hegedûs English Editor: Aranka Szabó Design/photos: Péter Flanek Printed by Intruder --- e-mail: marketing@gerloczy.huPublished in 1500 copies by Gerlóczy Kávéház Ltd., 1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy utca 1. Open: Mo

The rooms cost 90 euro/night/for 2 + 12 euro/breakfast/person or try our new attic rooms on an introductory price at 75 euro/night+ 12 euro/breakfast/person

Gerlóczy Rooms de Lux above Gerlóczy Café:

1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy u. 1.

THE MAN WHO MAKES ELEPHANTS FLYESBEN TØNNESEN IS A DANISH FILMMAKER WITH A MAGIC TOUCH. YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN HIS COMMERCIALS FEATURING BUDAPEST LANDMARKS, AND YOU MIGHT ALSO HAVE SEEN HIM BREAKFASTING IN GERLÓCZY.

You’re becoming a regular sight in Budapest. What brings you here?I work for the local commercial production company, Future films, and with them I have directed several television commercials for T-Mobile in the last couple of years.

When you come here to work, do you (can you) spend any time exploring the city? If yes, what are your favourite spots here?Yes, I usually have my evenings off. To relax and clear my thoughts I like to walk along the river or just stroll around in the oldJewish quarter.

You usually stay at Gerlóczy. Why? Are there any features here you especially like?Obviously, the Ciabatta in the restaurant! I also really like the fact that Gerlóczy is quite small and has such a cosy and familiar atmosphere. The staff say hello because they actually recognize you and know who you are (even the first time you visit).

Your commercials seem to have a very free feel to them, while your shorts carry a magical, fairy tale-like air. Are freedom and magic important to you personally?Freedom is not really a theme I am deliberately exploring in my work. You could argue, though, that I travel constantly and that my life is rarely planned more than one or two months ahead, so I guess I would say that I am living quite freely (bordering ‘un-planned´). With regards to magic, I like to make movies with a certain element of playfulness and fantasy.I love the fact that in movies you can make people fly. On elephants if you like...

How different an attitude is required to make commercial and short films? A short film is a work of art where you as a director can make decisions based solely on what you feel intuitively and based on your personal tastes or idiosyncrasies. You learn and grow by experimenting and making mistakes. A commercial has to meet a lot of different requirements to match an overall marketing strategy for a given product/brand. Accordingly, there are a lot of people involved in the decision making at all stages and that can be both inspiring and quite challenging. At the same time, the budgets are usually higher on commercials, so you get to work with the newest equipmentas well as the best crews and you learn a lot from that.

You’ve won awards both for your commercials and shorts. If you had to choose between the two genres, which one could you live without?Haha... I don’t know.

What other genres would you try your hands at?I am actually finishing my first feature film which will be premiered this summer –parts of it was written at Gerlóczy.

Apparently, you travel a lot. Do you try to learn about the places you visit in advance or try to get the hang of the place when you’re already there?I am a very curious person so I always try to learn about the places I visit. However, I travel between 50 and 250 days a year to a lot of different countries, so sometimes I simply don´t have time to read up on my destination. Instead I cross-examining whoever is unlucky enough to pick me up at the airport when I arrive.

How does Budapest compare to the places you visited?It strikes me every time I am here that Budapest is an extremely beautiful city! I am not sure how else to compare it to other places. The fact that I keep coming back is a good indication of how I feel about this city, I guess.

Do your plans for 2012 include a trip to the city?Yes, I plan to bring my girlfriend here sometime this summer.

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ARANKA SZABÓ ---->

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