Friends of Balaton, Greetings! Spring of 2024 update
Our story is adding another chapter this year. We are celebrating Krisztina's Kitchen at Balaton Restaurant as March First is One Year Anniversary in our Chagrin Falls / Bainbridge location. Later this year it will be 60 years under the “Balaton Restaurant” signage, since 1964.
However we shall remember, this kitchen had it’s stoves on fire for 65 years and making goulash & speatzels on Cleveland’s Buckeye Road starting 1959, when it first was named “Theresa’s Kitchen”. We are not retiring anytime soon!
Theresa retired when the next generation moved Balaton to Shaker Square, but Her concept did not. Our supporters testify to the joy of slow cooked food, like goulash and paprikash dishes, or long seasoned – crisped to finish favorites, like the schnitzels. Now, it is Krisztina’s Kitchen, but the grand tummy pleasers are here to stay, that including Krisztina’s Only deserts added to this boutique dining experience. A few people asked about our distance from Cleveland City Center, and the usual fair, venues the city had to offer. We took notes on that idea even before we got “pushed” out from our beloved Shaker Square facility. We polled our supporters and decided.
The answer is to that question: Balaton became a Destination Restaurant several decades ago. Half our constituency was already traveling more than 20 miles to spend a special dinner, or an outstanding gathering in our stately Shaker facilities. A small number of people pulled their noses to our move further East, but quietly admitting they have been coming to Chagrin Falls area as a favorite destination otherwise. They just did not perceive Balaton moving there as well. Our most recent statistics were showing two indicators, namely past relations, and dynamics in our own constituency. So, if you are One of the few remaining skeptics, please admit we caused less inconvenience to a few, and a lot more sense to most of our beloved & lovingly supportive old friends.
To crown this little analysis I shall use the note from the owner / manager of Shaker Square whom we first signed agreements with. “I am surprised you stayed that long under the changing fortunes of the new era” and the raw truth of the matter is Civility declined on the Square that used to be a Civic Center. Some alternative concept will replace the old culture and it may shine again in another way. We simply couldn't wait any longer. But we are welcomed in our new location and our patronage learned to deal with the reservations ahead of the their events. We always prefered reservations, but now due to a smaller dining room it is much required.
Sincerely, the Balaton Family
Ps: This article is more than reciting an old story. We are reminding our Friends to keep an eye on us as we are now planning the event we hoped to host one day, and after the hardships we suffered around 2020-2022, were over. That day is coming near.
|
For a bright New Year, 2024
Dear Friends and Fans of Balaton Restaurant
Wishing Everyone good health and Joy in Family and Friendship!
Our written notes are getting less and less frequent for a reason, as we are operating in the new quarters close to a year now. We are doing what Balaton Family is known for, “good food and good conversations”. Most everyone returned, even if it was not on a moment notice, but planning a special occasion a few weeks ahead. As it turns out, we are just fussy - busy all the time. Busy even on the days when dining room is closed, as we receive deliveries and prepare for the rest of the week. If the old wisdom is acceptable these times, then let us remember what it is!
Short version…
One needs Purpose and needs Hope. One needs Nourishment. One needs Company and Compassion. One needs Rest and Receive Wisdom. One must Share, try Giving more than One receives. One must look at the World that carry us on its back as a gift that is received, shall be handed forward whole. One must never demand, but modestly present One’s need…
We all must use words carefully as Word can be a dangerous weapon.
This crowd know all of the above, that is why the saga of Balaton continues.
Now, we only have to figure out, how to affect those whom did not know?!
Happy and Healthy New Year to You and Your Kin. The Balaton Family.
|
Thanksgiving, November 23rd, 2023
Our "Home-coming" Year…
Dear Friends, New and Old Friends, Younger and Older Friends,
It's been a year now as we begun outfitting our Chagrin Falls / Bainbridge location.
We can not report anything better, than We are walking Tall and Accomplished.
Thanks for Your trust, and helping us through 2021-2022. Here we are, 65+years, and going.
A year ago, we secured a new location to Balaton Restaurant, and operating here since early February of 2023. It has been outstanding so far, as well as a physical and logistical challenge. The new place is less than half what it was on Shaker. Still most agree, easier to maneuver during changing times. We stayed small, and until we can all calm down, hoping the world had enough of pushing and elbowing each other. In fact we all had close to ten-thousand years to get used to the arrangement and to build alliances, not fueling disenchantment. Maybe human history could be thought in greater depth from middle to high-school years instead of tracing dimes & nickels?
Now a deep breath,... let's go....
We have not seen some of our Old Friends, although they are not far away. We did not see them because the number of seatings per day, or seating capacity is constantly booked by a mix of New and Old patrons, and we are so busy we can’t answer all phone calls right away. We try calling back from caller ID, but that rolls off the phones, after a few hundred new calls. Some suggested (oh, good willing amateurs) to use some live answering service. We did contact them, but they say they cant make chicken paprikash, only answer phones. We rest our case concluding, One who makes not chicken paprikash, not schnitzels, not any desired fine food shall join a culinary school for 3-4 years, get a degree in culinary arts, get ready. After that perhaps go through a few other loops and hoops, start making food in a good way, only after all that start answering the phones, receiving pleasant supporters testifying to their achievement, and skills to keep the production going and going.
Usually we are booking reservations 7-10 days ahead, occasionally 2-3 weeks forward. Hardly ever we have table for walk-in, and even carry out orders are best 2-3 days ahead. We do apologize from our heart(s) for the occasional wait even with reservation. We have an amazing, devoted crew fussing in and around our kitchen. Surely we could double the carry out volume if we reheated food from boxes and buckets, but we don’t. We cook fresh food, and 99.9 percent of our constituency gets the idea. We could not change a thing about chicken paprikash.
We are joyful to be in this slow moving, slowly changing, slowly developing society. No, we are not talking about technological advancements, because that is too fast. Strictly talking about social & ecological aspects of mankind. We have a long list of things to be Thankful about. We had received charity and we had given charity, as good people do. We helped a family repairing their roof, and supply several families with firewood, the only way they can cook and heat their tiny homes. We visited a state subsidized and charities addorned home for children, and made their Thanksgiving a bit more meaningful. The real load is on their Teachers and Caretakers. On the way back to our hotel, we were just quietly processing the day's experiences. Humbling, to say the least, but read on...
We Wish You another cozy Holiday Season with as many candles as You adore. We will have sixteen candles this year, as for many years now. We have our reasons, Giving Forward.
Where You can help forward…
“Krisztina’s Promise” and the good old slogan “Give Forward”
“people helped us in 2021 going forward, so I shall do the same”
What we are hoping to suport is a small charity organization, focusing on stressed families in the Lake Balaton region of Hungary. As jobs evaporated due globalization, their meager incomes went up in smokes with it. Until some of them had to let go of their children to a regional State Home, where they can be schooled and nurished, and must not come home to a freezing tiny-house.
Beyond regular occupation, beyond business and keeping a balance, we told our Guests and Friends about our small mission helping forward. At first it was a few small donations to help an event or two at the underfunded church of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary in the old neighborhood. Lately, again a few donations to help some misfortunate families, and children back in the old country. We had a notable start there. We were able to personally send/deliver some extra goodies just before the Holidays to a State Managed Foster home. We made a few children smile and slowly inch closer to us in curiosity, while their caretakers were sobbing of joy. That whole setting just made us feel even more humble. Also we could send firewood to several families just before winter season. Families, who could get their children back from that foster home, once they could get their little jobs back, if those jobs were brought back closer to where they live, so they could ride a bicycle to work.
What a catch!
As you see, the whole thing is a broken circle, that was not broken before.
So, following Krisztina’s Promise, we help as we can until local society is restored everywhere. Until they can go back to the classic standard, when a village had enough tools to be able feeding itself, had enough bicycles to get to school and work, and they had the right to cultivate the land around their villages. Please, think about that, and bring your curiosity to us. A.S.K.U.S.
Ask us how to get involved in the restoration of Sustainable living.
Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Holidays!
|
Upcoming Labour Day, October 2023 and upleading event for Hungarians
Constitution Day in Hungary, August 20th. Traditionally looked at as Saint Steven's Day, the first King of Hungary. The story is long and the message is powerful. Not many rulers have the witts and power to make significant changes. Especially forward thinking action is difficult in our times. King Steven had done the most difficult change of that era, and ordered the tribes (warlords) to unite as One Country, and One Nation. Then there was internal fighting, until they wore out themselves. Then all settled. Is that all so familiar? But of course! The same thing happened over throughout history. There now, we celebrate, and we are looking towards Labour Day. The celebration around the one and only idea for Humanity that kept us fed, gave us prosperity, built us our homes and grew our food. The list is long, but we always look at two factors. One, is it a basic necessity that nature had planed out for us? Two, an unnecessary desire, that was planted in our mind by any intervention?
|
We suspended our GoFund donation site, that was active for two years and two months. It has been a long and rocky road, but we are rising. The People had "spoken" but at least did cast their vote, expressed their wish. In 2021 Balaton was saved by its constituency, moved in 2022, and reopened in 2023 by the strength of community. While 999 out of a thousand uploud that and being patient with our crew, there has to be one who can't wait to get a reservation at our tables.
In house Donations are accepted, and You may still hang a ribbon on our May-Tree,
or Maibaum in house by donating to one of our published causes and cutting and signing a ribbon for memories. Presently we are collecting for St Elizabeth Church and for Easter we had the honor of delivering One-thousand dollars to help the needs of the 130 years old Cathedral. We will display all the ribbons for the month of May. We were also helping a larger Foster home / Orphanage in Hungary as well as a family in the same area with building materials to repair their home on the South-side of Lake Balaton, Hungary. Please help us to help them continuously, those in need, our choice of charities.
For our Donors, Friends, Supporters of Balaton, whom did not get a chance to sign their own ribbon: we will cut and number, hang a ribbon in respect to your generosity.
Visit and sign our New Guest Book in person.
-
|
Dear Friends of Balaton
You, Dear Everyone, helped projecting us from past to future. We wore the gauntlet, You gave us the sword. We kept the gauntlet on, and kept fighting on. Now comes a time when we may lay down our armor and return to regular rhythm of life, and after four weeks of extreme overload at the new place we are leveling off for the duration of this wonderful journey.
With this notion, we are suspending our emergency funding, not accepting donation via GoFund. However and amazingly a few of our Friends still understood the weight of our move and made Donations at the new restaurant. With that placing more ribbons on our May-Tree creation. That we don't mind. It is civility returning to our lives, coming with words of Hearts.
We had reached our steady status, but as you know, we had to find this new location. As much as we tried, we could not stay on Shaker Square for a fourth round of hardship. We really suffered three unnecessary low-times there, always brought on by external forces. Not once we buckled a knee, but those trials wore us down. We couldn't be here today without your help. As Your donation history goes, it tells us about the value and respect we earned over six decades. Forever it is written.
We do our daily work of making a happier world by creating cheer at the table for your family events. Our bonding continues by the Great Conversation that begun before us, and we are passing down to our children. No small-talk from our lipps, but the greatest respect to the Doers and Movers in society. Closing with a note from Professor Koblov who said to his best student, our Krisztina, the Mistress of Balaton, after she had won national titles and proved the value of lessons from the Gundel Institute -Astoria lineage, and I quote:
"We are the Champions, because You are a Champion"
and we must add:
The founding family passed on the heritage to Krisztina for the same reason. Our elders chose Her to carry ages old cookbooks, handwritten recipes going back for more than a hundred years, and adding Her own additions to the culture.
With this I bow my head to Your Goodwill, and rest
thanking that You bow to a Heritage, and Civilization.
|
by Ilene K. Neides
My family has been eating at the Balaton restaurant for almost 50 years. My father was from Budapest, Hungary. He always refused to talk of the past or discuss his childhood but his stomach wouldn’t let the past go quite so easily. We often went on Wednesday nights so he could get his favorite goulash soup.
Last April my Dad passed away just 6 weeks after my Mom, Phyllis. At each of their passings the Ponti family brought in meals and shared stories and memories of my parents and the long history our families have shared. It was at one of these meals where George Ponti gave me a photo of my parents sitting at a table at their Shaker Square restaurant and shared with me and my family a fun memory.
When the original owners of the Balaton Restaurant located on Buckeye Road decided they wanted to retire they brought on the Ponti family to continue the old world charms and traditions and stick to your ribs delicious recipes of this very special establishment. The Ponti’s decided to relocate the restaurant to Shaker Square. Restoration of the location took much much longer than anyone had anticipated and my father was missing his goulash soup. Thus began the almost weekly visits to the new location to check on progress. Dad and our neighbor, Bob Singer would peer into the windows trying to glimmer when it might finally open. This went on for months until one evening when my Mom and Dad were returning from downtown and stopped to check on progress. As they peered into the window Krisztina and George spotted them and invited them in. According to George, my Dad insisted that he wanted to be their very first customer. The Ponti’s conveyed that they didn’t have any meals prepared but that didn’t stop my Dad. He told them he’d be happy with anything…some bread or even a cracker would suffice and so the Ponti’s sat them down and found some crackers for them. My Dad insisted on paying and even signed a $1bill which hung behind the register until the restaurant closed.
Throughout the pandemic my parents and our family (our kids all grew up adoring family gatherings there as well) continued to enjoy delicious meals from the Balaton’s ghost kitchen. My Dad would often call and suggest various locations for them to consider for their new site. How he would have loved to know that they finally found the perfect new spot in Bainbridge to continue this wonderful establishment!
Fast forward to this past December when I received a text from George stating, “Just like many years ago, we are 96% ready”. He invited us to “sit in the 2 chairs and send us into the new year.” Several weeks later, in their beautiful new location, holding that very same picture of my parents, my husband and I, our kids and grandson (the 4th generation that will grow up enjoying this delicious food!), and Krisztina and George took a new picture! We broke bread,(Krisztina makes a delicious challah bread!) and toasted my parents, the Ponti’s and their new establishment and I even signed a new bill which will hopefully hang at the new restaurant for many, many more years to come. We all agreed that my parents had to be looking down smiling at all of us.
|
March 15 is The Spirit of Independence for Hungarians
(and again October 23 much the same)
We are glad to see long time friends, and happy to see families reconnecting with their old East-side eatery. We are centraly locatated to that east-of-Cuyahoga river cultural enclave, many of us keep wondering about. Balaton was central to a semi-circle, not a full radius before on Shaker Square. How wonderful it is now to double our "area coverage" of those culturaly connected to our food and hearts. We are seeing families, and many of those, disconnected from their roots already decades ago. Also a much easier access to southsiders, and westsiders too. Then again, Balaton is a connecting link to family's past memories with food, only grandma used to make.
Again we find ourselves in a consultary position about planning a trip to the Old World, Central Europe, and sites to see. In the past we had the pleasure to take guided trips to Hungary from Cleveland and back to Cleveland in an 8-10 days turnaround. On the screen at Balaton we are running our own slide-show of past trips, thus adding another flavor to veal and chicken paprikash.
|
2023, Jan-Feb
We did not cut a single celebratory ribbon of grand opening,
we had called on our First Donor "Andrásh" on the GoFund list
and with Him we enjoyed the company of more GoFund Friends at dinner.
Andrash cut the first of a thousand ribbons celebrating our reopening.
Present the Ponti family & Birr family, the Suglia,
the Holleran, the Harichovszky, T. Wachhaus, Fred & Pam,
Ryan & Kristen, Brian & Dominique, John & Katrine,...
-.-
We have met our hopes in Donations. Thanks to All.
It was a Crowning Moment indeed by our beloved Hunyadi-s.
You may still hang a ribbon on our May-Tree, or Maibaum.
memories. Visit and sign our New Guest Book in person.
|
2022 December
Welcome back!
We humble to the love and respect
by our supporters!
We are on the path of recovery from near closure in 2020.
Majority of our home cooked food were take-out, still half our business.
Logistics became a slowly growing problem through last year, as our
kitchen was designed to serve dining room, but we succesfully inserted
carry out when a patron called much ahead and excercising patience.
By all means our Patrons and Supporters pulled us through.
We are not out of the deep, not just yet. 2021 is a decisive year.
We will close dining room on Shaker Sq. December 31st, but
will continue supporting Take Out right here while we are still
working on finding the best, suitable location to continue our
traditional culinary services. We are already booking events for
next year, company catering & wedding receptions. We will service
those events from the kitchen the Church, or Company of interest.
Recently, we raised our go-fund-me goal to help with relocation.
We are hard stressed to move a few miles. Bad news, due past two
years of challanges we burned up all reserves. Good news our services,
cultural base, and our list of tallents will only grow under one roof.
and you can join others helping to see us through, and Meet 2022.
When you are done with your orders / reservations, you may visit
The city is sitting on top of more than 100 hot water mineral-springs,
that supports a large Spa and Wellness culture in Europe.
|
High Holidays in Hungarian history:
March 15th, an attempt for Independence and cultural identity
May the First, Observance of International Labor Day
August 20th, Constitution Day (Saint István Day)
October 23rd, 1956 and another attempt for Independence
Hungarians thought, ever so usual idea, that a Government shall represent the majority of its subscribers, voters, supporters. The developing readjustment was halted by tanks and grenades. The coming months even fake trials took place, that was designed to mute and muffle any Hungarian whom still had democratic idealism in his/her dark-brown haired burning hot-head. They never meant to cause any harm! They were protesting! Those days senseless braking and burning was not in style, but then the conflict escalated.
Many did not take those coming November days lightly, and cleared out on the westbound trains, and horse-wagons, and bicycles before the wrath of fake government would get them. Most of them would have stayed home and work, and build, but instead They became exiles, or dissidents. Teachers, students, workers and scientists, entrepreneurs and inventors left to leave another vacuum, like the devastation of 1st and 2nd WW was not enough! So, going West made the West even stronger, and left the East even more devastated, and harder to rebuild.
Here we are celebrating just another historic contradiction in the long history and struggle of Mankind. There will be more like that, we all know. Especially keeping in view demographic numbers. After 1st WW human population climbed two billion globally, and by 1956 close to three billion, just after Vietnam war we reached four billion, by the new millennia six billion. Ladies and Gentleman these days we are knocking on the door of sporting a near eight billion. We can hardly imagine the logistics of keeping all that people in line, all in peace, all in compliance. That kind of ideology only works on local level, and globally we must have solid, respectable agreements. We can't have people loitering without purpose and idle lacking jobs, or not willing to pick up a shovel to filling in potholes of society.
|
taken from GoFund announcement 12/24-2022
Balaton's Friends, Patrons, Fans and Sceptics
Hanukkah is upon us, and this is Christmas Eve.
Let there be Light, and let there be Reason, and let there be Peace on Earth.
We keep getting Your written notes, greeting cards, and well-intended telephone calls. Thank You for all the buzz being told from mouth to ears, because we are like busy bees getting the new place ready. The turning moment, the completion of the fire suppression system is days away. So, we will be able to tell our approximate, soft opening plans. We had the honor of getting a walk-through by the Bocskai Radio station from JCU. Also, at the same time a visit by a newswriter from Budapest (pronounced: Boo-daa-pesht) If You Please! We intend to show off the developments to a few of our Elders. That's the right thing to do! Also our peers, and professional critics will have a chance to approve us because that is the right thing to do, yes?
We are finishing the last of the Holidays' orders by the 30th of December and we are very grateful to Everyone for letting a bit of inconvenience into Your lives. You Honored our words and did pick up your orders, or we delivered on occasion. To us it meant, in some ways we are in this boat together. In December we began transitioning to our new Bainbridge location for pick-ups.
For a year we were accommodated by St. Elizabeth of Hungary where we put out several fundraising events for the 130-year-old Temple. We will continue to do so, and we are asking everyone to contemplate, how we can save that near-forgotten Rock. Info: hundreds of thousands of Hungarians, who helped to build Cleveland and farmed all over the state did connect to a few religious communities. Some already turned dust in the wind, but we can still save this architectural great Cathedral.
We were invited by The First Hungarian Reformation Church community and several of its notable events as well. We catered to the Hungarian Head of State, Katalin Novak, and exchanged some cultural notes of the "Diaspora" during a visit to Cleveland when the Statue of Lajos Kossuth was honored by Her Excellency. The statue stands nearby Case Western Reserve, south side of University Circle. Kossuth was a state's man, president, and a forward-thinking traditional democratic thinker. Much ahead of his time, when late feudalistic entrenchment and early manufacturing attempts were turning Europe into darkness, Kossuth toured Europe and America lecturing about a more sustainable democracy.
We are now poised to open in January after a few organized show-and-tell events and will begin taking reservations as soon as we are certain about all systems performing well, and we got equipment approvals and an occupancy permit. Here are a few sneak-peek pictures for the Holidays. Happy New Year to U!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Announcement.... on 12/06/2022
Friends of Balaton, we are getting the new place ready. Equipment installations in progress, accept One piece did not arrive and signage getting worked on these days.
On the right hand side immage, you see calling to a Major event.
The old Buckeye road Saint Elizabeth Hungarian Church's 130 years history of anchoring and homage to the east side cultural group and their friends. The Cleveland Opera, on December 11th and at 4pm will reach into the timeless pleasures of refined musical and vocal heritage from the world of romantic opera. Come a half hour early and admire the architecture and the spirit of the people, that settled around the Cleveland area making a new home from the ground up.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our New Bainbridge location will be surprisingly easy to get to, considering our main access was always I-480 and I-271. We'll be settling in Bainbridge, Ohio with easy access, only five minutes East from Chagrin Falls where everyone goes, summer or winter and any season in between.
Please click here: our go-fund-me page, and you can join others helping to see us through 2022. You can still help us through December, then we will close the two year old drive. Balaton has been rescued! For now, you can still help this cultural Gem for this Generation and the Future. Since we closed on Shaker Square, we had done “on site catering events” and considerable Take Out as we continued with Carry Out during our relocation phase. Our mobility resulted in giving a lot back to our supporting individuals, communities, churches, clubs and cultural assets. But we are hoping to resettle before the winter.
|
edited GoFund release on 2022, 9-18
Friends of Balaton, we are almost there!Where? The finish line to our relocation, of course!Our journey through kong-flu, and the hardships of our traditional Buckeye / Shaker location is behind us. There we had survived several high and low times, and left our beloved “forever home” behind. That we built to last for generations, but could not fathom clinging on any longer. We closed last day of January, 2022 and stored up most of our equipment for a while. With your help we are on the path of revival.Our search for a new home began immediately. You and Us, Everyone knows that our institution has to carry on because it is part of a heritage. Not only unique to the old world, but part of the New World. That colorful palette of many origins, that comes to America and respectfully adding another tone to this land. We foremost respect the First Nation and recognize them as partners and helpers building a sustainable life for our children.We thank the original tribes of Northeast Ohio for their acceptance. We promise, that a long standing culture we represent, shall remain environmentally friendly and sustainable.We thank the Cleveland area newspapers for continued observance and reporting over our transition. You may read it in any order,… Plain Dealer, Cleveland Live Magazine, Cleveland Jewish News and JCC, Scene Magazine, the once great Northern Ohio Live Magazine, etc…We thank area Radio and TV stations for past and present interest in our reopening. Last, but not the least the Cleveland Hungarian Scouts for their help and support, the Hiram based Hungarian Cultural Center, the John Caroll University based Hungarian Bocskai Radio, The Hungarian Coalition,... there is more… On top, St Elizabeth Church and community giving us a home while transitioning, and the First Hungarian Reformed Church for their communal support. Here, we shall punch out with the notable body of The Hungarian Government, the Embassy of Hungary in the USA for calling on Balaton Family when there is an event in Cleveland, that body is participating in.updated: 2022, 09-18Celebration, was held on Saturday, the 17th at 3 pm.Here, we shall call on everyone, able and fit to celebrate with us on September 17th, or visit there in the near future. The greatness of Humanity and the Spirit of Freedom on University Circle. There, we celebrated and unveiled the Statue of the father of Hungarian Democracy, KOSSUTH LAJOS.He was not a distant hero from any length, as he traveled the States and given speeches at American universities.Interested? Search his name,…. Lajos KossuthDaniel Webster wrote “…he was a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy” You will find, that Kossuth was living in partial exile from his homeland. Afterwards we did tend to a pre-planned reception at the First Hungarian Reformation Church and hoped to make our official announcement of the location and reopening of Balaton Restaurant. However our contract's wording is still being worked on, hence we hope to make our announcements by the last day of September.our search showing a wealth of information on Kossuthclick link >> Google search resultsOur spokes-person said:“after 60 years it is like starting all over again, almost like teenagers dreaming of being a grownup, love wholeheartedly”
|
We have Much to Celebrate, but we are not at the finish line.
Friends of Balaton, Go-Fund release May-15, 2022
We had our closure, and occasionally driving through Shaker Square we keep wondering about 26 years worth of footprints we left there, and now gone cold in 2022. But not Our hearts, not Yours. To our Elders it was big enough to shoulder the collapse of the Buckeye community, and subsequently our closure of the Buckeye Road location after 34 years, in the summer of 1996. Our heart is in Balaton Family Tradition.
Thanks for continued support and curiosity, and keeping faith in us.
Answering Your calls and inquiries about our reopening progress:
#1, On our website we’re starting dated cycles of orders taken, orders made, orders picked up. Some may feel that is a good way to fill in while we are still a traveling Catering Company and without a fixed Dining Room. We had done a good volume of cake, pastry and dinner orders the past month. Some of that to please our Seniors, some to cater family events. We remain honored by the support and consideration. It worked on a small scale, but now we’ll make a larger run of this carry-out / catering arrangement for a few months. Several wedding events are on the Planning Desk of Miss Krisztina this summer, and other smaller family events are on the Book.
#2, We continue looking for and hoping to secure a new home, sadly nothing solid in this crazy rat-race inflation. We are in talks, we made a very practical choice, but impossible cost and overhead was laid before us. We offered a long stay, and suggested timely review of all overhead costs, that we would slowly adjust with factual inflation. We shall not pay today for a fantasy what inflation will bring about in the next five years. Today’s cost and price structure is a d’illusion. Hence we denied to sign for and begin paying hysterically inflated rents today. A sort of cost hike, that can not be harvested right away, and would cause an immediate collapse of decent revenue flow.
#3, So we continue to listen and consult our plans with flexible minds of the kind to our thinking and familiar logic, ethics, deep involvement. The goal is to remain kind, accommodating, bring our know-how to the market-place and grow in time as any true institution should. Only time will tell, quality will stay and succeed beyond the moment of fancy. We had done it for Sixty+ years, and our intent is to continue the honorable work of creating high quality food-plating.
Balaton, Tastefully blending traditions with our times.
|
Friends of Balaton
We do not wish to sound overloaded with emotions, but we are truly carrying the burden of High Experience and our readers are very much part of that feeling. Essentially Integral to our past and future.
First of all, our Krisztina is back from a Culinary Study-trip with her new notes, my Mother’s cook-book that was covered for decades and now like a message from the past, popped up from a corner only Mom knew about, when she put away her most treasured childhood and her youth. Krisztina with her peers ran trials on those recipes, plus more…
Even after the hell of WWII there was a life in Central Europe. They rebuilt, as Ukraine will rebuild. As we were growing up, we regularly received supplementary packages from the Red Cross. I will never forget the taste of the make-do chocolate my Father made from “Amerikan” dry milk powder, and Cocoa, and sugar. God bless You.
“left behind”
So much more! As we promised, she continued on our Give Forward Journey, and while we are still in the middle of our decisive moments choosing our new home, Krisztina spent a small amount of money and time to bring Joy to an orphanage, and a few weeks of relief to a few families. But greater than that, she laid on their table our hearts and the promise of help. Helping people whom do not need handouts, but They were denied of the tools to build their families’ future. We did promise them a pick, a shovel, a rake, the basics to be able to master the land that they are standing on. We delivered them the same attention YOU brought to us.
“the uprooted”
We visited, through Krisztina’s eyes we saw on the Hungarian-Ukranian border, the people whom also did not want to leave Home. Their eyes hazed with images they endured and traumatic uncertainty. She spent several days there receiving people, translating for the living, and making friendship with other nationals from all over the world just helping out. Survivors hung on to the last minute until food and water ran out. The younger ones kept coming to the friendly borders and took food and water back to the elders regularly. When the peaceful supply line was interrupted, now sit down and grab your armchair, they had to “underground railroad” their vulnerable to the border. Moving them in the cover of bad weather and at night. We received a busload of precious elders. They survived WWII, and now all the ruin again around them. They were brought to Hungary as precious cargo. All 80+years of age.
So, here we are at the dawn of another crossing, another beginning, another generation, but all of that is based on the desire of all good people to live in Peace and Sustainably on this tall ship called Earth. Balaton Restaurant is a small piece of the grand picture, a delightful representative of comfort and social desire to be together at dinner. For all those calling us for updates, checking our web-pages for news, telling us about their continued support, as in the past,… let me change this,… We are humbled again of You asking how You can help with us and not only Balaton as a Restaurant.
Many were asking how to help through us those “left behind” and those uprooted by “regional conflict”. Thank You and we now have, yet just another thread in the safety-net of Humanity. We have our small mission, that may grow with us. Or, it may grow outside of our arms’ reach, but we brought personal awareness to You, so it is good either way.
Balaton remains at risk for a little while longer as we are rebuilding our establishment. However we survived 2020-21 ourselves, now we are looking at hammering out our new arrangements, and taking event bookings already for this summer going forward. Hopefully announcing our new location and our building phase in the next couple of weeks. So, if you’ve been patient until now, it’s time to get expectant.
We could not, and we can not do it without You.
Thank You a hundred times. Balaton Family
|
Friends of Balaton, Everywhere
It is all about Life, and Happiness, Work, Good Food and Wine.
Foremost:
On top of greater knowledge our Krisztina is gathering for us, She is also taking one week out for another mission, Humanitarian Efforts there, on the Ukrainian border. She has joined efforts Helping the needy, helping the Mothers and Children arriving to Hungary for Safety while their Men, Husbands and Sons are left behind to defend the Homeland.
We may have been silent for a few weeks, but all for a good reason. Nearing a decision for our new location, but if you can fathom the idea, it is even harder than it was moving from Buckeye Road to Shaker Square. In 1996 the decision was rather huge, perhaps the largest we ever had to endure over Balaton Restaurant to that point. That forged a new strength we never knew we possessed. Then Covid heat-treated that strength by scorching fire. But not Without our Equally devoted Supporters. No way, we could’ve stand here and draw out new plans without that tremendous support via GoFundMe, and the cheer that surrounded us by growing carry out action.
While the home-team is crunching numbers of reasonable economic balance of the new era, our Leading Lady is meeting with Her Peers.
Still, in the middle of it all, considerable dangers and economical vows, our Krisztina is bringing us more than printed recipes. She is visiting with old and new, and taking notes how time tried food comes to be. She is studying from the present and back in time. Deep knowledge empowers our Balaton group not to fall for too much “new”. New can be okay, but we have to be careful, for mankind using too much chemistry in the 20th and 21st century. We must inch back a little.Chemistry is good in some areas of development, but some of it can be detrimental to living things, to the Human biology. So we study, as hard as may be, to understand the limits of “Culinary Engineering”. We keep it Culinary Arts, you will see!
Closing Lines. Let us Say here:
Every Nation Has The God-given Right to Their Own Path. So does Ukraine!
Krisztina is doing the work of deeper promises, and there she retells Our story of overcoming a near collapse by Help on Wings of Care.
Every day, GIVE FORWARD. Give care and comfort. Giving HOPE.
|
Update: Valentine's day February 2022
Techically we moved out of 13133 Shaker Square, and handed over full authority on the last day of January 31st. Our spirits, and voices still echo in the empty space, that seems to be cavernous without the furniture and without our footsteps on the old floors. Your voices there still linger, and Your presence feel to be around as we stand in the middle and close our eyes just before we turn the keys in the locks the last time. Finally we did, with a great sigh! We were leaving notes for the new shepherds of these buildings, and pour our heart's wishes all over that floor for all, for the better.
We are still working on meetings and think-tank sessions while contemplating our new home to be. Choosing will leave us with a huge hope for the future, and splinters in the heart over, that we can be only at one place at a time. Our choice will leave voids elsewhere, but respectfully. It is not easy to describe the wonderful images we see in our mind's eye, and every time as we visit a location. We see the revival, and also a magnificent addition to our style, to our class of patronage. We can see the past turning into a future of maintaining our instution, that is rooted in Central Europe, yet it is a blend of the ages. Our presentation is the Hungarian reflection of all that we invented, and what we learned from other cultures over more than a thousand years. In our dishes you may find the touch of a shepherd from Mongolia, or the touches of the Himalayas. Yet other dishes may be influenced by Arabia, or the heart of Israel. Some may discover a trace of Austro-Germanic, Slavic, Turkish notes. All in all our Hungarian Kitchen will always bring comfort to your taste and to your soul.
With our blessing to You. Balaton Family
|
Dear Friends of Balaton. January of 2022
We are Celebrating the New Year with assured Hopes.
Thanks to You.
Our Motto:
Here we are today, planning and sorting our Future. Thanks for all those encouragements, suggestions, offers and donations. But most of all Thanks for the “person to person” supporters, Dining with us & Carry Out service, as we denied "chow-time" delivery companies from looting our income-source by 20%. On a larger scale of time we are the Curators of an Institute where Tradition and Humanity stands against the Machine.
Our Own Founder Theresa Navery comes from the grace of Joseph Raab. As owner and principal character of Gypsy Cellar Restaurant, he put our Theresa on the path to become a Buckeye partner. Mr Raab did not look at Balaton as adversary but help spreading culture and deeper sense of community.
Our Donors & Supporters:
By doing so most of our supporters were showing kindness and understanding of what we were dealing with. Namely, we had a dining room capacity that did not earn but only half of its keeps. The other half mothballed in a sense, for a better day.
That causing a major problem in 2020, however YOU stopped that sinking. By all means in 2021 that tail-slide was grabbed and saved by our Supporters and Donors.
Also most everyone noticed, we had a kitchen designed for serving the Dining Room continuity, and not big enough for constant Carry Out over-runs. With your patience, we were able to produce, and with Your generosity began a recovery.
Retelling the Past:
In memory we hold, worrisome times exactly twelve months ago, and of those dark, sleepless nights thinking of perhaps closing Balaton and face bankruptcy. As our entire Shaker Square was hit by double jeopardy in the depth of a pandemic, as small businesses failed or already closed here. Some just did not reopen after the total shut-down as a precautionary measure. Second, our entire collection of stores were in suspense, about what may happen if a large loan is “recalled” by "Scrooge and Likes Incorporated".
And it happened!
The Interim:
Our management company was forced into foreclosure, and what seems to be medieval banking behaviors, the likes of Ebeneezer Scrooge, really had done it! Too much deregulation???
When our entire system and way of life is in jeopardy, somehow that very system is capable of taking a chance on it’s own final judgment. Not enough regulation??? Which one is it???
That year long foreclosure is about complete. Agreements are nearing to complete. All around Shaker Square, we hold high hopes of rebuilding from the rubble. We may blame “covid” … or any individual business decision that a local company seemingly had done wrong. However the truth of the matter, Globalization is failing, as expected by forward thinkers, and by destroying Local fabric of Society, creating economical wedge.
Reshaping the Future is up to us:
Local economies and lifestyles are destroyed by container shipping. We are social creatures, and we will shrivel and die, if we have to work from home too long. Living on drone dropped food orders, so we can sit there making more graphic designs about the fantasy of life we do not live. Taking pictures of food, we eat alone, and acting like life is better than any others living in isolation. Taking selfies? Meaning what? Loneliness!!
City recycled:
Also short term checks and balances had scattered around our working home base and cultural identity. We had seen modern times dilution, collapse, and revitalization in Cleveland and elsewhere. Then again, we must ask ourselves: why let things down so far before we apply good sense and stop the ruin. Then redesign our surroundings, and keep asking, why we did not heed the warnings much sooner?!
During the brokenness, we had no hope. After the brokenness we were hoping a new and stronger partnership. The Interim management company could not help us with staying, but they only helped us towards leaving. On our own we became tired of thinking of an other promise on Shaker Square. As much as we are on board with some ideas, intents, even path of solutions, we still could not take another hope-cycle alone. We are waiting for a miracle, that may come soon, maybe 12-24 months? Or perhaps a longer time, mean 5-15 years, to recycle Shaker Square. Or even longer, if we are looking at reactions catching on a problem, forming a solution, and try again when it fails due political pressures, and sway of hardliners "wanna get what I want".
Optimism comes from lessons learned through 1970-2020. We know exactly how to accelerate the rebuilding of dilapidated neighborhoods, by putting forces together and stop nonsense procrastinating, keep rebuilding, and jobs for the people.
Negativity comes from lessons of ever looming selfish disagreements, that is based on “what I want syndrome" instead what is best for our children’s future.
Utopia:
We shall look for decision makers capable of putting the Common Good ahead of their own needs for selfish things. We have good and bad examples of that, don’t we? Now is time to watch the signs of genuine leadership, and the greater level of self-submission for the good of All. We received wonderful offers to stay on Shaker Square, but we can't. We signed off several months ago, and some other entity signed on. Before the moment of decision we were not offered viable support from governance. By the time, most recently, we had received considerable offerings of support, it was too late.
So, we go into the Sunrise! By all means not into the Sunset.
As our Leading Lady said so cheerfully "too young to retire"
Keep your ears in the wind and eyes on our pages. Be part of our rebuilding.
Please, Continue to support this Culinary Institution.
Wishing a Healthy, Happy New Year in 2022
|
We are an old-old intertwined culture that goes back to the time of awakening. Our holidays begin with Saint Nick on December 6th, continue with the light of Hanukkah candles, and with Christmas candles then complete on January 6th, Epiphany.
We light up the darkest month of the year. We are an old-old culture and we welcomed others before they could even understand its meaning. We welcome You with light, when you come in peace...
|
People built this Country,
People can rebuild it by working together.
No-President can fix this country,
only People working together can.
Trickery and false policies has been ruining
Our Country for decades.
Only true Devotion can fix it over time.
It took decades to get as low where we got.
It will take a while and collective efforts to repair.
|
Quoted from Shaker Square area Connection
"Our Bridge to Hungary, Balaton Restaurant celebrates many years
of culture and cuisine" This year Cleveland's renowned Restaurant,
Balaton is gearing up to celebrate its 57th anniversary in November.
The fact of the matter is, our founder already ran her trials on
lower Buckeye Road since 1957, called Theresa's Kitchen. Then
Krisztina took over in 1998, and with her family made it bigger.
a note from time of reconstruction in 1997:
Interestingly Northern Ohio Live (magazine) conducted a
restaurant survey during that time period during which
Balaton was elected the best Hungarian Restaurant --
even though it was closed! Balaton's reputation is
known throughout the U.S...
|
|