GastroLab (Bucharest, Romania): Off the Beaten Path, with Zoltan Szabo

After a memorable day of food and wine experiences, I was fully convinced that "Off the Beaten Path" (with Zoltan) was the way to go in Bucharest. But now it was Day 2 and my schedule would only allow lunch before I had to turn to my real reason for being in Bucharest: the #Winelovers' 14th Anniversary Celebration.

I met Zoltan and Daniel in the lobby and we were all kind of subdued, a combination, I think, of the effects of the prior day's excess and the sense that a good thing was coming to an end. Once in the car, Daniel sliced through the traffic effortlessly and we were soon looking for parking in the shadow of what he identified as a Romanian government building. We got out of the car and walked onto a plaza into an open courtyard which adjoined a glass-plated interior. The sign in the ceiling identified the establishment as GastroLab.

Zoltan is a high-energy guy but, as we stepped through those doors, his energy went to another level. He seemed to know everyone and there was a lot of hugging and backslapping. He took me on tours of various nooks and crannies and, as we toured through the cellars, it was revealed that he had a history with the place.

There are two instances of GastroLab: One at the Balvanyos Resort in Székely Land and the other in Bucharest at Aviatorilor Boulevard No. 8. The Owner and Wine Curator of the establishment is Lóránd Szarvadi, a childhood friend of Zoltan's. When Zoltan came back to Romania, he worked at the original GastroLab at Balvanyos Resort helping out his "old" friend. When Lóránd decided to open a branch of the restaurant in Bucharest, Zoltan commuted between Székely Land and Bucharest to help set up the wine program at the latter. The Bucharest GastroLab was launched in 2018 and Zoltan stayed on for 5 years during which time the restaurant gained the Wine Spectator's 2 Glass designation.

What exactly is GastroLab and what is its philosophy? The tag line on the company's logo refers to a Wine and Food experience. Beginning with the food aspect, Chef Costel Horga:

We made this menu using old recipes from Moldova, Transylvania and the Szeklerland. We tried to bring a little bit of cuisine from these lands ... where mangalita pork, ... hold the supremacy of authentic taste. Since modern cuisine has no borders, we did not shy away from proposing classic ingredients from all over the world ... We present all these dishes to you, in a way that befits an urban and innovative restaurant.

In re the wine experience, Lóránd describes the program as containing "carefully selected wines that perfectly match our menus, enhancing your culinary experience ... if the wine is correctly paired with the dish, the two will be much tastier than tasted individually. The GastroLab team's dedication is to guide you towards a gastronomic experience by transposing aromas and sensory textures."

After I had fully digested the sights, sounds, and stories of the place, we took our seats. Zoltan was positively glowing and took on the task of ordering our initial drinks.He ordered Csikisor, a Székley Land IPA-style beer and a Székley Land plum brandy Pǎlincǎ.

Then my two companions began a discussion as to what we should eat. They settled on a starter which included "a variety of Transylvanian salamis (including deer and Carpathian Brown Bear); Eggplant; Eggs; amazing butters, lard, and cracklings; fried Mangalica pig's brain; and home-made bread."

Pic courtesy Zoltan

Zoltan's picture showed that we had the 2024 Davino Blanc as our wine with the meal. I am unable to find a description of this wine on the Davino website. They do have a white called Ceptura Blanc, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Feteasca Alba, and Riesling Italico, but it is not clear that this is the same wine.

This starter was quickly followed by Eggplant, grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, and mountain trout filets.

The team

Another phenomenal experience. My first time tasting Carpathian Bear. It was brawny. My first time tasting Pig's brain; I held onto the table. Wonderful atmosphere. Wonderful service. Wonderful company. And the food and wine paired admirably.

Well, the time had come to say goodbye to Zoltan and Daniel. And it was difficult. These guys had become like brothers over the past two days: Daniel, the sane, level-headed one; Zoltan ... well who knows. I kid. He is a lot of fun. Thank you guys. Until we meet again.

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