Step into this charming, slightly cluttered Hungarian restaurant on most nights and find the tables packed with patrons, the din of live Eastern European music in the background, and gregarious owner Julia Pecak serving up dish after dish of her divine home-cooked fare.

The Bay Area's only restaurant to pay homage to the Roma (or Gypsy) people and their cuisine, come here for the Hungarian comfort food, not the fancy digs. The décor is a bit haphazard--Christmas lights are strung throughout and vivid paintings clutter the walls--but the end effect is a laid-back, homey charm that's as disarming as Julia's warm welcome.

But it's the food — laden with paprika and dished out in generous portions — that takes center stage at Bistro E. Traditional Gypsy fare is heavy, so pace yourself to enjoy the meal from appetizer to dessert. Note: Cash only!

- Excerpt from Gypsy Flavor, Bistro E Europe by Jennifer Robbins