Vacation Report: Kansas City, Grünauer

Kansas City: Arrival

Kansas City: Grünauer

Kansas City: Renaissance Faire & Jack Stack BBQ

20160903-GrunauerEntrance
The exterior
I love exposed beams!
I love exposed beams!

For our second day, we opted for a fairly low-key start as we had been traveling well into the night (not arriving in Kansas City until midnight), and we wanted to be well-rested for our Rennaisance Faire adventure plans the following day. Our hosts mentioned many restaurants but two really stood out, so we knew we had to make time for them. Grünauer and Jack Stack BBQ. For our first night, we opted for Austrian.

Grünauer was founded by an Austrian family, and is still run by the same family. The food is carefully prepared and presented, taking additional care to remain true to tradition. The menu offered a wide variety of options, so we made sure to try a few different things. We started the evening with drinks (a Racing Bird, similar to a spicy margarita), and ordered appetizers: a plate of Austrian meats and fried mushrooms served with tartar sauce.

The Racing Bird
The Racing Bird
Jausenbrettl: Hungarian salami, liverwurst, black forest ham, bierwurst, and mortadella
Jausenbrettl: Hungarian salami, liverwurst, black forest ham, bierwurst, and mortadella
Toast for the meat
Toast for the meat
Gebackene Champignons
Gebackene Champignons

I was very pleasantly surprised by the drink, as I am usually not a fan of tequila, but the citrus flavors combined with the spicy salt (pepper and paprika were involved, I think) blew me away. The liverwurst was surprisingly delicate, while making sure you recognized its presence, and the real surprise was how well fried mushrooms went with tartar sauce. Two things I would -never- think of combining!

For entrees, we again wanted to try quite a few different options. I went with a traditional Austrian farmer’s meal (Bauernschmaus), while others had a Waygu-style beef Goulash, sirloin, Paprikahuhn, and crepes.

Bauernschmaus: Austrian Farmer's Dinner
Bauernschmaus: Austrian Farmer’s Dinner
Schwammerl
Schwammerl
Hungarian Beef Goulash
Hungarian Beef Goulash
Zwiebel Rostbraten: Center Cut Strip Loin
Zwiebel Rostbraten: Center Cut Strip Loin
Paprikahuhn: Chicken Breast with Paprika with Spätzle
Paprikahuhn: Chicken Breast with Paprika with Spätzle

Though the farmer’s plate was described as having bacon, it was truly more in the vein of pork belly. Delicious! The sauerkraut had an excellent flavor and the acidity left meat (served on top of it) tender. My girlfriend and our friends all enjoyed our respective dishes. If you are visiting, you really should make it a point to stop by!

We wrapped up our dinner with a nice cup of coffee, with some of us ordering Melange (a spiced cappuccino) instead. Delightful!

Simple Black Coffee...
Simple Black Coffee…
Or Melange!
Or Melange!