Vienna Calling: Grünauer (Kansas City, MO)

Grünauer offers Kansas City natives and visitors an Austrian-styled
dining experience from their Freight House location

Kansas City's Freight House, located in the city's Crossroads Arts District, has something of a similar story as Columbus' Union Station in the Short North. In both cases, both buildings were vital when the train was king, and both slowly fell into disrepair and neglect as other forms of transportation like automobiles and trucks became the main modes.

Unlike Union Station, which was torn down in favor of newer development, Kansas City's Freight House was saved from destruction by investors who renovated the structure into restaurant spaces, including Lidia Bastianich's Italian-cuisine-based eatery Lidia's and Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue, a higher-end major player in Kansas City's barbecue scene. City Tavern had been the third restaurant at this building until 2010 when it closed; in its place came something of what seemed to be an upscale version of Columbus-area eateries Mozart's and Schmidt's.

Grünauer offers a more relaxed setting outdoors and a more intimate one
within, with more formal table settings, high ceilings and a dabbling of
artistic flair appropriate for the neighborhood and building.

Grünauer, opened by the chef of the same name (Peter Grünauer, owner and operator of several well-regarded restaurants in New York including the once four-star-rated Vienna 79), is meant to recreate the experience of family's restaurant back in Austria for diners of Kansas City. Both eateries are firmly ensconced in artistic districts of their respective cities, and Grünauer offers a subdued artistic vibe within the interior's high ceilings and brick- and tile-lined walls. This visit essentially served as our fancier, dating-anniversary dinner during our road trip to and from Colorado.

The food (and likewise the prices) rates as a step up from what Columbus-area diners would find at places like Mozart's and Schmidt's. Aside from the wurst, schnitzel and goulash, Grünauer offers classic Austrian dishes such as Tafelspitz (beef in a consomme, with root vegetables and apple horseradish, chive, and creamed spinach sauces), variations on Rostbraten (center-cut strip loin), and Kalbsleber Berliner Art (sautéed veal liver with mashed potatoes and caramelized apples.)

Paired with German-styled beers, our selections of Paprikahuhn (top
(top right) and Schweinebraten (bottom right) turned out to be
delicious selections off of Grünauer's Viennese-based menu 

We wanted to grab something we couldn't get in Columbus, so we went with the Schweinebraten (roast pork loin and shoulder with bread dumplings and red cabbage) and my spouse went with the Paprikahuhn (chicken breast grilled with paprika, plus spätzle with a creamy paprika sauce and pickled vegetables.) Both were quite köstlich, and paired with our German-styled beers (while Grünauer offers mainly German-produced beers, they do have a few select American craft brewers including Kansas City-based brewers KC Bier and Boulevard) our dinner and the restaurant itself proved to be a perfect setting to catch our breath a bit and relax before the final leg of our journey back to Ohio.

Grünauer
101 West 22nd St
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 283-3234
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Tried and True: Mozart's Cafe

Mozart's has settled in nicely after their 2013 move to North Clintonville

Mozart's Cafe holds a very special place in the hearts of me and my spouse. At their old location in Clintonville (now occupied by Harvest Pizzeria and Kitchen - see my recent post here) and being official long-distance daters for just months, we fell into a fairly deep conversation about the type of house and neighborhood in which we wanted to eventually settle down (definitely not the type of talk you have for a passing fling of a just-because affair.) At our wedding ceremony, we bought one of their delicious carrot cakes to serve as our celebratory dessert. And there was (and still is) something simply relaxing about dropping by on a lazy weekend to grab one of their pastries with a cup of coffee accompanied by strains of music from a live pianist.

The pianist still remains, but the menu and interior
have expanded for the better

Founded in 1995 by Anand and Doris Saha (who met in Switzerland and brought the European theme to Columbus), Mozart's announced they were moving to expanded space in the more northern reaches of Clintonville that originally held the Beechwold Tavern and, more recently, a Cord Camera. This also would allow them to bring their offshoot Vienna Ice, specializing in European-styled gelato and ice cream (and definitely worth a sampling, if you're in the mood), under the same space. After a few delays, the space opened up in August 2013 and, based on our experiences, Mozart's has definitely made the most of their move.

The increased space has allowed Mozart's to expand their horizons on several fronts. Larger events can easily be handled in private dining areas; in general, larger groups can be handled a lot more easily in the common area. For warmer days, patrons can grab a seat in the patio outdoor patio area in front of the restaurant to enjoy the warmer temperatures. In addition to their traditional pianist, Mozart's now holds a wider variety of live music events. And of course, the afternoon tea tradition continues as strong as ever.

Menu options have been broadened for the better as well. Thanks to an approved voter initiative, Mozart's has acquired a liquor license which has allowed the restaurant to offer a variety of wines and beer; mead from Columbus favorite Brothers Drake is also available.

From pastries to breakfast and onward, Mozart's
expanded menu remains satisfying

Their hearty European-fare menu (most breakfast and brunch items are hover around $10; dinner-oriented items are in the $13 - $16 range) remains solidly satisfying, and has been enhanced with the addition of some select well-received items and more American-styled offerings such as Angus burgers. In addition, meal portion sizes may have actually increased a bit with no loss in tastiness: on my parents' recent visit to Ohio, we found that the breakfast sandwiches were more than enough for a meal and made for some good leftovers. Their quiches are almost always on the consideration lists of my spouse and I whenever we visit, and their schnitzel seems to have been improved compared to the past.

Of course, I can't possibly not talk about their European-style pastries. It's hard to pick a favorite, but their Plunder (especially their poppyseed variety) is one of my all-time favorite sweet treats in the area, flaky and sweet without being too cloying. They have expanded their other offerings as well, adding tortes and other delectable-looking treats to their daily display cases. It would seem almost impossible to not find anything at Mozart's that wouldn't satisfy your sweet tooth.

Perhaps the most satisfying thing I have come to know, both pre- and post-move, is the love and support that the Sahas and the Clintonville community mutually share for one another. Their annual birthday party, which corresponds with the founding of their business as well as the birthday of their namesake classical composer, now draws thousands of people and is perhaps the most definitive expression of how Mozart's has become a true local treasure.

Mozart's
4784 North High Street (Clintonville/Old Beechwold - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43214
(614) 268-3687
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