I have a feeling I found a Brettljause goldmine. It’s the area of Mostviertel between Amstetten and St. Valentin. Hansbauer is the third Mostheuriger I have visited there, and the Brettljause just keeps getting better.
Hansbauer offers a number of Brettljause varieties, thus encouraging repeat visits (not that I wouldn’t come back just to eat the same thing again). Apart from the “standard” Brettljause, there is a “Hansbauerjause” with thickly cut meat and schnapps, some sort of meat/cheese mixed plate, a “Meter” Jause for several people, and so on. The Baronjause is the biggest and the most expensive (though very cheap in Viennese terms) dish, arriving on a pear-shaped piece of wood.
It’s an impressive-looking pile of things, too numerous – and in some cases too obscure – to list here. Every type of meat comes in one or two slices, but there is plenty of different stuff, from Speck to Schweinsbraten to very peppery slices of Stelze. Unusually, there is beef in addition to pork. There is even soft cheese – not strong in taste, but welcome anyway. The best things, however, are the strangest ones: a thick white piece of Schmalz, a rather disgusting to look at but very well-spiced brown Schmalz and some brown jelly of unknown origin but with an amazing taste.
The only disappointment was an absolutely tasteless spread that I wanted to use instead of butter and the horseradish that again was not fiery enough. Maybe Mostviertel’s horseradish is simply different.
The owners/waiters were very friendly, but unfortunately I could not sit outside due to approaching thunderstorm. Inside the Heuriger is nice and authentic, but gets very noisy when full – and it seems to be full all the time. Also, the location of Hansbauer makes it somewhat difficult to reach via public transportation. The train station is more than an hour away, and the way from there is not very clear without a map.
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