Trust My Feeling

After a rather disastrous spare ribs experience like the one I had a few days ago, I suppose most people would not risk going to Brigittenauer Stadl for a Martinigansl. Yet something was telling me that the goose could be good there. Perhaps it was the fact that the Stadl is a traditional Austrian restaurant in the middle of a district where every street has a Kebab shop and the only chance to hear German is if you pass by some foreigners who came from different countries.

Happy to report, my feelings did not fail me. Unlike the ribs, Brigittenauer Stadl’s goose was fresh, juicy and prepared without any compromises. As expected from a restaurant catering for Austrians without much money, the portion was very big, and once I cut off and ate all the pieces of meat that were reachable with a knife and a fork, I took the bird with my hands and eventually found at least a third of the meat hidden between the bones.

Now, I normally find eating with hands a messy business, but in the case of Stadl’s goose, it completely justified greasy hands, for the goose was very tasty. No fat was present, and although the skin could have been crispier, it was well-salted and pleasant to chew. The meat under the skin had its own share of salt, and while rather tender by itself, benefitted from more than sufficient amount of delicious juice on the plate. The taste and the texture of the meat were undeniably goose-y, and it required noticeable (but not excessive) effort to detach from the bones – exactly the way I like it.

The red cabbage had a Christmas-y flavor thanks to cinnamon, and, while not particularly crunchy, was neither too salty nor too sweet. Even the potato dumplings, while lacking taste of their own, were perfectly appropriate and quite enjoyable when dipped into the juice and mixed with the cabbage. Finally, the dish came with plenty of cranberries and sweet peaches, proving once again that the restaurant was keen on delivering the Gansl in the traditional way, taking no shortcuts.

If you plan to eat only one goose this season and are looking for a location that would deliver a memorable experience in addition to quality food, Brigittenauer Stadl is perhaps not the best choice. The inside of the restaurant, while clean, is quite simple and the lights are slightly too bright for my liking. However, if your main goal is to eat a well-cooked goose, you should not ignore this location, even if it takes a bit of time to get there.