A Failed Experiment

For a place calling itself a Heuriger, Loiskandl surprisingly does not have a buffet (at least I did not see one), but instead offers an impressive à la carte menu, including changing “specials”. Today’s specials included spare ribs, which I took instead of a Brettljause. With age, eating a Brettljause two days in a row is becoming an effort, though I admit that spare ribs are hardly a much healthier choice.

Loiskandl’s ribs felt somehow even less healthy than normally. Containing plenty of fat by themselves, they were also covered in oil, and I was happy to be accustomed to eating spare ribs with a knife and fork instead of using my hands. Scarcely any effort had been made to marinate the ribs beforehand, so the taste of pig was quite prominent. On a positive side, the meat was tender and easily detachable from the bones, but that was, most likely, a side effect of pre-boiling the ribs before grilling them. And the ribs could (and should) have been grilled more, as evident from the light brown color of the meat on the photo.

The two provided sauces were a weird choice. The honey-based BBQ sauce had a strong sour taste, too sharp but not spicy. The white creamy sauce, on the other hand, resembled yogurt, which would have been very useful had the ribs been covered with hot chili. With the only spiciness provided by fresh horseradish, that sauce was pointless.

All things considered, I was not impressed with Loiskandl’s version of spare ribs (I enjoyed fried potatoes more than the meat). It is a pity because the Heuriger’s Brettljause looked amazing: very varied and fresh. Moreover, the other dishes that I saw people around me eating looked more appetizing than my choice. Heuriger Loiskandl is a big, lively tavern with good wines and efficient service, but its foray into spare ribs territory was not a success. Therefore, yes to coming back, no to ordering the ribs again.