The last time I ate a Brettljause at Maissau – which was almost two years ago – it cost me a half of my tooth. Now, 2,000 euros in dentist’s bills later, I am back with a brand new tooth crown, eager to test it for the first time since it was put in place the day before yesterday.
Buschenschank Humer, the location of my Salzstange accident was closed today (which made me irrationally happy, actually), so I went to AmethystHeuriger just across the road and, having realized that bread was not included in the price of the Brettljause, took care to order anything but a tooth-breaking Salzstange.
While the menu of AmethystHeuriger does not have the grandeur of Humer’s, the choice of dishes and wines is still quite impressive. Most people around me were ordering the Magnumstange, a kind of a huge Subway-like sandwich filled with standard Brettljause ingredients. (Interestingly, Humer also offers a Magnumstange, so it’s not a trademarked name.) True to my traditions, I took a standard Brettljause instead and was not disappointed. Almost.
To start with the good things, the grayish-brown ball that I took for a liver spread and therefore tried first turned out to be a really tasty paprika-spiced Verhackertes. It went extremely well with the very fresh and warm Kornspitz (a tooth-friendly no-salt alternative to a Salzstange). The thinly cut Kümmelbraten slices were fantastic, too, the crust adding a nice flavor of salt and caraway. The horseradish was the strongest I had since quite a while, and I loved each time it went up my nose and brought me to tears.
The other ingredients were good but much less exciting. The ham and the cheese, for example, were indistinguishable from what one can buy at a supermarket. However, the presence of many different types of meats ensured that the Jause never got boring. I just wish it had one more type of cheese (a strong one) instead of, for instance, the rather dull salami. Had the Amethystjause in addition featured more vegetables and at least a half of an egg instead of a pitiful egg slice, I would have happily given it one additional point.
It is difficult to compare Humer with AmethystHeuriger. Both are very nice taverns and although there are many similarities in their menus, each one has its strengths. The good news is that these Heurige are open at alternate times, so whenever you pass through Maissau, you can always expect to find a quality place to eat and drink.
P.S. The crown survived.
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