Somehow, it felt good to reserve a table for a goose-eating evening and know that exactly eight people would join. Eight people mean eight quarters of a goose, making it two geese in total. One more person and an extra goose would have to die for just a one-fourth of its worth. Then the goose arrived, and everyone at the table got a leg. Was it a goose or a spider after all?
It if was a spider, it was a giant one, as the portions were impressive, requiring quite a lot of cutting and chewing (though I also have a feeling I got the biggest one). Regrettably for an upon-request-only goose, it did not have the crispiness and the freshness of something coming straight out of the oven. As I had the same impression during the previous visit a year ago, I start to suspect that Zwischenbrückenwirt simply does not possess a goose-compliant oven. Either that or the cook had decided to add a creative touch where a more barbarian approach could have worked better.
It was still a better than average goose though, served in a better than average sauce with a better than average red cabbage, typically bland dumplings and original but mostly pointless chestnuts. It was also very good value, being cheaper than smaller and much worse geese in many other places in Vienna. From a Gault Millau restaurant like Zwischenbrückenwirt I had expected a much higher bill. The menu also contained a good selection of strong “craft beers,” which, although becoming fashionable these days, are still a welcome sight.
With plenty of disappointing geese around, Zwischenbrückenwirt remains one of the safe Martinigansl locations, though it may not be the dish they will ever become famous for.
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