Chef Martin Bauernfeind – Simplistic Genius

Food, history, art & design provenance are the four cornerstones of the legendary Arthotel Blaue Gans Salzburg, a former coaching inn on Getreidegasse, dates back to 1350, rumoured to be the inn of choice for dandy Mozart and fellow city denizens.

Chef Martin Bauernfeind is at the helm a the Arthotel Blaue Gans (Blue Goose) which offers several dining options, untied by a common love for good food, served in an ambience of aged history – think polishing off a Schnitzel under a medieval fresco or soaking up the sauce with the last morsel of fresh pasta in the ancient wine cellars. Life here is slow, good and incredibly tasty.

“Sometimes it gives me goose bumps when I think that so many generations have been doing the same thing in different ways, but still it’s all about welcoming people and giving them [food] to eat... providing a room for them, and be a platform for laughter and for dispute, and for the whole [of] life as it is,” said hotel owner Andreas Gfrerer.

Foodie philosophy at the Blaue Gans is anchored to the mantra of ‘Manufactum – made by our own fair hand’. Pasta, pastries, marinated fish, roast beef for breakfast, jams, chutneys, doughs, pickled vegetables, fruit ragouts, mustard, sauces, lemonades, fruit juices, pastries, sausage... the list of house home-made specialities goes on.

“Good food is supposed be simple, but not simple to produce. The finest quality products and precise craftsmanship are indispensable."

Strong collaborations with local suppliers and producers have created some of the finest foods such as the Weideschwein Ham – expensive but utterly delicious speciality meat that is worth every cent of enjoyment.

Chef Martin Bauernfeind believes in old-school preparation and cooking methods collude in showcasing old-time dishes and ensure the kitchen apprentices learn the skills.

“Good food is supposed be simple, but not simple to produce. The finest quality products and precise craftsmanship are indispensable. Everything we know is poured into our dishes. And we're more than happy to pass this knowledge on to our apprentices; it's a valuable part of our culture”, explains kitchen chef Martin Bauernfeind.

The dinner menu – described by Gfrerer as “traditional Austrian food from the Salzburgerland in a modern way,” is spilt into headers like ‘Field & Farmland’ and contra to the normal menu setup, is void of the classic order of starters and mains.

Diners can create their very own courses, with 4 and 5-course options or do what you want in whichever order you fancy – so have some fun mixing things up.

The menu, which rotates approximately every three weeks, is stacked with food such as Beef Broth with Semolina Dumplings for the soup, mains like Osso Bucco of Deer and a Creamy Milkstrudel with Plums for dessert. The next category, River & Lake’, had a Confit of Char with Dates, a Roasted Pike-Perch with Hazelnuts.

Berkel food slicer, classic in red | Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria

Homemade pasta served at the Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria

Classical Austrian food served at the Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria

Serving food since 1350 Medieval dining rooms of the Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria

Ari cured meats | Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria

Great food served at the Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria - wooden rustic tables

Foodie plates at Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria

Homemade Schnapps | Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria

Famous Austrian Desserts served at the Arthotel Blaue Gans in Salzburg, Austria

Gfrerer recommends patrons try specialised Salzburger dishes, one of which some compare to wagyu - a dish created using the meat of mature dairy cows - as well as dishes compiled from freshwater fish sourced from the area, before putting an emphasis on the freshness of the food served there.

“Everything we do is handmade,” he said. “and I think that’s so important to say in a world that has so much convenience.”

EDITOR'S JOURNAL EDIT

We recommend staying of course at creative culture house of cool, Arthotel Blaue Gans Salzburg, and for more on all things foodie, check out our Foodie Genre, overflowing with foodie pieces on the likes of Austria's famed restaurants, Mühltalhof, Gasthof Hirschen, Hotel Arlberg and legend Taubenkobel.