It is so amazing to walk into a restaurant and be recognized. We had not been to Dano's since their restaurant closed in Ithaca. And, Dano's on Seneca has been open since August 2005. But, when we walked in, Karen Gilman (pastry chef/co-owner) greeted us with -- "Don't you teach at. . . ? Aren't you friends with. . . ? Haven't seen you in ages." It was a moment to be treasured -- and the meal was as well. Not to mention the view, pictured here.
All ordering is a la carte, so we ordered starters, sides, and mains. . . . We had: three starters, including the trademark liptauer, horseradish beets, and tomato/feta/cucumber salad. It came with a lovely basket of breads. We followed these delightful treats with a pork knuckle, a bratwurst, braised red cabbage, spatzle, sauerkraut (complete with bacon) and a knodel. Dessert was a mohn torte and bread pudding with lemon creme anglais.
Two of the three starters were out of this world -- the liptauer and the horseradish beet salad. The beets were shredded with just the right tangy/hot horseradish. And I love the color of beets -- there's just something to that shade of red that you can almost taste with your eyes. Don't be put off by the idea of the pork knuckle; Dano Hutnik (chef/co-owner), who gets them specially butchered from Canada, 
was right in describing the meat as among the tenderest pork ever. The bratwurst was served with a bit of mustard. (and is just one of many wursts there for the trying). Sauerkraut, made in house, was also tangy and delicious. In fact, it was the best sauerkraut I have ever had -- and this from someone who has been cooking ribs and duck confit in sauerkraut not to mention a recipe for sauerkraut/bacon strudel I got from Saveur. The braised red cabbage was beautiful and also very tasty. The spatzle (previously served at Dano's in Ithaca) was nicely textured. The knodel, now that was an odd choice; turns out to be a bread dumpling about the size of a large-ish meatball, seasoned with sage, I think. I have to admit the taste reminded me of my mother's bread stuffing for turkey at (American) Thanksgiving. I can't decide what I think.
Let's face it. The return of desserts, made by Karen Gilman is dangerous. We ordered on the advice of our server. The Mohn torte was made with brown poppy seeds, walnuts and almonds. Beautiful. Right on the edge of sweet and not. Perfect. And the lemon bread pudding was exactly as lemon-y as it should have been. It was also light and airy. The creme anglais was a treat. Most unusually, the whipped cream was a bit stiff and tasted like cream rather than air. For once, not to be merely pushed to the side, but savored. All made in the kitchen pictured.
WINES: They focus on locals, and intend to have a heuringe from Standing Stone according to their web site.We had a lovely Austrian red called Gatzer Blaufrankisch 2004 which was fascinating. Virtually no sugar.
SERVICE: Bill, our server, was good. Dano was his usual gracious self and Karen made the evening special.
SETTING: The view of Seneca Lake is spectacular and the setting lovely. The building, built for the restaurant, fits well with the landscape and its interior is a mix of cozy and sophisticated. (They also have the best entrance door I have seen on a restaurant in years.) You can view many of the dishes in a case towards the front of the restaurant. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available --and the inside has huge windows so the view is splendid regardless of where you sit. The high ceilings could have made for an acoustic problem but don't! Hurrah.
ON THE WALLS: There are lots of big oils, worth a gander. Not to mention the menu . . . which appears on a large slate board against the mustardy walls.
BATHROOM REVIEW: Four sheets. Nice, clean, sizable.
EXTRAS: The food is available for take out and Dano's has a long history of catering as well as private functions. (Check their web site.) For those as nosey as me, you can catch a good glimpse of the kitchen on your way in from the parking lot. And, they also do special events, including a Viennese night with chamber music coming up in July.
MINOR ISSUES: In mid-June, the sunset is a bit north of the site, obscured by trees, which is a tiny imperfection. Can't think of anything else.
OVERALL: Thank goodness they are back. They do what they do extremely well. And, they are most definitely not just another upstate restaurant. If you like the idea of Vienna, this is the place for you.
ALSO REVIEWED AT:
Dano's is mentioned in Local Chefs News.
They have been reviewed by Bon Appetit and others. And they're proud of it -- you can find the articles at the entrance. Also, their website points you to various reviews, including Dano's on TV. Alas, it ran in May, but maybe there will be repeats. to see their list of reviews, click here.
WEBSITE: The restaurant site is: Dano's on Seneca. Nicely done site -- and it'll even tell you what a heuringer is!
