DINING

Schnitzel, sausage and sauerkraut: Eastern European eateries in NJ

Jenna Intersimone
Courier News and Home News Tribune
Krakow-style platter from Krakowiak Restaurant.

I’m no meat-and-potatoes girl. I love food that’s outlandish, inventive and, above all, delicious.

When I booked my trip this month to Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; and Prague, Czech Republic for a nine-day tour, which I returned from last week, I wrongly geared up for a week-and-a-half of boring meals. No sushi, seafood or standout dishes for me, I thought.

Jeez, was I wrong.

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I dined at Michelin-starred Hungarian restaurants, feasted on internationally known pork schnitzel literally bigger than my plate, tried “sweetbreads,” also known as calf and lamb organ meat from the thymus gland, indulged on more apple strudels than I can count and I’m still craving the duck liver sausage I had from an outdoor market in Budapest.

Doing some simple Google searches for Eastern European restaurants here at home, I was surprised to see that there aren’t many offering the cuisine that I now find myself craving.

However, thankfully for me, former Eastern Europe residents and those just jonesing for a great pierogi, there are a few authentic Eastern European eateries here in Jersey that will make you feel like you’re across the pond.

Café Vienna, Princeton

When Café Vienna owner Anita Waldenberger, now a Lawrence Township resident, moved to New Jersey in 1978, her goal was to learn English and then return to the Austrian hotel industry, where she formerly worked at a five-star resort. However, she soon decided to stay in her newfound home.

“In the United States, anything is possible,” said Waldenberger. “So, I decided to fulfill my dream of opening my own café and bring a little Europe to Princeton.”

Waldenberger said that when she opened the 15-indoor seat and 15-outdoor seat café in 2014, Café Vienna was the only European-based outdoor-seating café in the area and its individuality quickly showed as it brought in a “healthy mix” of international clients as well as local guests.

An omelet from Cafe Vienna.

“I designed Café Vienna based on authentic Viennese restaurants that use a color scheme of dark red and gold in stripe patterns, but modernized it,” said Waldenberger.

Café Vienna offers coffee and espresso drinks as well as Viennese desserts and cakes, or “torten,” that are based on family recipes and are made fresh and contain no preservatives, plus salads, sandwiches, omelets, soups and a weekend European brunch ($16.50).

Other European specialties include the homemade beef gulasch ($16.50), huehnerschnitzel (breaded chicken, baby beets, spinach and lemon for $16), bratwurst platter with grilled bratwurst, sauerkraut, caramelized onions, mustard and bread ($16), Viennese dark chocolate cake ($16) and apple strudel ($5.25), among many more.

Estherhauzy cake from Cafe Vienna.

“Our clients absolutely love these European dishes,” said Waldenberger. “For those who are European, it reminds them of home, and I have very positive feedback from locals as well.”

Krakowiak Restaurant, South River

Jozef Gajski, who was born and raised in Poland and moved to the United States in 1990, has always been a foodie. After years of working for a food distribution company, he finally decided to go out on his own and "introduce Polish cuisine to the area," he said, by opening Krakowiak Restaurant in South River in 2004. 

Soon, a wide mix of Polish, Polish Americans and other nationalities began flooding the 45-seat restaurant to get a little taste of Krakow here in New Jersey. 

Pierogis from Krakowiak Restaurant.

"This restaurant is my memory of Krakow," said Gajski. "The photographs I have hung on the walls and the food make it very sentimental for me." 

About 70 percent of Krakowiak Restaurant's clientele — which includes Polish Americans and people of other nationalities while about 30 percent are Polish-born immigrants — may not find the restaurant as sentimental as Gajski since they were born in the United States, but they still sure love his classic Polish dishes. 

Some of the favorite dishes at Krakowiak Restaurant include the Krakow-style platter, a dish especially popular with first-timers, which includes stuffed cabbage, sauteed kielbasa, bigos and pierogies ($16.50), as well as their Hungarian goulash with potato pancakes ($16.50) and beef stroganoff ($16.50). 

Hungarian goulash inside potato pancakes from Krakowiak Restaurant.

"Some people are very adventurous and they come in here to try a new cuisine," Gajski said. "And then soon, they become my regulars." 

If you go

What: Cafe Vienna

Where: 200 Nassau St., Princeton

Contact: 609-924-5100, cafeviennaprinceton.com

What: Krakowiak Restaurant

Where: 42 Main St., South River

Contact: 732-238-0433, krakowiakrestaurant.com

Jenna Intersimone and a pork schnitzel from Figlmueller, an iconic restaurant in Vienna, Austria.

Jenna Intersimone's "Destination Jersey" column appears Tuesdays. Her "Life Aboard The Traveling Circus" blog is at LifeAboardTheTravelingCircus.com. Tweet her at @JIntersimone or email her at JIntersimone@GannettNJ.com.