Grunauer, Kansas City's first Viennese restaurant in decades, is expecting a big and raucous crowd for its two-day festival of beer, bratwurst and kaiserschmarrn.
Kaiserschmarrn? It's a dessert that literally translates as "the Emperor's mishmash," which Nicholas Grunauer compares to a "slightly dry bread pudding." (Other culinary sources compare it with a baked, caramelized pancake.) It's not on the regular dessert menu at Grunauer, but the two-day Oktoberfest will feature its own menu, including sauerbraten on rye, a farmer's plate with smoked pork, pork shoulder, bratwurst, bacon and homemade sauerkraut. Goulash, too.
"We'll serve the traditional Grunauer menu inside," says Nicholas, "and the Oktoberfest menu outside."
It will be a late-night menu, too: The kitchen will serve Peter Grunauer's Oktoberfest menu on Friday from 4 a.m. until 1 a.m. and all day -- from noon to 1 a.m. -- Saturday. Outdoor seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
The featured bands, on both nights: Kevin Hiatt, playing polka music, and Nuthatch 47. A third band, Music Festhaus, plays only on Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m.
