Naschmarkt Restaurant Brings the Flavor and Style of Viennese Cuisine to Campbell, California
by Super G
We couldn’t have asked for a better night out on the town when we were seated at the bar at Naschmarkt Restaurant (384 East Campbell Avenue; 408-378-0335; Naschmarkt-Restaurant.com in Campbell, Calif.
Babes and I were in the mood to get a taste of the cuisine that we were going to experience during our forthcoming trip to Austria, particularly Vienna. We had peeked into Naschmarkt several months earlier while we explored historic Campbell, which is a long strip about seven blocks or more long filled with bars, restaurants, and shops. Then we saw it on Check Please! Bay Area soon after we found out that we were invited to tour Vienna as guests of the Vienna Tourism Bureau. It was simply meant to be. I couldn’t resist the temptation any longer and soon discovered that Naschmarkt in Campbell, like in Vienna, is a must-experience destination.
Naschmarkt is named after the famed open-air market, the Naschmarkt, in Vienna frequented by locals and travelers touring the historic city. The restaurant opened in Campbell in 2011 and has been a hit ever since. The atmosphere in the restaurant is busy as it’s a very popular restaurant, yet comfortable, warm, and welcoming. Usually reservations are necessary, but we simply happened to go early and on a slightly slower than usual night or we simply got lucky.
Babes and I were greeted by Matthias Froeschl, the owner and executive chef of this family-owned restaurant, when we arrived without reservations. At the time a few tables were filled, but we knew that soon not a seat would be available inside or outside throughout the night, so when we were warmly offered a seat at the bar we took it.
I prefer the bar, especially if there’s an open kitchen because I can watch the show of how everything is being prepared and put together to present to us, the guests, for the evening.
Babes and I were in for an extra special treat that night as Alan, the resident mixologist, was crafting new drinks and we were going to be his willing taste testers along with our new found friends at the bar.
First, we both started off with a simple beer, a Rieder Pils, which Alan, showed us that contrary to American beliefs beer can actually be properly served with quite a bit of head. However, I had to gamble a little before he popped open the bottle. We had to guess a number between 1 and 100. If I got the number under the cap right, Alan would buy us a drink. If not, I paid for our drinks. I came so close, just one number off during our three chances.
Then came sampling the lavender infused rum cocktails and the freshly made brandy cherries, we dipped our straws into the cocktail and dropped the fluid onto our tongues. It was an interesting flavor that evolved as Alan continued to add champagne and lemon juice to the cocktail and questioning us about what we tasted, “Did it please our palette? What was missing? What should the drink be called?” It was all leading up to his big trip to Melbourne, Australia, where he was selected to learn among the best of the best mixologists in the world in an intensive six month program.
The food was served just as artfully as the cocktails. We started off with the Butter Lettuce Salad that was mixed with shaved radishes and toasted pumpkin seeds topped off with a pumpkin seed oil and citrus vinaigrette. The salad was refreshing. The vinaigrette infused life into the salad. The tang from the citrus danced with the sweetness of the butter lettuce and was rounded out with the earthy crunch of the sliced radishes and toasted pumpkin seeds. It was so good, even I who would eat salad unless Babes insisted upon it, couldn’t stop eating it.
As good as the salad was I couldn’t wait to taste the Jäger Schnitzel. I wasn’t disappointed. The pork was so tender from being brined and then pounded before being dunked in the bread mixture and into the fryer. Then it was plated and topped off with a fantastic mushroom cream sauce and served with garlic confit broccolini. The side of spätzle that came with both of our dishes was so fresh it melted our mouths.
Babes ordered the Hungarian Beef Goulash. The meat, a beef shoulder, was perfect. The meat was so tender and bursting with spicy goodness because it had soaked up the paprika it was braised in and the Hungarian pepper and sour cream sauce it was roasted in to give it its bold taste.
The food and drinks were exquisite. We ended up opening and closing the restaurant we were having such a great time chatting with Alan, Matthias (who joined us later in the evening at the bar), and our neighbors seated around the bar. It truly was a night to remember and the best seat in the house.
THE DIRTY DISH
Naschmarkt Restaurant, 384 East Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008. 408-378-0335. www.naschmarkt-restaurant.com
TYPE OF RESTAURANT: Family-owned, Viennese
RATING: 4 = black
(0 inedible – 5 simply scrumptious)
AMBIANCE: Buzzing with a warm and friendly energy in an modern sophisticated, but casual environment.
SCENE: A casual dressy affair, but guests in jeans and t-shirt won’t be turned away or feel underdressed and uncomfortable.
SERVICE: Five-star service all the way. The staff is friendly and welcoming delivering high quality service. The attention to detail is seamless to the point that guests barely notice it.
NOISE LEVEL: The restaurant is busy, but the acoustics don’t reflect the noise level. We were able to enjoy an evening of lively conversations without noticing other people’s conversations.
RECOMMENDED DISHES: Hands down the Jäger Schnitzel and the Hungarian Beef Goulash. These are must have dishes.
SIP: The wine list is excellent and the handcrafted cocktails by Alan, the mixologist, were extraordinary.
CHECK, PLEASE: $$$$ = Over $30
(price of average dinner/lunch/breakfast/brunch bill for an individual dinner)
THE EAT: I loved everything about the restaurant from the atmosphere to the service and especially the food. I can’t wait to return to Naschmarkt Restaurant.
WORTH THE NIGHT OUT?: This was delicious!
To book your trip to Vienna, Austria, contact Heather Cassell at Girls That Roam Travel at Travel Advisors of Los Gatos at 408-354-6531at or .
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