Qurvrd - BierBeisl

THE COI'4MUNITY ARTS
THEATER SOCIETY (CATS) PRESENTS
Qurvrd'$
Music, Lyrics and Book bY
LIONEL BART
With ROBIN FIELD
as Fagin
KIM BODA as NancY
JOHNWELLS as Bill Sikes
TIMMY BRASHER as Oliver
JOSHUA HOFFMAN as Dodger
November it6. 17,20,23,24,28,30 at 7:30
December I at 7:30
November 18. 25 & December 2 at I :30
Big Bear's own
State-of the-art
Per-forming Arts Center
39707 Big Bear Blvd., Big Bear Lake
(909) 866-4970
www. bigbeartheater.org
At
t/47
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CATS Events Produced & Directed bY
Koren Sorgent Rochels
:':.
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Apfelstrudel at BierBeisl
Despite the presence of some ultra-talented Austrian and German chefs in
L.A.-notably Wolfgang Puck and Joachim Splichal, respectively-the cooking from their part of Europe has never been considered chic or sexy. And
a huge platter of bratwurst and potato salad is hardly the stuff to attract
salad-picking supermodels or starlets. But a current hot spot on the local
dining scene is the unabashedly Austrian BierBeisl in Beverly Hills.
ln a storefront formerly occupied by a casual trattoria, BierBeisl
is
an intimate space with floor-to-ceiling windows, vintage-style pendant
chandeliers hanging from
a
soaring, skylight-punctuated ceiling, and candle-
topped plain wood tables. Artwork is spare but includes a plexiglass wallsculpture map of the Old Country.
A handful of draft beers from Austria, Germany and the czech Republic
are dispensed at a wooden bar, and a half-dozen stools flank a counter
offering a direct view into the tiny open kitchen of chef-owner Bernhard
Mairinger. JuslzT years old, the native Austrian honed his skills throughout
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46 PERFORMANCES
1
|.IAGAZINE
Europe before arriving in L.A. to work for the Patina organization.
Leading olf are braided pretzel rolls that arrive with a potato-cheese
spread and
a
iranslucent white lard that helps de-stigmatize the four-letter
word in health-conscious L.A. For
starters, consider lightly saui6ed
sweetbreads plated with truffled
shimeji mushrooms, stewed leeks
and parsnip puree, topped
by
miniature potato chips; only a bit
more of a crispy sear would have
improved
it. ldeal for the
table
is a generous charcuterie board,
and for something lighter, a ringmold of vibrantly colored housecured Arctic char. Reminiscent of
salmon tartare,
it
shares
a
plate
with heirloom beets, pickled red
onions and a horseradish-infused
crdme fratche.
Vienna's signature Wiener
schnitzel is a dish that usually
disappoints-but at BierBeisl it is
flawlessly prepared, delivered to
the table with roasted potatoes (or
a vinegary Austrian potato salad),
half a lemon and lingonberry compote for
a
tart sweetness that com-
plements the meat. The schnitzel
is offered in veal, pork and turkey,
and the traditional veal is incred-
ibly tender with a delicate, crispy
breading that is slightly puffy but
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adheres to the meat.
Other entr6es include
medallions of venison loin
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rosy
with
braised red cabbage, or a trio of
pork preparations: Plated with
roasted cabbage are a hunk of
pork belly with crispy skin, braised
pork cheeks and boudin noir sand-
wiched between little rounds of
bread. Veal goulash, bathed in a
heady sauce redolent of paprika,
is served with spaetzle; a tasting
menu of sausages, paired with
PERFORMANCES IIAGAZITII 47
beers, is also available. lntroducing
a lighter note is the reappearance
of char, this time pan-seared with
lemon-herb butter and served with
roasted potatoes.
With the exception of an occasional bottle from HungarY or
Germany, the well-priced wine
offerings are Austrian, making the
list not only unique to L.A., but also
fascinating. A couple of California
craft beers are thrown into
a
mix dominated by brewers from
Austria and neighboring countries.
Desserts range from the classic
apfelstrudel to light pancakes cal led
kaiserschmarrn, which pastry chef
Sherry Yard mastered at SPago
many years ago. Occasionally, you'll
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find Vienna's signature chocolate
pastry, the Sachertorte. Also consider Austrian schnapps, regarded
not only as an effective digestif,
but also as a cure for a varietY of
ailments. The selection, among the
best in L.A., includes apple, apricot
and rowanberry flavors.
BierBeisl reflects the current
Beverly Hills dining scene, no
longer dominated by formal restaurants awash in white linen and
mahogany. The era of Romanoff's
and the Bistro is long gone, and
a
more casual, eclectic attitude has
settled in. Here, you can enjoY an
Austrian feast or simPlY droP in
for brats and sauerkraut with an
Austrian pilsner. -Roger Grodg
9669
The Hayrlorth Theatre,2511 tt'lilshire alvd.
BUY TlcKETs Hotlr: silencetheMusical.com or 865-8u-4111
48 PERFORMANCES
MAGAIII{E
BLVD., BEVERLY
S.
I-.I
SANTA MONICA
ILLS, 31 O.27 1.7 27 4,
BIERBEISL.LA.COM