DANO'S ON SENECA

Finger Lakes fans of Daño Hutnik and Karen Gilman have been eagerly following this duo since they first decamped in Ithaca from the Big Apple in 1990 to open their restaurant, Daño’s on Cayuga.  Fast forward to 2013: the pair have earned well deserved success in their next venture, an imposing wine trail facility on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, Daño’s Heuriger on Seneca, where Daño holds forth in the kitchen, and Karen sees to the front of the house and serves as pastry chef.  An accomplished artist, her large canvasses adorn the walls of the restaurant.

What, you might ask, is a heuriger?  According to Wikipedia, that bastion of not-necessarily-well-vetted information, in 1784 Emperor Joseph II issued a decree permitting Austrians to open establishments to sell and serve self-produced wine and food. Heurigers (pronounced “HOY-riggers) served fresh wine, still a little cloudy and not quite ready for bottling, and all kinds of picnic-y dishes: breads, liptauer and other spreads, and roasted meats. They were meant to be seasonal, but fortunately for Finger Lakes residents and visitors, Daño’s is one of the few eateries on Seneca Lake to feed us during the winter months.

The James Beard Foundation has acknowledged their culinary prowess, inviting Daño to create dinners at New York City’s James Beard House, and Daño has generously introduced other talented Finger Lakes chefs to the James Beard House.

As do many Finger Lakes region chefs, Daño relies on local farmers and producers to supply an ever-changing panoply of vegetables, fruits, and meats. What sets this place apart is Daño’s energetic quest to produce, himself, every prepared food the restaurant needs.  Daño makes and smokes his own sausages, makes his own preserves (go for the quince!), and has begun to produce cheeses from the milk of local herds. 

In warmer weather, a Monet-like kitchen garden of fresh herbs flavors the dishes and contributes flowers to the salads; in late fall and winter, pots of bamboo decorate the massive stone patio providing a screen through which to peer over dormant vineyards to the lake.  Indoors, clay-potted live succulents on each table remind us that spring will come again.

The restaurant is also known for its special events, dinners produced in concert with other chefs, an evening of gypsy entertainment and Romany-style food, Turkish cuisine and Middle Eastern entertainment – whatever the season calls for.

Dano’s is one of the few wine trail restaurants that remains open during the winter months, and the restaurant’s focus on Viennese food is perfect for the cold winter days ahead – schnitzel, roasted meats, best-ever sweet-and-sour red cabbage (the secret ingredient is duck fat), and goulash are substantial, soul-warming foods.

On a recent visit, we started our meal with mugs of seasonal “sturm,” or Federweisser, a white wine still in its perky fermentation stage, a little sweet, a little bubbly, a little cloudy.  This was served with a slice of zwiebelkuchen, a German-style onion cake, a yeasted dough topped with caramelized onions and cracklings, and baked.  It resembles a bialy on steroids, and the combination was delicious. We managed to nurse our sturms through dinner, though we have in past enjoyed selections from their wine list, which focuses on some excellent local wines, but also includes some Austrian selections; we often go with a Gruner Veltliner (a.k.a. Gru-Ve), which pairs well with most of what’s on the menu.

Nearly everything on the extensive menu is a la carte, which sometimes makes it difficult to choose.  Playing it safe, we ordered the goulash, deeply flavored and intensely colored, which came with a side of spaetzle, good for getting up every last bit of the sauce; a side of roasted Brussels sprouts was crunchy and a good counterpoint to the spicy goulash. We also ordered the bento box, a sort of guided menu tour, that included a basket of Wide Awake Bakery breads, creamy liptauer spread, a selection of salads (cucumber, German potato, cole slaw), one of Dano’s housemade sausages, a roasted pork shank, sweet and sour red cabbage, and spaetzle – a lot of food.  A lot of really satisfying, well prepared, beautifully and simply presented food.  And while we were quite full, for the purpose of this article we felt obliged to sample a couple of Karen Gilman’s buttery desserts.  A Sachertort, a dark, dense chocolate cake slathered with apricot preserves, was enrobed in a dark chocolate glaze – chocolate heaven.  The marzipan kugel was dense and almond-y, pleasingly paired with a dollop of schlag.  Replete, we rolled out into the chilly evening, warmed from within, and very happy.

Daño’s, located at 9564 Route 414 just south of Lodi and 13 miles north of Watkins Glen, is open throughout the winter Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner as well as a spectacular brunch. It’s a good idea to make reservations at 607.582.7555.  For a look at their menu, go to www.danosonseneca.com.

DANO'S ON SENECA

Driving over the ridge that separates Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, preoccupations and concerns of the day evaporate as painterly views of farms, lake, and vineyards unfold। It’s a mini-vacation heading to  Daño’s Heuriger in Lodi for a leisurely dinner. What is a heuriger (pronounced hoy-rigger)? Born in the vineyards surrounding Vienna, it’s an informal place for drinking new wine in mugs, and dining on hearty, satisfying local foods—spreads, salads, smoked or roasted meats, fresh fish, and—hey, this is about Vienna—fabulous desserts with plenty of schlag (whipped cream)। Daño Hutnik and Karen Gilman, with Cornell architect Andrea Simmitch, have constructed a bright, airy place with a large dining patio and spectacular vineyard and lake views। Displaying Gilman’s large, colorful landscape paintings, it fills with a lively crowd of couples out for a romantic evening; tourists from as far away as Ukraine and as near as Rochester; extended families (Hutnik and Gilman make special provision for serving meals family style); and vineyard workers, winemakers, and cellar rats from nearby wineries. We’re always surprised at the number of Ithacans we run into, too.

This particular area around Seneca Lake, locally called “the banana belt” for its uncharacteristically mild climates, grows some of the finest vinifera grapes and makes some of the most highly acclaimed wines in the Finger Lakes, and has attracted its more than its share of international press and Governor’s Cup wine awards. If you’re wondering which wine goes with Wiener schnitzel, start with a bottle of Lamoreaux Landing Blanc de Blanc bubbly, which goes with just about anything, and is bound to put you in a cheery mood.

We began our meal with a salad of mixed organic field greens, with the first fresh dill of the season, culled from the restaurant’s herb garden, and served with red wine–roasted peaches, shaved sheep’s milk black peppercorn cheese, endive slivers, and caramelized walnuts. A bowl of steamed Prince Edward Island mussels festooned with “seed pearls” of garlic, and minced parsley and fresh tarragon was the best we’ve tasted since a breakfast of mussels on Cape Breton Island years ago. A basket of mixed artisanal breads served to sop up the juices. On a hot June day, this might have served as dinner. But eager for this culinary adventure, we forged ahead, testing the spreads that are a Daño’s specialty: Liptauer, reddened with sweet paprika; Hotel Sacher, punctuated with bits of pickle and capers; and our favorite, a pumpkin seed oil spread. On other occasions we’ve also enjoyed the gorgonzola, bacon, horseradish walnut, and artichoke-lemon spreads. This night the kitchen sent out a sampler of salads, too: a mustardy celery-root; a creamy, mild salsify; a tangy/vinegary cucumber salad; and our all-time favorite, Daño’s magenta-colored, sinus-clearing horseradish beet salad.

We're sworn to secrecy re the ingredient that makes Daño’s red cabbage the best we’ve ever tasted, but you really ought to try it. The Viennese Bento Box was a satisfying meal, with its generous sampling of sausages, pork, and salads. The aforementioned Wiener schnitzel, a boneless veal chop pounded thin, then breaded and fried golden crisp and served, simply, with a lemon wedge, was lovely.

Our desserts were a kugelhopf, a vanilla-and-chocolate pound cake served with brandied cherries, and Rigo Jancsi (pronounced Ree-go Yanchee), an Austrian take on Tiramisu, with layers of flourless chocolate cake surrounding a layer of chocolate mousse and another of apricot jam, both with the ubiquitous schlag. A good dessert comes with a good story, and this one tells of Mr. Jancsi, a violinist who scandalized Viennese society with his unmitigated promiscuity. We washed away his sins with a small glass of almost unbearably delicious Standing Stone Vidal ice wine. Don’t miss the delicious Linzer Torte, which Gilman occasionally fills with tart currant jam instead of the expected raspberry.

The wine list focuses on nearby wineries with the occasional Austrian addition. Wagner Valley beers go well with smoked meats and wursts. The house wine, served in mugs, is a Standing Stone Vidal Blanc heuriger wine, crafted especially for Daño’s. With these long days, it’s not difficult to get there in time to watch the day dissolve into a magnificent sunset over Seneca Lake, and linger over a leisurely and delightful meal. Daño’s Heuriger is open from noon until 9 p.m. at 9564 Route 414 in Lodi, New York. For reservations and information, call 607 582-7555.