Bauer European Farm Kitchen is a truly unique exploration of German cuisine with French accents — a farm-to-table, Alsatian-influenced eatery that no one has done here before.
“Bauer” means “farm” or “farmer” in German, and the emphasis on farm-fresh ingredients is great, but really it’s chef Jackson Rouse’s finesse that makes Bauer a must-visit in spite of its less-than-trendy location and awkward space.
Rouse and his team had less than a month to turn around the space left vacant when Jimmy Gibson decided to abruptly throw in the towel at his downtown steakhouse Jimmy G’s. The cavernous eatery, originally a Chinese restaurant, is located in the basement of 435 Elm St. What will draw crowds to Bauer is probably not its proximity to the Hustler Store. It’s the food that’s orgasmic.
Seriously, Rouse’s skills make even a winter salad exciting. We started with charred cabbage ($9), a shareable-sized bowl of crisp cruciferae; some pickled, some fermented and some roasted. The combination of textures is genius. The dressing, with two types of mustard seeds toasted separately to keep their distinctive flavors, is perfect.
Sexier still is the sous vide sauerbraten short rib ($34). The long, slow bath means the beef is fork-tender, yet still pink, and the flavor is incredible. The beauty of sauerbraten is the complex balance of richness, tempered by sour notes that are so rare in our everyday eats, and earthy, fresh herbs. Rouse serves his with roasted root vegetables and spaetzle — tiny German pasta — that’s as light as a baby’s kiss. The veggies! The parsnip was so good I had to keep myself from stealing the last bite, and I don’t even like parsnip. Pro tip: The melting fat from the short rib makes an absolutely decadent butter for your bread.
Do order bread ($5) to sop up all the sauce. There’s a crusty epi (wheat stalk bread) baked in-house and a light rye from Sixteen Bricks, served with compound butter. On our visit, the butter was roasted tomato.
The seasonal sausage ($14) is served in a cast-iron pot with German potato salad, toasted pretzel buns, housemade sauerkraut and fresh mustard. For a porky dish, this is actually light and feels very vegetable-centric. Our server warned us that the German potato salad might be different than Grandma’s potato salad, and he was right. It was so much better.
The sausage, charcuterie, steaks and chops are all dry-aged in house. Bauer also offers “tete du cochon” ($75), which is best for three or more diners and must be ordered in advance. Half of a piggy’s head is cooked sous vide and crisped before serving, and honestly not as gruesome as it sounds.
To drink, I enjoyed the Hapsburg ($11), one of several cocktails developed in house, featuring Germany’s Bitter Truth EXR and pink gin. Delicious. Bauer also has an extensive wine cellar and will suggest pairings.
We knew the minute we sat down that we would have to order dessert. My friend spotted the chocolate pot du crème ($9) and I had my eye on the seasonal strudel. At the last minute, though, our server mentioned that the tarte tatin ($9) came with housemade crème fraîche ice cream, so I swerved. We were both very happy.
The apple tarte was lemony and lush, and the ice cream was garnished with a flash-fried sage leaf that was weightless and delightful. The pot du crème had a mysterious hint of savory to it, too, along with tantalizing crisp bits of garnish. On follow-up, I learned two secrets from Rouse: The earthiness came from a faint dust of vadouvan, a French curry powder (“With no turmeric! I hate turmeric!” he told me), and the crisped bits were puffed rice made from “outrageously expensive wild rice that Jimmy left behind.” Frugally delicious!
Chef Rouse came to Bauer shortly after The Rookwood in Mount Adams closed. He says the experience taught him “leadership, heartbreak and success.”
He knows Bauer will have challenges, mostly because of its “weird as hell” location, but he says, “I like weird.”
He kept as many key people from Jimmy G’s as he could, bringing them in as painters and laborers during the “flip” just to keep things going.
“I’m doing this the way it should be done,” he says. “It’s the toughest space ever, but I’ve got good people and the kitchen works. The time to learn who we are and where a lot of us come from will be a delicious journey.”
To share the journey on a unique evening at Bauer, make a reservation for one of their “family meals”: $35 prix fixe meals served on Tuesdays. There’s one communal-seating at 6:30 p.m., and the menu changes weekly.
The off-menu night gives the cooks a chance to express themselves using whatever ingredients are available that week. Not just German or French, the Tuesday dinners can be Italian, Mexican, or whatever appeals — always with options for vegetarians and vegans.
Families are encouraged and welcomed; children 12 and under are $5. Industry drink specials, which will include local craft beers and selected small farm-produced wine, will be available.
Bauer European Farm Kitchen
Go: 435 Elm St., Downtown; Call: 513-621-8555; Internet: bauercincinnati.com; Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
