By Rachel Hergett EBS COLUMNIST
Though I had made a date with a fabulous artist friend, Tori, for the evening, I was still trepidatious about dining at gute Laune, stylized with a lower case “g” that makes the editor in me cringe and the spell check go off. Truth is, I have a hard time getting excited about a restaurant that is inspired by German beer halls and serves Montana bratwursts and European beers. While there are exceptions—usually based around ballgames and/or booze—sausage and beer just ain’t my thing. Still, I’m willing to give it a try.
Gute Laune, German for “good spirits” or “good mood,” opened last month in the space above the Rialto Theater on Bozeman’s Main Street.
I’m happy to see Nest Partners, the team behind the Rialto and the LARK, make use of the space, which has mainly been used for events since the theater’s remodel. And the bar, with its windows overlooking the street and the glow of the neon sign shining in, has an inherent atmosphere.
At gute Laune, it’s still pretty wide open, with a series of high tables to one side and booths on the other framing two giant community tables with benches. I’m a sucker for a big community table. It’s the visual representation of one of my favorite sayings, “if you have more than you need, build a bigger table not a higher fence.” It invites gathering and conversation—good spirit, perhaps.
Tori was waiting for me when I arrived, and chose a booth in the corner. We chatted and discussed the menu before going to the counter to order. For the sake of variety, we chose the grill plate, which comes with the choice of three “wursts” with potato salad and roasted carrots. The bison bratwurst from Daniel’s Gourmet Meats was recommended, so we started there, then added the double smoked and cured garlic bratwurst and the kielbasa with allspice and white pepper from Meats of Montana. Plus, we had to try the fries and house-made beer cheese. And the desserts. While “good beer” is advertised and the menu has a nice selection of beers, cocktails and mocktails, I was feeling the “Classic Aperol Spritz.” It was as advertised, no frills, just clean and classic. And only nine bucks, which is a steal in Bozeman these days.
The food came fast, on solid-feeling metal cafeteria trays with paper linings and cardboard boats for the sides. The sausages were grilled and sliced on a diagonal. As far as sausages go, these are really damn good ones. I thought I loved the bison brat, until I tried the other two, both of which had solid in-your-face spice (not heat). I can’t pick the winner, and I think I may have confused them on the plate anyway.
I’d like to see more sauces. Ketchup and mustard bottles held solid basics, but I feel the quality of the sausage itself begs for better. There’s a picnic plate on the menu, offering “house-made mustards, preserves, pickles,” and more, and I wonder if more of those accouterments would have really made the grill plate sing. Give me the mustard, baby!
Now to the sides, and I really have something to write home about. If I was wary about a meal of sausages, I am assured by the variety and quality of the side dishes. The potato salad probably has other ingredients, but the stars are the creamy red potatoes from Bausch Farm and the bite of the grain mustard. The white carrots were coated in toasted hazelnuts and grated gruyere cheese, which may have made them feel heavy—my largest worry about this dinner—if not for the hint of lemon cutting through. Even the beer cheese, using a brew from Bayern in Missoula, and hand-cut fries exceeded expectations. The no-longer unsung hero of the plate, however, was the pickled cauliflower. It was the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and sour and retained a nice crunch.
I’m impressed. While there is still some growing and refining to do, the trajectory is one I appreciate. There are local ingredients here and choices both in reverence of and aside from sausage. There are gluten-free options, vegan sides, and a kids menu in the works. And the kitchen is open until midnight.
Manager Kevin Erb tells me they’re “easing into it slowly.” The menu is changing and experiments are happening. There was talk of a gluten-free schnitzel, of more mustards and sauerkraut. And, instead of a kitchen manager, all of it is overseen by chef Stefan Schleigh.
As I sit back, full and decidedly happy with the meal, someone says the space is normally brighter, and I realize that some of the overhead lights are out. I like the dark and moody evening vibe, and the light from a cool retro lamp on the table illuminating one of the variety of Bauhaus posters that grace the walls—as in Bauhaus the English rock band.
Somehow it all seems to work. Like Bauhaus the rock band had reverence for Bauhaus the German art movement, gute Laune is able to share a love for German culture and cuisine and still make it something all its own.
Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.
