When you say “German restaurant”, most people probably imagine a more niche, fairytale-esque Bavarian scene than what greets diners at Mark Steuer’s German-Southern project Funkenhausen. Whether it’s because of your stop at Oktoberfest during your semester abroad, an Instagram (or a few dozen) from the Christkindl market, or the time you blacked out at Prost! and woke up to the remnants of a giant pretzel, German food is often pre-judged as heavy and unchanging. Funkenhausen subverts these ideas as soon as you enter. The West Town spot feels like a German beer hall crossed with a sleek 1970’s cocktail lounge, and the gold and blue decor and open kitchen immediately let you know that this isn’t going to be the sauerkraut and sausage-fest you’re used to.
Like most Chicago restaurants these days, the menu is split up into small plates (both vegetable and not) framing larger, meatier entree options, as well as a charcuterie board. Predictably, the menu is meat, cheese, and starch heavy (even the broccoli appetizer includes buttermilk dressing and cheddar). The axes, saws, and other butchery tools displayed over the kitchen remind you that you are most likely here because you’re willing to eat some meat. Strategic ordering is necessary if you want to sample as many dishes as possible without feeling like a lead balloon at the end of your meal.
There’s also a great selection of German beers both on draft and by the bottle, and the staff was enthusiastic about helping us select one based on American-beer tastes. Staff enthusiasm was a theme; the mostly-very good looking servers roam the dining room in clothes slightly too casual for the space’s sleekness, extolling the virtues of dishes and joking amiably with patrons. Our server thanked us for our patience with every greeting, despite never letting us sit unattended for longer than five or ten minutes.
The food was mostly very good, with a few mild disappointments largely related to portioning. The garlicky pretzel knots are fantastic, particularly with the beer cheese dip- a difficult condiment to elevate that Funkenhausen manages to pull off perfectly. I was sad when the busser swooped in for the plate before I could load the last of it onto my fork. However, at $7 for two small knots, the “Southern-hospitality” proclaimed on the menu feels a bit far off. Other dishes had the same problem- certain elements, like cippolini onions or glaze seemed to be in over-abundance while the promised protein or main was barely there. The flavors had the ability to work harmoniously on every dish we tried, but not every bite was able to yield that level of balance. When it works, however, it really works. All the roast vegetables across the menu are done to perfection, giving just the right amount of bite while still being tender and caramelized. In fact, everything was cooked extremely well, from the dense pretzels to the perfectly airy chocolate wafers. This signals that despite some small kinks, the ethos and intent of Funkenhausen is clear in the minds of the staff and is communicated to the diners with pleasure. Funkenhausen is a great addition to the Chicago food scene, elevating an often forgotten food tradition to new heights- and it’s pretty Funken tasty.
Garlicky Pretzel Knots
Very good with both the beer cheese and the white barbecue sauce. Not a lot of food for a bread starter, but a must-try for the perfect introduction to the fusion of Southern and German foods.
French Onion Spaetzle
This was a very, very delicious macaroni and cheese that was called a spaetzle. The onion flavor was present without being overpowering, and the crunchy pretzel croutons were a great texture change. However, the spaetzle were small and soft enough to feel more like elbow noodles instead of dumplings with the traditional bite of spaetzle, and became fairly uniform and soft within the creamy cheese sauce.
Ricotta Dumplings
The rabbit in these is cooked perfectly, incredibly soft and tender while still allowing the unique taste of the meat to shine through. The ricotta sprinkled over the top was a nice contrast to the heavy winter vegetables, all of which were soaked in a truly fantastic chicken jus that I slurped with a spoon until my companion started to look pained. My only regret was getting just about four small bites of the incredibly light, herbed ricotta dumplings after we made our way to where they laid buried under all the other elements.
Confit Pork Shoulder
This dish perfectly balanced the need for a meaty main course with the practical realization of how much heavy food comes before it on the menu. The shoulder was fantastic itself, especially with the walnut gremolata as a spiced, Christmas-y flavor on top. At times the cider glaze became slightly too sweet, but the roasted onions and parsnip were largely able to counteract that with their earthiness.
Black Forest Pots De Creme
A heavy dessert to end a heavy meal, but worth it if you have any room left at all. The custard is lusciously thick, with just enough different dark and milk chocolate notes to stay complex and not turn cloying. The cherries are perfectly tart, and the buttercream bubbles are an intriguing texture change.
Final Score: 8.0/10
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