We’ve been thinking about going to Ed Red for a while. Actually we’ve been thinking it ever since we found out that Adam Chrząstowski left Ancora and decided to open a steakhouse in Cracow. But you know how it is… Cracow is not always on the way.
But we finally did it! A short stay in Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, a Sunday’s trip to Cracow and long planned lunch at Ed Red. A difficult lunch – eaten in a group of 8 adults and 6 kids that are always too loud. A challenge for any restaurant. Fortunately, at Ed Red we get a separate room and a large table. The interior is pleasant, simple, first thing you notice is the open kitchen with the Master and his team inside.
After entering, we notice a specialist Maturemeat ‘cabinet’ that allows dry-aging of beef in perfectly controlled conditions. From our previous conversations with Adam, we know that it’s the dry-aging process that makes the beef juicy, tasty and fragrant, even though most of the restaurants wet-aged beef for years because it’s more affordable. Maturemeat is definitely a useful helper in aging process – it makes it easy to control temperature, humidity and air flow and at the same time, gives effects of 3-week dry-aging using traditional methods in just 12 days. Maks is fascinated by the cabinet – another sign that he might become a chef one day! 🙂
beef dry-aging in Maturmeat cabinet
Adam and his team at work
We get into the menu! We know that steaks are essential, but the menu in Ed Red has much more to offer. Right now, it’s worth considering goose dishes prepared for St. Martin’s day. They will stay on the menu until the end of November.
Having that in mind, Łukasz goes for goose stomach dumplings served on beans mosaic (PLN 24) for starters while one of our friends orders goose lard with pear jelly and oat crumble (PLN 19)
I’m thinking about goat’s cheese in beets with walnuts and herbs (PLN 23) for starters, but unfortunately, they don’t have it during our visit. My friends order various soups: lamb soup with baked capsicum and lentils (PLN 19) and barley soup with goose stomachs and boletus (PLN 16).
Goose stomach dumplings surprise us a bit since these aren’t ordinary dumplings, but baked ones with pastry resembling Christmas Eve’s pasties. The dumplings are crispy, generously stuffed, served on beans and a tasty sauce. Soups – fragrant, filling, perfect for cold autumn afternoon.
goose stomach dumplings on a bean mosaic (PLN 24)
goose lard with pear jelly and oat crumble (PLN 19)
lamb soup with baked capsicum and lentils (PLN 19)
Most of us order a classic entrecote (Rib Eye) for main course. Adam says that it’s the best option right now. Apart from entrecote, you can order a rump cut (New York), rump cut with tenderloin and a bone (T-Bone) or tenderloin fillet. Most steaks cost PLN 19.90 for 100 g and the waitress asks you what size would you like. She recommends a women’s portion for women – approx. 200 g and a bigger one for men – 300-400 g.
After quite a while, we get our steaks! We love the way they’re served: large piece of meat on a wooden board. It comes with a sauce (bernoise, demi-glace, mushroom, green pepper and gorgonzola, Ed Red’s butter), a bit of salt and depending on your order, homemade French fries, grilled vegetables or a salad served separately. And a huge knife! You can see who’s the king of the dish!
entrecote, green pepper and gorgonzola sauce and grilled vegetables
in the spotlight
confit goose leg on red cabbage with prunes
Steaks are prepared as desired: rare or well done. Juicy, with lots of flavour. The wine is the only drawback – there’s not much to choose from by glass and Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec turn out to be too light and fruity to go with steaks – they don’t underline it’s advantages the way they should.
I, on the other hand, choose the main course from the seasonal St. Martin’s menu: confit goose leg on red cabbage with prunes (PLN 43). The goose is crispy from the outside and soft inside. The cabbage gets a distinct smoky flavour thanks to the prunes. I order potatoes with parsley butter as a side for the goose (PLN 7). They go with it well.
Desserts sound interesting too, but our little kindergarten is starting to get impatient. I guess we have to come back one day to try white chocolate, coconut and cherry mousse and coffee creme brulee with whisky and prunes.
Ed Red is also known for out-of-this-world cocktails. Their descriptions are as appetizing as main courses and starters descriptions! We have never seen such fascinating cocktails anywhere in Poland! How about Peat Protein – ‘Sour whisky with Bushmills and Ardbeg. Lemon tart with chocolate flavour is contrasted with peat finish or Hell of Mary described as ‘smoked tomato juice mixed with 3 J.A. Baczewski vodkas infused with celery, chilli and pepper, boosted with BBQ sauce’ ? Even the descriptions of culinary cocktails at Ed Red are mind-blowing! Oyster Shooter sounds cool too – oysters in pepper vodka! Cracow’s the place to find such wonders!
What can I say about Ed Red? Great place for steaks, the best one in Cracow and one of the best in Poland. However, we still prefer fine dining face of Adam Chrząstowski that we know from Ancora. Aren’t steaks, even the most magnificent ones, a bit too little for a person with such skills, experience and mastery? In our opinion fine dining gives more possibilities. On the other hand, it’s great that such place was opened in Cracow (we’re a bit envious! Warsaw wants one too!) and you can try dry-aged steaks prepared by one of the best chefs in Poland.
PRACTICAN INFORMATION:
ul. Sławkowska 3
Cracow
tel: 690 900 555
email: edred@edred.pl
opening hours:
Mon – Thu: 12:00 – 23:00
Fri – Sat: 12:00 – 00:00
Sun: 12:00 – 23:00
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