Each year, my family has an amazing trip planned where we travel from Budapest, Hungary to Munich, Germany, stopping in the Austrian Alps on the way. However, our plans for this wintertime trip have been put on hold as we wait for the pandemic to settle down, and borders to reopen. One of the draws to this location during the wintertime is the amazing Christmas markets and outdoor food stalls, that serve foods varying from schnitzels to chimney cakes. Little did I know that I could get a taste of Polish, Hungarian, and Austrian cuisine in a cute downtown Ann Arbor cafe called Amadeus. Plus, even though I didn’t eat in at the restaurant the atmosphere of the old-world cafe was simply stunning.

Amadeus offered me a way to experience the culinary adventure that I am going to miss out on due to my travels being canceled. Their menu contains many entrees and appetizers that I had never heard of such as placeks, kielbasa, golabek and ducktrap pancakes. With so many options, it was a very hard decision to only choose four menu items.  

I ended up ordering the salad sample appetizer which contained a kapusta salad, salzburg chicken salad and a warsaw potato salad. I also ordered three different entrees all coming with a small side salad and bread. The potato schnitzel was a doughy and fluffy potato pancake stuffed with spices and topped with an amazing savory dill sauce. The budapest pancakes were thinner potato pancakes seasoned with paprika covered in a warm, thick chicken and vegetable stew with a white-wine sauce. The salmon-ski dish was simply cooked salmon and shrimp covered in dill and served with potato, but it was an amazing addition to the meal. 

While eating each of these dishes, I noticed the excessive use of pickled vegetables, dill and sauerkraut, all ingredients that are somewhat unique to Eatern Europe cuisine. Though the meal was on the higher side, with the entrees varying from $17 to $26, the fact that they all came with bread and two salads made the deal better. There is also the option for a lower priced meal such as a Rusian Placek, a savory stuffed pie which is only $9, or a grilled chicken salad which is only $16. With artwork and live music on the weekends this restaurant on E. Washington Street would be amazing for a fancy takeaway dinner.